Even though mold has been around almost since the beginning of life on this planet, we have only just begun to understand the true hazards of mold and started to classify it into different groups depending on what it does to us and to other organisms on the planet. Depending on the effect that mold has on the health of human beings, hazardous molds are put into three categories: toxic, pathogenic, and allergenic.
The least serious of these seems to be the allergenic, as they only tend to either cause allergies or aggravate the allergies a person already has. Asthma and other respiratory diseases and disorders can also be aggravated by the presence of mold in a home or in a business. Anti-histamines can be taken to help with the symptoms, but these do not tend to do a lot of good. Getting rid of the infection is generally the best way to deal with these symptoms and prevent them from coming back. As with any mold, the people most at risk to show symptoms are young children, pets, and the elderly, although those who are pregnant and especially those with HIV or AIDS can also be effected.
Pathogenic molds are not as common as toxic or allergenic molds, but these can be the most dangerous threats to anyone who has HIV, AIDS, or another type of immunodeficiency. Anyone that has just had surgery of any kind should also be wary of getting around any kind of mold, even if it is just the mold spore count on the news that is high for the day.
Toxic molds are molds such as Stachybotrys atra that produce mycotoxins and while these kinds of molds are not as common living in our homes as others, they can cause significant damage to our health and can even cause death in the most extreme cases. Penicilliosis is an opportunistic infection mostly affecting HIV patients and even though this disease is endemic to Southeast Asia, anyone with an immunodeficiency traveling to or from that area is at risk for infection.
The bottom line is that no matter what kind of mold you have in your home or your business, it is a serious health threat to you, your family, your pets, or your workers. If you can see mold growing anywhere in your home or you are experiencing strange symptoms, purchase some do-it-yourself mold testing kits.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of
Emergency Water Damage Restoration and
Houston Water Damage Restoration Which are Certified IICRC Water damage and mold remediation contractors.
