By John C. Wolf, D.O.
Associate Professor of Family Medicine
Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine

MOLD INFESTED “SICK HOUSE” CAN MAKE FOR SICK OCCUPANTS

Question: We moved all the furniture out of our bedrooms recently to have the carpets cleaned. We discovered black mold in every room. My wife has cold urticaria and my daughter has asthma. Everyone has headaches and upper respiratory problems. Could the mold be causing this?

Answer: Either visible growth of mold or mold spores can be found almost everywhere. The spores come into our homes on our feet, clothes, pets and on the breezes as we pass through the door. Mold spores are very small and drift on the wind like the tiniest specks of dust. These spores will then form visible mold colonies like those you’ve found in every room, once they encounter the nutrients and water necessary for growth.

There has been some speculation that “black mold,” known scientifically as Stachybotrys chartarum, is responsible for a number of health problems including lung hemorrhage and memory loss. In fact, there is little scientific information that implicates black mold any more that other molds.
All types of mold, not just Stachybotrys chartarum, have a great ability to produce allergy and allergic-related disorders in humans. Asthma and respiratory problems like those your household members have may be caused by, or at least made worse by, mold. Cold urticaria, the uncommon itching hives-like illness your wife has, may or may not be a response to mold exposure.

Ideally, no home, workplace or school should have any visible mold growth. In the real world, however, there probably isn’t one of these places without at least some mold in the bathroom, kitchen or laundry areas. You see, molds need moisture to grow, so anyplace that has frequent spills or high humidity is a likely breeding ground. Molds also grow in a nitrogen-poor, cellulose-rich environment -- like the moist drywall that your walls are probably made from.

Having mold in all of your bedrooms makes me suspect you have a problem with moisture being trapped in your walls. Condensation is probably the culprit, although water can penetrate insulation and other wall building materials from heavy rains or from flooding. You should seek the expertise of an experienced contractor to help determine the cause of the excess moisture in your home and then eliminate it. Without control of humidity in the building, no mold cleanup will give lasting results.

Mold is generally easy to eliminate once the underlying moisture problem is remedied. A solution of one part household bleach with nine parts water makes an effective disinfectant. This is particularly good for hard surfaces in the kitchen, bath and heating ducts. It can also be used to treat surface involvement of drywall. If the drywall has been wet clear through, however, it will need to be replaced to eliminate the mold. Carpet and carpet padding that has mold growth must be replaced.

The health risks from cleaning up mold in a “sick home” like yours are generally small and can safely be accomplished by most homeowners. Your family and your home are an exception to this generalization, however. Since all of you already seem to be having allergic reactions to mold, further exposure from the extensive cleanup will only make you much worse. Besides, you need to hire that expert to help you figure out why all that humidity is being trapped in your bedrooms in the first place. Why don’t you just pay someone for the cleanup, too?

"Family Medicine" is a weekly column. To submit questions, write to John C. Wolf, D.O., Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine, P.O. Box 110, Athens, Ohio 45701. Past columns are available online at http://www.FamilyMedicineNews.org.