For the last 6 months, I have been working with Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker to learn more about the role mold has played in my recurrent bouts with numerous chronic health conditions. I recently wrote three installments about this here, here, and here.
When New Orleans was hit by Katrina and the levees broke, flooding much of the city, the first thing that came to my mind was the enormous amount of mold damage that was sure to occur as a result. No surprise then that this news article caught my eye. In a place where mold was already a major problem, the readings are now off the charts!
Moisture fosters the spread of mold. About 80% of the city was flooded after Katrina's surging waters broke through levees and floodwalls along canals. Mold is a naturally occurring growth that discharges spores the way plants release pollen. Like pollen, the spores can trigger allergies or episodes of asthma.
In high concentrations, mold can be a serious health risk for people with asthma, allergies, respiratory problems or immune system deficiency, said Gina Solomon, a San Francisco physician and professor of medicine who led the research. Also at risk: chemotherapy patients and the elderly.
Solomon said the outdoor readings, taken Oct. 15-17, were at least two to four times higher than normal for New Orleans, where the warm, humid climate promotes mold growth. Indoor results were worse. The findings "are really disturbing to me," she added.
The highest outdoor reading was 102,000 mold spores per cubic meter in the Mid-City neighborhood, where city officials this week lifted restrictions on overnight stays by returning evacuees. The National Allergy Bureau classifies a mold spore count above 50,000 as "very high," its highest level.
Solomon said mold is "the leading culprit" for a condition known locally as "Katrina cough." Some people have reported a nagging cough, sore throat, runny nose and other symptoms.
Imagine an entire city of people wearing respirators! Virtually all the buildings and homes in New Orleans need to be torn down and rebuilt if they are going to be inhabited without catching the "Katrina Cough," or much worse. New Orleans and other cities ravaged by Katrina are still a total disaster, and quite frankly, much more than we realize. Katrina is gone but the after-effects continue to pile up.
According to Ritchie, about 26% of the population has a genotype combination that make them highly susceptible to mold toxins. 1 out of 4. Bad news for those trying to inhabit New Orleans.
Technorati Tags:Health,Mold,Katrina,Katrina Cough,New Orleans
For the last 6 months, I have been working with Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker to learn more about the role mold has played in my recurrent bouts with numerous chronic health conditions. I recently wrote three installments about this here, here, and here.
When New Orleans was hit by Katrina and the levees broke, flooding much of the city, the first thing that came to my mind was the enormous amount of mold damage that was sure to occur as a result. No surprise then that this news article caught my eye. In a place where mold was already a major problem, the readings are now off the charts!
Imagine an entire city of people wearing respirators! Virtually all the buildings and homes in New Orleans need to be torn down and rebuilt if they are going to be inhabited without catching the "Katrina Cough," or much worse. New Orleans and other cities ravaged by Katrina are still a total disaster, and quite frankly, much more than we realize. Katrina is gone but the after-effects continue to pile up.
According to Ritchie, about 26% of the population has a genotype combination that make them highly susceptible to mold toxins. 1 out of 4. Bad news for those trying to inhabit New Orleans.
Technorati Tags:Health,Mold,Katrina,Katrina Cough,New Orleans