Report Contains Good News, Bad News On Indoor Mold
WASHINGTON - The bad news: The most recent scientific evidence links mold and moisture in buildings to asthma symptoms in some people with the chronic disorder, as well as to coughing, wheezing, and upper respiratory tract symptoms in otherwise healthy people, notes a new report from the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.
The moderately good news: The same report ("Damp Indoor Spaces and Health") does not support an association between mold/moisture and other health complaints - fatigue, neuropsychiatric disorders, or other health problems. True, the committee found few studies that have even examined whether mold and moisture are linked to those problems. However, the little evidence that is available does not support an association, the report says.