Mold exposure in San Diego can be a serious risk to your health and can cause many medical conditions. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is one of those conditions. Pneumonitis can occur as a result of breathing in mold spores, which cause the alveoli in your lungs to become inflamed. The inflammation can be acute or chronic.
Pneumonitis is a serious condition that has a lasting impact on your health. If you developed this medical issue as a result of exposure to mold caused by a landlord, property owner, or other party with a responsibility to protect you from harm, you may have the right to pursue a compensation claim.
Matthew de Lira can help you take legal action when someone causes mold exposure that makes you sick. To find out more, give us a call today to schedule your free consultation with a California toxic mold lawyer. You can also read on to learn more about pneumonitis and how mold causes this serious condition.
How does mold exposure cause pneumonitis?
Mold exposure can cause pneumonitis when you inhale a high concentration of mold spores, especially for a prolonged period of time. These mold spores could be found in water-damaged homes or other buildings or in contaminated HVAC systems.
When you inhale the mold spores, your immune system naturally reacts to the irritant. However, in some cases, the immune system will overreact and will cause your tissues to become inflamed. Small air sacs in your lungs, called alveoli, also become inflamed. Non-infectious inflammation in the small air sacs is called pneumonitis.
You often begin to experience respiratory symptoms right away after this happens, often developing a chronic cough or shortness of breath. Flu-like symptoms and fatigue are common, and you may experience fever and chills. However, the condition can also be chronic and develop over time.
If you suffer long-term or repeated exposure over time, unfortunately, the inflammation can cause permanent scarring in your lungs. This is referred to as pulmonary fibrosis.
How does pneumonitis affect your health?
Pneumonitis can cause symptoms including:
- Difficulty catching your breath
- A dry nagging cough
- Extreme fatigue
Over the long term, you may also experience problems including:
- Pulmonary fibrosis, which is permanent, thickness and scarring in your lung tissue
- Low levels of oxygen in your blood
- Strain on your heart and lungs, which can sometimes result in high blood pressure in the lungs
- Pulmonary hypertension and strain on the right side of the heart, potentially leading to right-sided heart failure.
In many cases, this condition affects your ability to work because of your fatigue and breathing challenges. You may be unable to do activities that you once loved, and your quality of life may decline. You may also experience costly medical bills and need expensive medications as you seek treatment.
Contact a California toxic mold exposure lawyer today
Often, pneumonitis develops after someone causes you to be exposed to mold, like a landlord who did not maintain safe premises and refused to fix water leaks and remove mold upon your request.
If someone else was responsible for you developing this condition, you may have legal rights. You will need to prove liability, but if you do, you may be entitled to compensation for damages including pain and suffering and emotional distress, as well as medical bills and lost wages
To find out more about how we can help you, give us a call or contact us online today to schedule a free consultation with a California toxic mold lawyer.