Also please read: Mold Health Article

Medical Diagnostic Tests
 
Mold Antibody Blood Testing & Other Available Mold Medical Diagnostic Tests

Q. About three months ago i was working in a basement at a rental property I own. I sprayed black mold that had grown up the walls about three feet with chlorox spray and i scrubbed the walls (without proper ventilation) we had a wet basement many times and replaced the carpet once. I was in the basement about two hours and came up once for "air" shortly after that I had a body skin rash that kept on recurring. I then noticed shortness of breath. I did not connect the symptoms to the incident. I am writing to you because I cannot breath - I have had a lung scan that did show nodules but the pulmonary expert says too small to biopsy and it may be nothing. could Ii have a mold growing in my lungs? I never had a problem before cleaning my basement. I am so short of breath I am exhausted. I have been to the doctor many times but I didn't tell him about the mold because it didn't occur to me until now. is there a test one can do to determine if a fungus in in your lungs? I need help and I fear not too many people understand about airborne culprits. I will go anywhere to be tested if necessary.

A. Even a short exposure of a few hours in a mold-infested area can enable your sinus cavities and lungs to breathe in enough airborne mold spores to start mold growing in your sinus cavities and lungs, thus causing severe health problems for you. Here are some of the diagnostic tools available to a physician to help analyze possible mold growth in your body: mold antibody blood testing, nasal swab,  mri [magnetic resonating imaging] sinus cavities and brain [for brain damage resulting from exposure to Stachybotrys mold], lung x-ray, and lung biopsy. Besides testing your body, you need to mold test the visible mold in the basement area using the Scotch tape lift sampling method explained on Mold Lift Tape Test. You also need to use do it yourself mold test kits to mold test the air of the basement, each room of the building, attic, and the airflow out of each heating/cooling duct register for the possible presence of elevated levels of airborne mold spores, in comparison to an outdoor mold control test.  Bleach is ineffective as a mold killer. Mold test kits are available at a large hardware or department store. Please visit the easy to follow mold remediation steps explained at Mold Removal and Remediation.