Black Mold - Rumors vs. Truth

Black mold has long been media’s dear and they love to spice up the controversy ever still. No matter, how flashy the rumors, truth always surfaces and takes over. This article is an attempt to bring out the true facts about this so called fungus.

Rumors

The toxicity of this fungus has been a favorite in the world of media and entertainment. The sudden death of British actress Brittany Murphy and her husband due to pneumonia raised several moldy questions towards their damp and mold infested home.

Apart from S. chartarum’s association with celebrity deaths and animal deaths, now word has also spread of this fungus invading certain campuses.

It is true that certain damp corners of the campus building may be home to mold but authorities have assured panic stricken students about the harmlessness of the mold.

One of the biggest myths of the recent days has been black mold's association with the Damp building related illness (DBRI).

One of the most startling of the rumors also held that one is not to upset the mold by disturbing it. If disturbed it tends to release its spores. Well this is totally untrue since the microscopic spores of this mold are air borne and can easily travel through air even when the mold is untouched.

Diseases that Black Mold Can Trigger

Note how the word ‘trigger’ has been used in the title. Yes, it is true that this mold can trigger certain diseases if left unchecked. However, this mold being a root cause for fatal diseases is a pure myth. Some serious diseases associated with this fungus are as follows:

• Asthma and Pulmonary Hemorrhage: Asthma patients and individuals with low immunity or weak lungs should stay away from this mold. Exposure in such cases can lead to chronic coughing and wheezing. This is caused by the fungus spores that when inhaled, irritate the thin linings of the lungs.
• Black mold spores carry a poisonous substance known as mycotoxins that are responsible for the irritation in the lungs. If the coughing gets worse, it can lead to pulmonary hemorrhage or lung bleeding.
• The Center for Disease Control has made a statement where it holds toxic mold growth in homes to be hazardous to the health. It poses greater risk for the fragile lungs of new born infants in the family
• Slow Functioning Brain: this fungus releases tricothecene mycotoxins that are known to bring about slow damage to the human brain cells. As such it can trigger short term memory in an individual.
• Anxiety and Depression: Presence of S.chartarum inside your home can lead to depression and anxiety in a person.
• Nausea: Black mold also triggers chronic headaches leaving a person feel dizzy and nauseated. Some even experience vomiting and nose bleeding upon prolonged exposure.

Truth

The ultimate truth about this mold is that it is a fungus that is toxic to a certain extent, but it is not necessarily life threatening. In fact certain research has discovered that there is little or no chance for this fungus to survive inside the human body for more than seven days.

However S. chartarum or even mold of any type should not be welcomed to your homes. Apart from the mess and musty odor, this fungus also causes allergies that affect your skin, eyes and the respiratory system. If you spot this mold growth get rid of it immediately. Scrub it off using soap and bleach. You can also use mold disinfectants.

We can sum up by concluding that indoor black mold is not beneficial to health but it does not call for panic.