People can get sick if they breathe in fungal spores. People get meningitis if the fungal infection spreads from the lungs to the brain or spinal cord.
A new study found that people affected by mold illness experienced: Brain inflammation in the hippocampus, the area of the brain that governs memory, learning, and the sleep-wake cycle. Decreased neurogenesis, or the formation of new brain cells.
Brain abscess caused by the fungus Cladophialophora bantiana (Black Mold) is notoriously difficult to treat with a mortality of over 70% reported in a large series.
Individuals who spend time in moldy buildings report numerous adverse health effects, including respiratory problems, chronic fatigue, muscle/joint pain, anxiety, and cognitive problems (“brain fog”, Curtis et al., 2004; Ratnaseelan et al., 2018).
Many patients with memory loss and dementia are actually simply toxic from mold, which is a reversible condition.
As for toxicity increases, people exposed to mould for the long term may start to experience symptoms such as persistent headaches and migraines, increased exhaustion and random muscle cramps. The person exposed in more severe cases may also suffer from sensitivity to light, unexplained weight gain and hair loss.
Inflammation: Mold spores act as irritants, which can trigger the body to mount an immune response. This can lead to inflammation throughout the body. Inflammation in the brain can impair cognitive function, and in the case of chronic inflammation, this can lead to long-lasting cognitive impairment.
Human exposure to molds, mycotoxins, and water-damaged buildings can cause neurologic and neuropsychiatric signs and symptoms.
Discovering Black Mold
Toxic mold exposure has also been linked to more serious, long-term effects like memory loss, insomnia, anxiety, depression, trouble concentrating, and confusion.
Treatment. Doctors treat fungal meningitis with long courses of high-dose antifungal medications, often given directly into a vein through an IV. After that, patients also need to take antifungal medications by mouth.
The doctor will take a health assessment and health history, and will order blood testing. Antibodies in the patient's body will be checked for a reaction to mold and to other allergens and poisons. The severity of the reaction will also be determined. A skin test will also be part of the doctor's examination.
Symptoms such as vomiting, headache, fever, and lethargy appear 5-10 days following infection. Severe complications include seizures, coma, and permanent neurologic damage.
A cerebral abscess is an infection in your brain. It is a medical emergency that requires treatment right away. Symptoms can include headache, fever, changes in consciousness, confusion, neck stiffness, vomiting, seizures, weakness, trouble moving, and changes in vision.
These symptoms usually first appear 2 to 9 hours after exposure and last for 1 to 3 days. Other affected persons have progressive shortness of breath and cough, as well as weight loss.
Mold is actually a toxin, and it releases toxic gas and spores into the air. When the toxins enter your body, via skin or air, the toxic gases cause a disturbance in many organs, including your brain.
Exposure to a large number of mold spores may cause allergic symptoms such as watery eyes, runny nose, sneezing, itching, coughing, wheezing, difficulty breathing, headache, and fatigue. Repeated exposure to mold can increase a person's sensitivity, causing more severe allergic reactions.
Do air purifiers help with mold? Air purifiers help capture mold spores from the air, preventing them from reproducing and spreading throughout your home. While air purifiers won't help treat active mold that's already present on surfaces, they are a great way to control the spread of airborne mold particles.
Different types of mold can have different effects on humans. When breathed in, some types of mold can make you sick. For those who are immunosuppressed and have weaker immune systems, the effects of breathing in mold can be much worse and can potentially lead to death.
There is no evidence linking indoor exposure to black mold or any other type of mold with cancer. Mold is associated with other health problems, though. Mold can be found anywhere there's moisture.
A blood test, sometimes called the radioallergosorbent test, can measure your immune system's response to mold by measuring the amount of certain antibodies in your bloodstream known as immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies.
Mold Is Bad for Your Health
Mold can cause detrimental effects on human health, especially for children or people with pre-existing health conditions. Asthma is the most common health issue associated with long-term indoor mold exposure. Adults who live in moldy homes are up to 50 percent more likely to develop asthma.
Those who process toxins well can see their symptoms disappear as quickly as a few days. Others who eliminate toxins slowly can experience symptoms for much longer. They could be ill for months or even years after the source of mold is eliminated.