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Toxic Mold
One Family's Story
By Donna Smith
According to Dr. Farber, there are two kinds of illnesses that mold exposure can cause: allergic and toxic. "Asthma and hay fever can be triggered by allergy to molds," he says. Cough, wheeze and trouble breathing can be from asthma. Hay fever can cause a runny nose and watery eyes. the classic "toxic" reaction to inhaled molds is pulmonary hemorrhage, or bleeding from the lungs.
"Ten babies from Cleveland, Ohio, were admitted to the hospital with bleeding from the lungs," says Dr. Farber. "All 10 lived in homes with water damage from leaky pipes or flooding. The department of health found a clear association with toxic mold in the homes of these infants. Strachybotrys atra is the name of the toxic mold that caused this illness." Infants are more susceptible to developing pulmonary hemorrhage from toxic molds than adults. "We are not sure why this is. Perhaps it is that in babies the lungs are growing rapidly." Dr. Farber points out that when tobacco smoke is combined with toxic mold exposure, the risk increases dramatically. Farber says this pulmonary hemorrhage is extremely uncommon – most individuals do not develop severe reactions.
| The increase of toxic mold has also brought with it the law suits against insurance companies who are refusing to pay. In October 2001, a landmark decision was handed down against Farmers Insurance Group in Austin, Texas. The Travis County jury awarded $32 million to the homeowner who had to leave her home due to mold contamination from a water leak. Because the case is now held up in appeals, the homeowner does not expect to see any of that money for a long time. Her home will eventually have to be torn down, but is now being used for scientific research by Texas Tech University. |
Read Part Two.
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