Mold exposure in water damaged homes, workplaces, hospitals and schools can have devastating effects on the occupants of those buildings. While they are so busy denying the truth many are being harmed as I speak. When exposure is a concern there are many different parts of the contamination to take into consideration.
Hypersensitivity Pnuemonitis: ( I have this in it's chronic form )
http://medind.nic.in/iae/t06/i2/iaet06i2p115.pdf
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP) is a pulmonary disease with symptoms of dyspnea and cough resulting from the inhalation of an antigen to which the subject has been previously sensitized. The incidence of HP is unknown. A population-based study estimated the annual incidence of interstitial lung diseases as 30:100,000 and HP accounted for less than 2% of these cases. Unfortunately this is what I have. I have found no Dr willing to treat me. I have seen multiple pulmonologist, all ignorant.
http://www.ojrd.com/content/1/1/25
The problem is that not enough or rarely can any doctors recognize the illness. Even when presented with blood work, CT scans they cannot accept that mold contamination can make you severely ill. That leads to improper treatment of the illness. And while you may have made it on time for them to stop the disease from progressing their ignorance will eventually kill you. What we need is better education of Doctors from the time the enter medical school; where they are taught that the environment or chemicals cannot make you ill. They know bacterias, viruses but do not know jack about the fungus or the environment. Finding a Dr to treat you for this condition is like finding a needle in space, never mind the haystack. So I endured countless medical mistreatment, non understanding that eventually lead to progression of my illness. Leaving my life in serious danger I continue to endure. The discrimination as well from all these professionals is overwhelming. Discrimination is a new thing I began to endure while being deathly ill.
Aspergillosis :
Yet another lung disease causes by inhalation of a fungus.
Aspergillosis is infection, usually of the lungs, caused by the fungus Aspergillus.
A ball of fungus fibers, blood clots, and white blood cells may form in the lungs or sinuses. People may have no symptoms or may cough up blood, have a fever, chest pain, and difficulty breathing. If fungi spread to liver or kidneys, these organs may malfunction. Diagnosis usually involves an x-ray or computed tomography (CT) and, if possible, culture of a sample of infected material. Antifungal drugs are used, and sometimes surgery is needed to remove the fungi.
http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/sec17/ch197/ch197b.html
Mycotoxicosis:
Mycotoxicoses are diseases caused by mycotoxins, i.e. secondary metabolites of molds. Although they occur more frequently in areas with a hot and humid climate, favorable for the growth of molds, they can also be found in temperate zones. Exposure to mycotoxins is mostly by ingestion, but also occurs by the dermal and inhalation routes. Mycotoxicoses often remain unrecognized by medical professionals, except when large numbers of people are involved. The present article reviews outbreaks of mycotoxicoses where the mycotoxic etiology of the disease is supported by mycotoxin analysis or identification of mycotoxin-producing fungi. Epidemiological, clinical and histological findings (when available) in outbreaks of mycotoxicoses resulting from exposure to aflatoxins, ergot, trichothecenes, ochratoxins, 3-nitropropionic acid, zearalenone and fumonisins are discussed.
http://healthandenergy.com/diseases_linked_to_molds.htm
One of the first things you may notice upon exposure is a coating on the tongue. Usually linked to Candida. An over growth of a friendly yeast in the gut flora, now unfriendly which causes you illness. Life in hell begins.
Mold belongs to the fungi kingdom in nature. Yeast is a mold. Candida is a type of yeast. Yeasts are actually single cell organisms which can evolve into more complex organisms. It is more a description of a state or stage of developement. Candida albicans are the yeast mold most commonly found to cause yeast infections in humans, for both women and men. Many things can contribute to yeast infections, including pregnancy, mold exposures, antibiotics, steroids, high fruit diets and oral birth control. They also mention a connection between diabetes and candida.
http://www.themoldmissionary.com/yeastcandida.html
From the site : National Toxic Encephalopathy Foundation (another condition I developed)
What exactly is encephalopathy? The most concise definition is from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke a division of the National Institutes of Health:
"Encephalopathy is a term for any diffuse disease of the brain that alters brain function or structure. Encephalopathy may be caused by infectious agent (bacteria, virus, or prion), metabolic or mitochondrial dysfunction, brain tumor or increased pressure in the skull, prolonged exposure to toxic elements (including solvents, drugs, radiation, paints, industrial chemicals, and certain metals), chronic progressive trauma, poor nutrition, or lack of oxygen or blood flow to the brain. The hallmark of encephalopathy is an altered mental state. Depending on the type and severity of encephalopathy, common neurological symptoms are progressive loss of memory and cognitive ability, subtle personality changes, inability to concentrate, lethargy, and progressive loss of consciousness. Other neurological symptoms may include myoclonus (involuntary twitching of a muscle or group of muscles), nystagmus (rapid, involuntary eye movement), tremor, muscle atrophy and weakness, dementia, seizures, and loss of ability to swallow or speak."
http://www.national-toxic-encephalopathy-foundation.org/
Pulmonary Fibrosis ( I have too )
"Fibrosis" is a term used to refer to scarring, so pulmonary fibrosis means scarring throughout the lungs. Pulmonary fibrosis can be caused by many conditions including chronic inflammatory processes
sarcoidosis, Wegener's granulomatosis ), infections, environmental agents (asbestos, silica, exposure to certain gases), exposure to ionizing radiation (such as radiation therapy to treat tumors of the chest), chronic conditions (lupus, rheumatoid arthritis), and certain medications.
In a condition known as hypersensitivity pneumonitis, fibrosis of the lung can develop following a heightened immune reaction to inhaled organic dusts or occupational chemicals. This condition most often results from inhaling dust contaminated with bacterial, fungal, or animal products. (definition from medicinenet)
Isn't it amazing they have the definitions but when you see the Dr, he knows nothing. In addition since my condition is complicated by MCS and TE they don't want to touch me anyways. They tell me lies, laugh, dismiss me, discriminate etc. They are the ignorant fools, they are the joke not me.
