Molds

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Prevention and Risk Factors

Learn More

• Related Issues
• Specifics

See, Play and Learn

• Images

Research

• Journal Articles

Resources

• Find an Expert

For You

• Patient Handouts

Summary

Molds are fungi that can be found both outdoors and indoors. They grow best in warm, damp and humid conditions. If you have damp or wet spots in your house, you will probably get mold.

Molds can cause health problems. Inhaling or touching mold or mold spores may cause allergic reactions or asthma attacks in sensitive people. Molds can cause fungal infections. In addition, mold exposure may irritate your eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

• Brief Guide to Mold, Moisture, and Your Home (Environmental Protection Agency) Also in Spanish
• Mold (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Mold (National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences)
• Mold Allergy (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology) Also in Spanish
• Mold Clean Up Guidelines and Recommendations (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Hidden Hazards: Clearing Out Toxins in the Home (National Institutes of Health) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Mold and Indoor Air Quality in Schools (Environmental Protection Agency)
• Molds on Food: Are They Dangerous? (Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service) Also in Spanish
• Moldy Cheese: Is It Unsafe to Eat? (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Facts About Stachybotrys chartarum (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)

Images

• Mold Image Library (Environmental Protection Agency)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Moving beyond species: fungal function in house dust provides novel targets...
• Article: Comparing the frequency, antifungal susceptibility, and enzymatic profiles of the oral...
• Article: Global research trends and hotspots on human intestinal fungi and health:...
• Molds -- see more articles

Find an Expert

• American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Also in Spanish
• Find an Allergist/Immunologist (American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology)
• National Center for Environmental Health (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
• National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Aflatoxin (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Allergies, asthma, and molds (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish