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Is your allergy or intolerance triggered by certain moulds/molds? Or is mould/mold ‘just’ an aggravation factor?
Whatever the answer: Be aware that these moulds/molds will increase your histamine level
Alternaria alternata can lead to respiratory problems, severe asthma and chronic rhinosinusitis.
Most Clarosporidium spp. are non-pathogenic, but the ones which can affect you are highly allergenic. They can not only lead to severe respiratory problems, but can weaken the whole immune system, and general practitioners and even specialists would rarely look into moulds as the cause!
Aspergillus spp are common contaminants of starchy foods (such as bread and potatoes), and grow in or on many plants and trees. There are several hundreds species and some are very common to grow on bathroom walls.
Some species of Penicillium produce highly toxic mycotoxins.
Helminthosporidium is a none-food-allergy fungus and can lead to several adverse reaction of once immune system which can be mistakenly seen as a ‘classical’ allergy. Can cause asthma, rhinitis, itchiness, tiredness, flu-like symptoms. The Epicoccum has similar reactions in humans.
Fusarium spp. can cause a lot of opportunistic infections in your body. Patients with low white blood cell count/neutropenia are prone to aggressive fusarial infections penetrating the entire body/bloodstream. Fusarium venenatum is produced industrially and is sold as “meat alternative food” under the name of QUORN! (No further comment!)
Mucor can cause necrotizing infections
Rhizopus are found on mature fruits and vegetables,, jellies, syrups, leather, bread, peanuts and tobacco. They are important co-infectors (eg diabetic ketoacidosis)
Aureobasilium pullulans, a yeast like fungus is generally harmless, but permanent exposure to humidifiers or air conditioners can lead to chest infections and so called “humidifier lung”
Photo: courtesy of CDC, Atlanta
What is Aspergillus?
Aspergillus is a fungus (or mold) that is very common in the environment. It is found in soil, on plants and in decaying plant matter. It is also found in household dust, building materials, and even in spices and some food items. There are lots of different types of Aspergillus, but the most common ones are Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus. Some others are Aspergillus terreus, Aspergillus nidulans, and Aspergillus niger.
What is aspergillosis?
Aspergillosis is disease cause by Aspergillus. There are many different kinds of aspergillosis. One kind is allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (also called ABPA), a condition where the fungus causes allergic respiratory symptoms, such as wheezing and coughing, but does not actually invade and destroy tissue. Another kind of aspergillosis is invasive aspergillosis, a disease that usually affects people with immune system problems. In this condition, the fungus invades and damages tissues in the body. Invasive aspergillosis most commonly affects the lungs, but can also cause infection in many other organs and can spread throughout the body.
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