Toxic Mold Conditions Cause Opera Singer To Develop Chronic Asthma

Case Overview

This case involves a 43-year-old opera singer in New York with no previous medical history of asthma. The singer unknowingly moved to an apartment that was contaminated with mold and lived there for 15 months. As a result of living in this apartment, the singer began to suffer from allergies and asthma. The singer complained to the landlord about the issue, however, no action was taken to rectify the condition of the apartment. It was later discovered that this apartment building had 8 documented cases of mold from air quality and mold companies but the contamination source was never identified or fixed. The opera singer continues to suffer complications from mold exposure, including severe allergies and asthma, which have affected her performance in her career.

Questions to the Pulmonology expert and their responses

Please describe your experience treating patients that have been exposed to allergens such as mold?

I am board certified in internal medicine, critical care medicine, and pulmonary disease. As a practicing pulmonologist and the director of the pulmonary consult service at a major university, I have expertise in treating patients with lung disease due to mold exposure, especially those who have developed hypersensitivity pneumonitis. I also frequently treat patients with asthma and allergies.

What health complications can arise from extensive exposure to mold over a long period of time?

Mold can cause respiratory symptoms. It can cause hypersensitivity pneumonitis, or exacerbate asthma in patients with asthma.

About the expert

This highly qualified expert has over 20 years of experience in pulmonology and critical care medicine. He obtained both his BS in biochemistry and his MD from the University of Minnesota. He then went on to complete an internship and residency in internal medicine at the University of Colorado, Denver, followed by two fellowships at the University of California, San Francisco, in pulmonary medicine and critical care medicine, respectively. Today, this expert is double board-certified in critical care medicine and pulmonary disease. He is an active member of the American Thoracic Society, and he has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles. Moreover, he has been the recipient of numerous prestigious grants and professional accolades, including the Michael S. Stulbarg Outstanding Teaching Award in Pulmonary Medicine. This expert previously worked as an associate professor of medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. He is currently a professor of medicine at a top university, the co-director of a scleroderma research consortium, and an attending pulmonologist, the director of pulmonary consult service, the director of the lung disease biorepository program, and the director of interstitial lung disease biological research at a top university-affiliated medical center in northern California.