Effects of Mold Allergy

• Infection: Most common indoor fungi grow near room temperature and do not easily grow inside the human body. Aspergillus is the most likely to cause respiratory infections, where most other fungi tend to infect the skin, nails and other areas of the body that function a lower temperatures.

• Irritant: An irritant reaction to fungi exposure causes inflammation and can happen without previous hypersensitivity. Substances produced by fungi that are suspected to cause irritant reactions include microbially derived volatile organic compounds (MVOCs), ergosterols and glucans. MVOCs are produced by fungi as a byproduct of their metabolism, and their health effects are undetermined. They may cause nontoxic adverse effects as irritants or trigger psychological effects because of their odor. Toxic reactions do not likely occur as a result of MVOC exposure due to the low concentrations present in even the most contaminated environments.

• Toxic reaction: Most toxic reactions to fungi occur as a result of eating mold-contaminated foods. A toxic reaction is unlikely to occur from inhalation of fungi since the amount of exposure generally is too low to cause health effects.