Below Are Documented Conditions and Diseases Caused from Mold Exposure
Fungi / Mold can cause a wide variety of diseases in humans, causing serious illness and death. Below you can find the species of Mold, how they enter into the human body, where they grow in the human body, and what are the associated health risks involved.
Aspergillosis
Method of entry into the human body: Simple breathing
Areas effected growth or colonization: Sinuses, lungs, Bones, Muscles, Skin, Eyes, Heart, CNS
Invasive Aspergillosis:
Pulmonary aspergillosis
(Infection in the Respiratory Tract)
Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) remains a major cause of mortality in diabetics, infants, the elderly, people undergoing cancer treatments, AIDS patients, the immuno compromised and transplant recipients.
It has also become suspect as a cause of "SIDS", Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Aspergillus fungi have been documented to colonize previously damaged lung tissue and commonly colonize the airways of patients with cystic fibrosis, emphysema, asthma, smokers and healthy lungs.
New strategies in therapy are being developed for persons receiving Chemotherapy. While new types of Chemotherapy effectively kill the cancer cells they can also harm the lymphatic system and weaken the patients immune system. Aspergillosis in these patients has been documented as a cause of death.
CNS aspergillosis
(Central Nervous System Disorders)
The Central Nervous System can be affected, memory loss, bleeding lesions on the brain and brain damage.
Sinonasal aspergillosis
(Sinus and Lung Infections)
Ear, nose and throat problems. The Ethmoid sinus was seen to be the most common sinus to be affected by Aspergillious growth in the body. Headaches, sinus infections, chronic sinus infections, ear infections and pain in the ears has been documented as a result of these infections.
Osteomyelitis
(Infections of the Skeletal System)
Osteomyelitis is an infection of the bone, resulting in joint stiffness and joint pain. It can be caused by a variety of microbial agents including Mold. Certain species of Mold have been suspect to cause bone marrow cancer, other situation known to cause infection include:
* An open injury to the bone, such as an open fracture with the bone ends piercing the skin.
* An infection from elsewhere in the body, such as a urinary tract infection that has spread to the bone through the blood.
* A minor trauma, which can lead to a blood clot around the bone and then a secondary infection from seeding of bacteria.
* Bacteria in the bloodstream, which is deposited in a focal (localized) area of the bone. This bacterial site in the bone then grows, resulting in destruction of the bone. However, new bone often forms around the site.
* A chronic open wound or soft tissue infection can eventually extend down to the bone surface, leading to a secondary bone infection.
Osteomyelitis affects about two out of every 10,000 people. If left untreated, the infection can become chronic and cause a loss of blood supply to the affected bone. When this happens, it can lead to the eventual death of the bone tissue.
Osteomyelitis can affect both adults and children. The bacteria or fungus that can cause osteomyelitis, however, differs among age groups. In adults, osteomyelitis often affects the vertebrae and the pelvis. In children, osteomyelitis usually affects the adjacent ends of long bones. Long bones are large, dense bones that provide strength, structure, and mobility. They include the femur and tibia in the legs and the humerus and radius in the arms.
Osteomyelitis does not occur more commonly in a particular race or gender. However, some people are more at risk for developing the disease, including:
* People with diabetes
* Patients receiving hemodialysis
* People with weakened immune systems
* People with sickle cell disease
* Intravenous drug abusers
* The elderly
Symptoms of osteomyelitis
The symptoms of osteomyelitis can include:
* Pain and/or tenderness in the infected area
* Swelling and warmth in the infected area
* Fever
* Nausea, secondarily from being ill with infection
* General discomfort, uneasiness, or ill feeling
* Drainage of pus through the skin
Endophthalmitis
(Eye infections)
Endophthalmitis refers to intraocular inflammation involving the vitreous and anterior chamber of the eye. In most cases, endophthalmitis results from an infectious organism. Fungal (mold) endophthalmitis can be divided into the less common endogenous infections and the more common exogenous infections. These infections are generally caused by persons touching mold contaminated surfaces and then rubbing their eyes and skin. If left untreated this condition can lead to blindness. Treatments may take up to two to three months for a person to recover and there is no guarantee that 100% vision will be restored.
Endogenous fungal endophthalmitis is frequently an ocular (eye) manifestation of a systemic disease. Endogenous infections usually occur in people with 1 or more of the following risk factors: immunosuppression, intravenous drug abuse, bacterial sepsis, prolonged hyperalimentation, systemic antibiotics, corticosteroid therapy, recent abdominal surgery, malignancy, alcoholism, diabetes mellitus, trauma, and hemodialysis. Candida albicans is by far the most common pathogen isolated in endogenous fungal endophthalmitis. Other pathogens include Aspergillus, Coccidioides, Cryptococcus, Blastomyces, and Sporothrix species.  |