Mold is a serious problem in our homes and it can affect not only the structure of the buildings we live in and our belongings, but also our health. But, while not all species of mold grow very well indoors, the genus of mold called Aspergillus has plenty of species that can grow in your home and do harm to your health and the health of your family and pets. The conditions and diseases that can be caused by molds in the Aspergillus genus are known by one collective name: aspergillosis.
The symptoms of aspergillosis can be different depending on what kind of infection that you have. When it is in its allergenic form, the symptoms tend to include some coughing up of blood, having difficulty breathing, coughing, fever, and sometimes even weight loss. This can also aggravate allergies that you or someone in your home already have and create an allergy that you did not have before the mold started to grow.
A type of aspergillosis that is called pulmonary aspergillosis is a type of infection that usually happens when people have a weakened immune system, such as those who have HIV, AIDS, or other immunodeficiency conditions. Some of the symptoms experienced by people with this are similar to those with allergic aspergillosis, but added to this is chest pain, blood in the urine, meningitis, headaches, and sinusitis.
Sometimes if you have had something such as cancer or any other condition that could create a cavity in the lungs or other organs of the body, aspergilloma can develop if you are exposed to this genus of mold for a long period of time. Aspergilloma are essentially fungus balls that grow in these cavities and are most common in those who are exposed to the mold and have had tuberculosis, lung cancer, cystic fibrosis, and etcetera. Anything that can cause a cavity in the lungs or other organ could expose someone to this condition if they are near the mold for very long. Quite often there are no symptoms of aspergilloma and many times when they do finally begin to show, they can include some of the same symptoms of allergic aspergillosis.
There are a few different tests that can be done for aspergilloma and these can include a bronchoscopy, a chest x-ray, or sometimes just a simple blood test to find antibodies that fight off the infection.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
Houston Fire Damage Water Restoration Contractor companies and
Los Angeles Water Damage and Restoration Services.
