The drying suspension in the garden has been rare in recent months, winter storms bringing icy temperatures and 100 gusts of wind. But does the way we dry our clothes inside count?
Drying wet clothes on supports in poorly ventilated spaces could increase the amount of mold in your home, which is associated with poor health and, in some cases, even death.
When mold grows in your home, it can form black or green stains on the walls and generally creates an unpleasant mold. It should not be ignored because being exposed to molds over long periods can have serious implications for health.
Mold is a wide term for a group of mushrooms that produce tiny particles called spores. Mushrooms produce spores when conditions are suitable for their growth, which may include cooler temperatures and high humidity.
This is why you are more likely to find mold that grows on the bathroom ceilings or wet walls, where there are more water so that fungal spores are deposited and developed.
There are many different species of mold. The most common to cause problems in wet houses are penicillium and aspergillus. It is estimated that we breathe a small number of spores of these mushrooms on a daily basis.
Fortunately, our immune system is very good at locating and killing fungal spores, which limits the number of fungal pulmonary infections in humans, even if we are constantly exposed. Immune cells called macrophages Sit inside the air areas of the lungs (called alveoli), and these cells eat everything you inhale which could be considered harmful, including fungal spores.
Risks for compromise immune systems
However, there are many people whose immune systems are not able to Delete fungal sporesAnd in these cases, fungi can cause dangerous infections or make the conditions of health underlying (such as asthma) worse.
People who have Damaged or compromise immune systems are more at risk of becoming seriously sick with fungal infections. Molds like aspergillus cause infections in patients with a limited immune function, or which have pulmonary damage from diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (MPOC) associated with smoking.
In people with asthma, the immune system reacts excessively to triggers (including fungal spores) causing inflammation in the lung. This inflammation makes it more difficult to breathe by reducing the size of the airways.
The same type of immune response is responsible for the symptoms of asthma and allergic responses, and fungal spores can also trigger these same types of immune responses. This means that fungal spores can be a particularly powerful trigger for some people.
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In very extreme cases, fungal spores do not only cause inflammation but can invade the airways and block them leading to bleeding in the lung. This happens when spores germinate and form long spider projections called mycelium which create sticky lumps that block the airways and damage the delicate tissues of the lung.
Growing resistance
Aspergillus infections are treated with antifungal drugs called Azolswhich prevent fungal cells from forming properly. Azols are very effective, but there is Increase in resistance rates To Azols reported in Aspergillus, which is an important concern.
We have a limited range Antifungal drugs available to treat mold infections – and when resistance develops, this can seriously reduce the options that a patient has for treatment.
Resistance to drugs such as Azols can develop in patients who take these drugs for long periods, but recent research has indicated that resistance is more common Develop in the environmentWhere are most mushrooms. This means that even before a patient was diagnosed with a Aspergillus infection, it can already be too late for antifungal drugs to be effective.
The development of drug resistance in environmental fungi has been linked to the use of Azols and other antifungal drugs in agriculture. Fungal infections are a Big problem for cropsAnd plants need protection against these infections in the same way as us. Unfortunately, the same drugs we use at the clinic are the same types that are used in agriculture.
Climate change Can also cause drug resistance in environmental fungi. Exposure to high temperatures Recently noted to help mussels develop resistance to commonly prescribed antifungal drugs.
There was also Patient reports fall badly Species of mold that were not supposed to cause human diseases, in part because they could not grow at the temperature of the human body.
More species of mold could therefore recover the Ability to cause infectionsas well as becoming drug resistant. Research programs and health care initiatives This instructor for these changes is essential to help us prepare for a potential increase in mold infections.
Although a healthy immune system means that typical exposure to fungal spores would probably not cause you health problems, being exposed to very large amounts of fungal spores can be deadly even for people who have not underlying health problems.
In 2020, toddler Awaab ishak died directly from an high exposure to fungal spores, caused by excessive humid and mold in his house.
His death led to a change in British law (Awaab law) which obliges the owners to react quickly to humidity in the houses they manage, to ensure that the tenants are not exposed to excessive levels of fungal spores who can affect their physical and mental health.
It is therefore important to help keep your home free of mold. The best way to do so is to make sure you have good ventilation and take other measures to reduce humidity, such as using a dehumidifier or invest in a heated grid to dry your clothes inside in winter.
Rebecca A. DrummondAssociate professor, immunology and immunotherapy, University of Birmingham
This article is republished from The conversation Under a creative communs license. Read it original article.