The names of diseases that are caused by mold typically end in the suffix mycosis and while you might not think that such diseases are that dangerous, but think again.
These are serious illnesses that can lead to irreparable damage to different organs in your body and can even result in death in some extreme cases.
Those at risk to contract them are generally those who have a weakened immune system, small children, the elderly, and anyone whose body is weak, such as a person who is undergoing chemotherapy or is recovering from a recent surgery. Mold contaminated surgical instruments can also transmit these diseases if they are not properly sterilized
Most of the diseases that are caused by mold begin with some flu-like symptoms like coughing, pain in the joints and muscles, fever, and chills. The medications used to treat these conditions can cause the very same symptoms that the disease does and can also end up causing some kidney, liver, skin, and eye damage if their usage is not monitored.
Any doctor that prescribes such antifungal medication will probably require frequent lab work to be done on the patient to catch these side effects before they get out of hand.
Aspergillosis is a disease that are caused by molds belonging to the genus of Aspergillus and these molds are typically found not only outdoors, but can also be found indoors, as well. They have been known to produce what are called aspergilloma in any pre-existing cavity in the body such as those arising from cancer, cystic fibrosis, tuberculosis, or similar conditions.
Aspergilloma often have no symptoms for quite a while, but when they do finally show themselves, they can include coughing up blood, weight loss, fever, and shortness of breath.
Another condition that commonly affects our pets (but can also affect humans) is called Blastomycosis. This disease can cause pneumonia and other kinds of respiratory infections in humans and animals and can spread to the rest of the body.
When the mold spores enter the body, they become yeast and since yeast itself is not contagious, you should not worry about your pet giving it to you if they are showing signs of it. The cutaneous form of the disease shows itself as lesions on the skin of the body and if they are left moist and untreated, it can cause much damage to the surrounding bone and tissue.
These are only two of the diseases that can be caused by mold. There are others that are just as serious. If you suspect a mold infestation in your home, perform some do-it-yourself mold tests and have the results determined by a laboratory specializing in mold.
Jim Corkern is a writer and promoter of quality
flood and water damage cleanup and
water damage restoration> companies across the united states.
