mold exposure

[scotty2]

The roof where I work leaked for 6 plus years.  We have mold above the drop ceiling - the company doesn't seem to be concerned about remediating it.  We have had 2 outside sources come out and both agreed there WAS mold.  What are the health hazards of breathing this every day?

[Philip D Parks, MD, MPH, MOccH, FACOEM]

First, it is hard to say whether moving will result in improvement of your or your family members' symptoms.

I have some more questions regarding your home.

1. Has there been water incursion into your home (leaky roof, windows, etc)?
2. Are there areas in the living areas of your home that remain damp (for example, carpets that remain wet after water incursion)
3. Are there carpets in your home?
4. Can you describe the configuration of your home: how many floors, basement or no basement, central A/C and heat, where are the intakes for the A/C and heat, when the home was built, etc?
5. How long have you lived in the home?
6. How was your health and your family's health prior to moving into the home?
7. Do you or any of your family members have asthma or allergies?

With some more information, I will try to offer some insight.

~*~ Dr. Parks

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. The information presented in this posting is for patients’ education only. As always, I encourage you to see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

[unicorn1979]

The outside of our duplex was just treated for black mold, the guy who sprayed said that "it is the bad mold".  Between my husband, children, and myself we suffer a lot of the signs and symptoms of prolonged exposure that is listed on a website my husband looked up.  My youngest daughter who is now almost 2 has uncontrolled epileptic seizures, chronic respitory problems,  my other two older daughters were in the best health started developing chronic sinusitis and upper respitory problems.  My husband and I are constantly fatigued, muscle soreness, allergies, hair loss, and i have been treated for depression and anixity.  What is the likelyhood of all of these symptoms being resolved when we move.  Is my daughter's epilepsy like to disappear or is that just wishful thinking?  Other than moving is there anything else we can do like medicines to help relieve our problems?

[Philip D Parks, MD, MPH, MOccH, FACOEM]

Dear Joe,

I am sorry to hear about your father.

As your father's physicians have likely explained, in patients who are immunosuppressed because of medications (chemotherapy) used to treat cancer or lymphoma, otherwise rare infections may occur as a complication. Immunosuppression occurs when the immune system is not able to fight infections.

Fungal infections in the lungs are an example of an oppportunistic infection that can occur in someone who is immunosuppressed.

There is no confirmatory blood test to diagnose fungal pneumonia. The biopsy can help because the tissue sample that is removed during the biopsy can be cultured to investigate if fungal infection is the cause of a lung infection. The tissue samples fmay also be examined under a microscope to evaluate for the presence of fungal organisms.

I hope this is helpful to you.

~*~ Dr. Parks

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. The information presented in this posting is for patients’ education only. As always, I encourage you to see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

[joe123711]

Ps.....is there a blood test to see if it is infact mold or a fungus thats on his lungs.  The dr got the path report and they say (now) that they dont know what it is...They did rule out cancer
J

[joe123711]

My father was on chemo for lymphoma, he finished treatment and (thank g-d) its gone.  Now he has mold growing on his lungs.  The dr. called in someone to check out the house....my question is, What kind of treatment does he need to get better?  I saw the pics of his last surgical biop (they went through his back) and its all over his lungs, both lungs.
This NEEDS to be cureable!!!!!!

[Philip D Parks, MD, MPH, MOccH, FACOEM]

Dear Scotty2:

As you know mold is everywhere--indoors and outdoors and mold grows almost anywhere where there is moisture. It is quite difficult to say what the risk of health effects is in your particular situation.

Statements from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control), EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), and the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine state that "dampness" is the critical risk factor for health effects in environments where mold is growing. The potential health hazards of damp (and moldly) environments include a variety of health effects:

Allergic symptoms such as headache, sneezing, runny nose, red eyes, and skin rash (dermatitis).

Asthma and (aggravation of existing asthmatic symptoms)
Irritation of the eyes, nose, throat, and lungs

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis, an uncommon disease that resembles bacterial pneumonia

*It is extremely important to remember that just because mold is present, that does not necessarily mean that mold is causing your symptoms (if you are having symptoms).

Links:

http://www.epa.gov/mold/moldcourse/chapter1/lesson3.html


http://www.cdc.gov/mold/dampness_facts.htm


~ Dr. Parks

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice. The information presented in this posting is for patients’ education only. As always, I encourage you to see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.