Is mould harmful or harmless?
Many people still mistakenly believe that mould growing in their home is harmless, but just like when the microbiome of our gut shifts away from a healthy balance – so too the microbiome of our home can shift to an unfavourable mixture of microorganisms (and our health can suffer for it).
Of course, mould is everywhere – but the species and quantity of mould can shift toward more harmful mould due to building materials and furnishings intersecting with moisture issues. This can result in a proliferation of fungi and other undesirable microorganisms (and their toxic metabolites) which can cause all sorts of health issues.
So what can mould do to your health?
There is now a mountain of literature that examines how water-damaged or damp buildings can affect human health, so it’s a bit beyond the scope of a single article to summarise it all – but I wanted to share with you four of the most common health issues I regularly see that are being triggered or exacerbated by mould (although if you want to learn more you can download this free eBook).
1. Asthma
Exposure to a water-damaged building (WDB) increases the risk of developing of asthma or exacerbating existing asthma. There are increases of around 50% in cough, asthma and lung related symptoms in damp homes, and
- mildew or a musty odour in the home is associated with childhood and adult asthma [1]
- up to 60% of atopic individuals are allergic to fungi, resulting in asthma [2]
- an elevated ERMI during infancy is a predictor of asthma at 7 years of age [3]
2. Gut Health Problems
Mycotoxins (toxic compounds fungi can produce) can alter normal intestinal functions such as barrier function and nutrient absorption (leaky gut), and some can affect the histomorphology of intestines. Alimentary toxic aleukia is a mycotoxin-induced (T2) condition characterised by nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea (along with leukopenia (aleukia), haemorrhaging, skin inflammation and sometimes death).
Mycotoxins can also negatively influence the microbiome due to their antibiotic effects:
- many mycotoxins are antibacterial (antibiotic) e.g. penicillin, therefore gut dysbiosis is common[4]
- clostridia is common in the gut of patients with mould-related illnesses (around 50%)
Mould can also cause a metallic taste in the mouth.
3. Nose Bleeds (Epistaxis)
Some species of mould i.e. Stachybotrys can produce hemolysins – a type of compound that can cause damage to red blood cells and subsequent bleeding.[5]
This can result in a recurrent bleeding nose, as well as pulmonary haemorrhage (which can result in coughing up blood, or haemoptysis).
Stachybotritoxicosis in horses occurs after they’ve eaten hay contaminated with this mould, and results in gastrointestinal bleeding (as well as neurological issues i.e. tremors and incoordination, loss of vision, dermonecrosis and leukopenia).
Of course these symptoms can be caused by other issues as well, so if you haven’t yet been assessed by a healthcare practitioner that is an immediate priority.
4. Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
This condition is also sometimes referred to as myalgic encephalomyelitis (ME) or systemic exertion intolerance disease (SEID), and is generally characterised by extreme fatigue or tiredness that doesn’t go away with rest. What I’ve observed is that it doesn’t go away when the person is continually exposed to what’s causing it. In many cases, I find it’s mould.
In a study [6] looking at the connection between a water-damaged building and mould exposure:
- in over 90% of cases there was current and/or past exposure to a water-damaged building
- in patients who were ill from exposure to a water-damaged building (mould illness or CIRS-WDB), fatigue was present in over 90% of cases
- in urine samples taken from the study participants, 94% of them were positive for at least one mycotoxin
- ochratoxin A (OTA) was the most prevalent (83%)
- macrocyclic tricothecenes (MT) were the next most prevalent (44%)
Dr Ritchie Shoemaker found that of the 163 children he treated that met the current paediatric case definition of CFS, every single one of them had been exposed to a water-damaged building.[7]
In a sobering case report of one particular family – the health of a family of five exposed to moulds, bacteria and mycotoxins in a water-damaged home deteriorated within 2 months. The family developed enlarged lymph nodes, skin rashes, poor quality sleep, neurocognitive decline and orthostatic changes consistent with myalgic encephalomyelitis-chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). The family developed sarcoidosis as a result of the exposure to fungal micro particles and have been chronically ill for over 3 years following the initial exposure. [8]
Want to know what other health issues mould can cause?
There are many more health issues that mould can cause and I’ve collated 14 common signs and symptoms that mould can cause into a 21-page mini eBook.
If you’d like to see what other health problems mould can cause, you can download it for free right here.
References:
- Cox-Ganser JM. Indoor dampness and mould health effects – ongoing questions on microbial exposures and allergic versus nonallergic mechanisms. Clin Exp Allergy 2015;45(10):1478-1482.
- American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (AGCIH). 1999 Conference, Mould Testing Manual.
- Reponen T, Lockey J, Bernstein DI, et al. Infant origins of childhood asthma associated with specific molds. J Allergy Clin Immunol 2012;130(3):639-644.
- Bennett JW, Klich M. Mycotoxins. Clin Microbiol Rev 2003;16(3):497-516.
- Vesper SJ, Vesper MJ. Stachylysin may be a cause of hemorrhaging in humans exposed to Stachybotrys chartarum. Infect Immun 2002;70:2065–2069.
- Brewer JH, Thrasher JD, Straus DC, et al. Detection of mycotoxins in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome. Toxins (Basel) 2013;5(4):605-617.
- Shoemaker R, Maizel M. Exposure to interior environments of water-damaged buildings causes a CFS-like illness in pediatric patients: A case/control Study. Bulletin IACFS/ME 2009.
- Thrasher J, Prokop C, Roberts C, et al. A family with ME/CFS following exposure to molds, mycotoxins and bacteria in a water-damaged home: A case report. Internat J Clinical Toxicol 2016;4(1):1-10.
