From the Guidelines
Unremediated mold exposure poses significant health concerns, including weakened immune systems, allergies, irritations, and identifiable diseases, which can be severe enough to cause death 1.
Health Effects of Mycotoxins
The health effects of mycotoxins, toxic secondary biomolecules produced by fungus or molds, are diverse and depend on the type of mycotoxin, duration of exposure, concentration levels, and the conditions of the exposed individual, such as age, health, and sex 1.
- Mycotoxins can cause weakened immune systems, allergies or irritations, and many identifiable diseases.
- The severity of mycotoxicosis can be compounded by variables such as alcohol abuse, vitamin deficiency, caloric deprivation, and infectious disease status.
Risk Factors for Mold Infections
Certain individuals are at a higher risk for mold infections, including highly immunocompromised patients, such as those with hematological malignancies or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients 1.
- These patients should take reasonable precautions to reduce mold exposure, including avoiding gardening, spreading mulch, or close exposure to construction or renovation.
- HEPA-filtered rooms and masks (surgical or N95) may be used to reduce mold exposure, although the effectiveness of masks is unknown 1.
Prevention Measures
Prevention measures for mold infections include avoiding areas with structural work, gardening work, a lot of dust, and public baths and bathing pools 1.
- General recommendations for ambulatory patients include increasing hygienic measures in the home, frequent hand-washing, and the use of individual sponges.
- Smoking tobacco, marijuana, and cannabis should be forbidden, and contact with pets and ornamental plants should be limited 1.
From the Research
Health Concerns with Unremediated Mold Exposure
- Allergic respiratory diseases, such as asthma and allergic rhinitis, can be triggered or exacerbated by mold exposure 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
- Mold exposure can also cause allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), sinusitis, and hypersensitivity pneumonitis 2, 3, 4, 5
- Some molds can produce mycotoxins, which can adversely affect living cells and organisms, but the risk of infection from indoor molds is low for healthy individuals 2, 3
- People with immunosuppression, mucoviscidosis (cystic fibrosis), and asthma are at higher risk of developing mold-related illnesses 3
- Exposure to mold can also cause non-allergic symptoms, such as mucous membrane irritation, atopic eczema, and impairment of well-being 3, 5
- The evidence for associations between mold exposure and other health effects, such as COPD, acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage in children, rheumatism/arthritis, sarcoidosis, and cancer, is limited or suspected 3
Risk Factors and Prevention
- Mold growth indoors can be prevented by controlling moisture and humidity levels, and by remediating mold colonization promptly 2, 3, 6
- People with predisposing factors, such as genetic and hormonal influences, imprinting, context and adaptation effects, and environmental concerns, may be more susceptible to mold-related illnesses 3
- Medical diagnosis of mold exposure includes medical history, physical examination, conventional allergy diagnosis, and provocation tests, if indicated 3
- Treatment of mold infections and allergies should be guided by established medical guidelines and protocols 3, 5