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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffMost allergic responses to mold involve hay fever-type symptoms that can make you miserable, but aren't serious. However, certain allergic conditions caused by mold are more severe. These include:
- Mold induced asthma. In people allergic to mold, breathing in spores can trigger an asthma flare-up. If you have a mold allergy and asthma, be sure you have an emergency plan in place in case of a severe asthma attack.
- Allergic fungal sinusitis. This occurs when fungus lodges and grows in the sinuses. Surgery may be necessary to remove a tightly packed infection ("fungal ball").
- Allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis. This fungal infection of the lungs can occur in people with asthma or cystic fibrosis.
- Hypersensitivity pneumonitis. This rare condition occurs when exposure to airborne particles such as mold spores cause the lungs to become inflamed. It's often triggered by exposure to allergy-causing dust at work.
Other problems caused by mold
Recent news coverage has focused on the possibility that certain molds (such as so-called "black mold") may cause a host of symptoms such as fatigue, headache, nausea, fever, rashes and coughing — and even a condition that causes bleeding lungs in infants (acute idiopathic pulmonary hemorrhage). While some molds contain toxins that are poisonous when eaten, more research is needed to determine whether molds inside buildings release airborne toxins that cause problems in otherwise healthy people.
While it isn't clear mold is the culprit, it is clear that living or working in a damp building can cause respiratory symptoms including nasal congestion, sneezing, runny nose, throat irritation and cough. While there's some speculation that certain molds may cause these and other ill effects, it could be something else. Damp buildings are prime environments for other health hazards, including harmful bacteria, rodents, and the irritating chemicals released from building materials and furnishings.
Exposure to high levels of mold can cause nonallergic complications in people who have weakened immune systems. If you're healthy, you can handle mold exposure, but if you're on chemotherapy or immune-suppressing drugs, you may be at risk of a mold infection.
