My husband has lived in the rental house for three years, and I moved in a year ago after we married.  He has experienced increasingly worse asthma- like symptoms, and I have developed respiratory problems since moving to South Texas.  Neither of us ever had asthma before.  Our rental house had a “huge” water leak by the chimney, and we had  it tested from mold.  Results came back as Aspergillus/Penicillium- like spores 68,000,counts /cm² and Chaetomium 196,000 counts/ cm².  My husband complains of chest pain and pressure.  We have seen pulmonologists and cardiologists, and they say everything is normal. 

Also, we're both having severe back muscle spasms and soreness.  Mine was so bad I had thought I had a kidney stone and went into the emergency room.  I am also experiencing slight mental confusion and memory loss.  Can any of the symptoms be caused by mold poisoning?  We are beginning to think we're crazy.-  Amy, Texas 

Exposure to airborne mold appears to be a common cause of asthma.  The increase in the severity of asthmatic symptoms with time indicates that the causal agent for your husband's asthma is associated with your house.  Supporting evidence is your development of respiratory problems as well. 

You describe a huge water leak by the chimney and surface sampling results that are quite high.  Such a water leak would be a major risk factor for mold infestation of building materials as confirmed by surface testing. 

Both Aspergillus and Penicillium are commonly found growing in and on water damaged building materials. Exposure to airborne Penicillium spores has been shown to be epidemiologically associated with the development of asthma in children and it or Aspergillus may be the primary cause of asthma in this case. 

Chaetomium is a species that readily grows on paper and paper products (such as the face paper on gypsum board).  It produces large spores that are less likely to enter the respiratory tract to cause asthma compared to Aspergillus or Penicillium. 

In this case no air sampling results are available.  Such testing can indicate the magnitude of exposure and health risk.  However, indoor air quality scientists have concluded that the presence of visible mold is a more reliable indicator of mold associated respiratory disease and airborne concentrations.  This is primarily due to the fact that airborne mold concentrations vary so widely over the course of time.  Such variability reduces the reliability of statistical analyses that support epidemiological investigations. 

Muscle spasms/soreness and that have not been associated with mold exposures; nor has confusion and memory loss.  If such relationships did exist they would be secondary to other symptoms produced a result of exposure to mold. 

No you're not crazy.  Such building- related health problems are very common; you're not suffering alone. I recommend that you request your landlord to remediate the water damage/mold problem.  If not you should seek alternative housing at your earliest convenience.

June 11,2004

Indoor Environmental Quality (2000), Thad Godish Ph.D., C.I.H

Direct E-mail 00tjgodish@bsu.edu