What’s the deal with Mold?

Mold and Your Body

Allergenic, Cosmetic, Pathogenic, Toxigenic, and even dead mold…
What’s the big deal, are these all bad, and what does any of it actually mean?

All mold has the ability to impact all body systems of a living organism, including but not limited to immune response, hormone expression, brain health, gut health, and more. Not all mold species are the same. It’s safe to assume that different species of mold present various levels of risk/danger. Mold exists everywhere. It’s naturally occurring outside & is an essential part of our ecosystem bringing forth new life
through the decomposition of organic matter.

Cosmetic Mold

Cosmetic mold is usually referring to the surface mold you would find occurring on building materials, more specifically wooden framing materials. This mold is typically not considered “hazardous” and is cleaned or covered/coated because further measures are not typically justified. However, this poses a threat to the health & structure of the home as time passes. Not treating mold appropriately at the beginning can be a very costly mistake in the long run. Contaminated building materials along with sketchy practices and deadlines that cut corners are hugely responsible for the number of homes with unaddressed mold contamination and sick building syndrome.

Allergenic Mold

Allergenic mold is usually regarded as “safe” and this can be far from true in certain cases. In small quantities, allergenic mold does not pose an immediate threat to a healthy individual. For an immunosuppressed individual, those with asthma, or those with a history of mold exposure & are mold impacted, even a small quantity can elicit an adverse reaction. In large quantities, the above-mentioned individuals would have a more intense adverse reaction. To say that allergenic mold is “safe” is misinformation and does not honor bio-individuality or corresponding underlying factors, antecedents, triggers, and more.

Pathogenic Mold

Pathogenic mold is also referred to as “infectious” mold. Mold types classified as Pathogenic or infectious can cause infections in a living organism as their name suggests. This mold type is similar to and actually included in the Toxigenic category but is still considered a separate group of its own. Pathogenic mold poses threat to all individuals, not just those with pre-existing conditions or a history of exposure.

Toxigenic Mold

Toxigenic mold presents a severe health risk to all. Children, pets, women, those with an existing condition, & those with the HLA-DR gene are especially susceptible, but every living breathing organism will be affected by toxigenic mold. It does not discriminate. Toxigenic mold can produce and contain chemical poison that is hazardous. The most infamous toxigenic mold has actually been used in chemical & biological warfare historically. These mycotoxins that are produced & inhaled will bind to our lungs & wreak havoc throughout your entire body. Exposure, especially prolonged, results in long-term illness, neurological disorders, cancer, immunosuppression, and much more.

In any case, mold should never be handled recklessly. Any attempts to clean, disinfect, kill, or remove mold on your own without the guidance of a trusted expert can and will inadvertently result in a worse mold situation. Mistreating mold can actually encourage a more inviting environment to other harmful pathogens, bacteria, and the like. Even “dead” mold has the ability to harm you. Typically when mold “dies” it’s covered by an unknown amount of spores & fragments. Exposure to these spores and remaining byproducts has the ability to affect your health severely.

Written by: Alexandra DeLeon (@holisticallylexy)