Effects of Mold on Human Health Mold illness issues are potentially harmful effects of:
- Breathing: Difficult, Tightness in chest, Asthma
- Diagnosis: Chronic Fatigue, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Fibromyalgia, Lyme Disease, Lupus, MS, Auto-Immune Emotions: irritable, anger
- Extremities: Tingling Hands and Feet
- Eyes: Blindness, Pains, Wear sunglasses, Light Sensitivity, Bloodshot eyes, loss of vision, Detached retina
- Fatigue: Chronic Fatigue (some estimate cause of up to 1/3 of chronic fatigue), post exertional fatigue
- Mental: Confusion, Absent mindedness, losing things, brain fog, ADD/ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, depression
- Mold sensitivity: Exposure to Damp house, Mold in air ducts, Red Tide, React to mold
- Nasal: Congestion, Nasal soreness, sinusitis. A study by the Mayo clinic found that 96 percent of all sinusitis is fungal!
- Pain: pain in temples, sudden headaches, sudden, sharp, ice-pick like
- Sensitivity: Car fumes, Smoke, Pets, Feathers, Detergents, Toothpaste, Chlorine, Plastic cups
- Skin: Rashes, Alopecia
- Stomach: Cramps, nausea, Diarrhea
- Taste: Metallic
- Thirst: Dryness, Excessive thirst, excessive urination
- Weight Gain: Sudden, inability to lose weight despite stringent dieting and exercise
Beginning Stages
Short-term and beginning stages of mold sickness can look like a basic cold or allergy attack. This is because mold acts as an irritant in small doses. If you repeatedly receive any of these symptoms after entering a building, that building may have a mold problem. Early symptoms include sneezing, itchy skin, headache, watery and itching eyes and skin irritation.
Later Stages
If you are in an area that has been contaminated by mold for a long period of time, the following conditions may develop. If you begin to get these symptoms, see your doctor immediately, as they may indicate prolonged exposure to mold. Symptom of the later stages of mold sickness include constant headaches, weight and hair loss, diarrhea, vomiting, constant fatigue, coughing up blood, chronic bronchitis and sinus infections, sexual dysfunction, short-term memory loss, skin rashes and sores.
Advanced Stages
Staying in a mold-infested environment for a long period of time can result in these symptoms, which are often the result of not seeing a doctor in time, or choosing to remain in an area with mold, without taking steps to clean it. At this stage, mold sickness may be incurable. These symptoms include blindness, long-term memory loss, bleeding lungs, brain damage, cancer and, in rare cases, death.
Chronic fatigue
Chronic fatigue syndrome causes persistent fatigue that affects everyday life and doesn’t go away with sleep or rest.
Symptoms of Chronic fatigue
- Chronic fatigue syndrome causes extreme tiredness that is different from the normal tiredness that everyone experiences. It makes you less able to cope with levels of activity that were previously normal for you, in your work, school or social life. Even everyday physical activity, such as taking a shower, can make you feel exhausted.
- Common symptoms of Chronic fatigue syndrome which can happen 24 to 48 hours after mental or physical activity, include:
- fatigue that lasts more than 24 hours at a level that you used to be able to manage without feeling tired
- muscle and joint pain
- painful glands in your neck or armpits
- a sore throat and headaches
- forgetfulness, memory loss, confusion or difficulty concentrating
- sleep disturbances – waking up feeling tired or unrested, or having trouble getting to sleep
- flu-like symptoms
- palpitations (feeling your heartbeat thumping in your chest)
- dizziness
- sweating
- problems with your balance
- irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms such as constipation or diarrhoea and bloating
- Over time, you may become depressed or have mood swings.
- Your symptoms may vary throughout the day, with some days being worse than others. Most people with Chronic fatigue syndrome find that their symptoms come and go, often returning after illness or stress.
- The symptoms of Chronic fatigue syndrome can start after you have been ill with an infection or may develop gradually over months or years.
Causes of chronic fatigue syndrome
Doctors don’t fully understand what causes Chronic fatigue syndrome .
Some people develop Chronic fatigue syndrome after an infection, but it’s not the same as the normal tiredness that often follows a bout of illness, such as glandular fever. Many people who develop Chronic fatigue syndrome have been previously fit and active.
There are several theories to explain Chronic fatigue syndrome. For example, it could be linked to disorders of your immune system or your hormonal system.
The Department of Health suggests that until more research is carried out, it may be best to think of Chronic fatigue syndrome as a range of conditions that are triggered by different factors in people who have an underlying predisposition.