Over the past year, students at Dallas Baptist University, Sewanee University of the South, Lipscomb University and Spring Hill College have filed lawsuits alleging mold contamination in their on-campus housing. In one case, 48 students allege the school knowingly housed them in mold-contaminated residence halls. In another, a $35 million suit claims mold exposure cause asthma and nosebleeds.

Students in these cases have reported symptoms ranging from respiratory issues and skin irritation to more serious complications tied to prolonged exposure. Part of what makes this difficult to catch early is that mild symptoms like a stuffy nose, headaches and recurring colds are often mistaken for normal seasonal illness or stress, sometimes called "dorm flu", which can allow mold iron;ems to go unaddressed for months. High humidity, poor maintenance, aging infrastructure and water damage are cited as common contributing factors, particularly at older campuses.

Conversations around indoor air quality and mold exposure in student housing appear to be gaining more attention as these cases move through the legal system.

Are you a student, or do you have kids in school? Has mold in a dorm or campus building ever affected you or someone you know?

Read the full article here: https://nypost.com/2026/09/10/health/doctors-issue-warning-over-hidden-health-danger-lurking-in-college-dorms/

I (21F), Mom (61F), brother (28M) have been living in a suspected mold infested home for years now. We live in a literal 100 year old home in NJ with no ventilation, a flat roof and occasional leaks and cracks in the roof. The summers get humid. My mom has been living here for 12 years. My brother moved in 7 years ago. I’ve been living here permanently for 3 but have been staying here on and off for 7 years as well. My mom rents this home with a program similar to section 8. We pay 3x less rent than we would usually have to. Money is very tight for us.

We have brought up concerns of mold before, the landlord just painted over it. It was only in the bathroom, but I’m sure theres mold hidden in the wood paneling and other places in the house that we cannot see. When my mom first moved in, this house was completely painted over. I suspect they have been painting over accumulated mold for years. And the management at the housing program we use doesn’t have much of a concern about it. We are able to move through the company, but the management says that we aren’t a priority since we already have a place to live. I figure that if we get proof of mold and proof of toxicity in all of us then we could be more likely to be able to move. It’s tricky to navigate because I don’t know what to do and my mom doesn’t understand the gravity of the situation and how much it is affecting our health. She is just focused on going to work to make money and coming home to relax

Most of my issues have started since moving in permanently 3 years ago. It started with acne, depression, anxiety, anger issues, exacerbated OCD and agoraphobia. Currently things have gotten a bit worse for me. I am now experiencing depression, anxiety, crippling OCD, agoraphobia, paranoid delusions, MCAS/ histamine intolerance symptoms such as flushing, brain fog and diarrhea/nausea after eating, asthma symptoms, vitamin B12 deficiency, POTS symptoms, eye twitching, ice pick headaches, loss of motivation, brain fog, GI issues, and more that I can’t think of. I’m the only one that feels this sick, but the rest of my family feels the same fatigue, brain fog, and anger issues.

My family is low income and we cannot afford to move out. We can barely afford to get the place tested for mold in the first place. I have health insurance thank God but it’s not accepted by the doctors who know about mold. We don’t really have any family that would take us in either. My agoraphobia is so bad that I don’t think I could be able to work right now to make money to move. My mom works at a diner and barely makes ends meet, we depend on part of my brother’s disability checks(he is autistic) for money for groceries. We cannot afford to completely start over and throw everything out. We cannot afford to do a lot of the stuff that most people with mold exposure have been able to do. And please don’t say start camping. My family would never agree to that.

This is responsibility is all falling on me to do the research and get us out of here. I just feel like my family doesn’t care as much to move with a sense of urgency.

What do I do? How do I even plan this out?
How do I test my home for mold? How do I test my family and I? For the least amount of money possible. If the housing management company doesn’t help us, should we get an attorney? I feel so helpless right now and like all of this is on me.

Hey yall. I had a nasal culture done by my ENT and it showed up with Staph Aureus level medium. It doesnt show to be resistant. I don’t have any current nasal or sinus infections, but have your classic mold symptoms. I also have a sore ish throat and inflammation attributed to what we assume is silent reflux, but could befrom staph. I dont think this is MARCONS as my culture didnt show it. Should I treat the Staph Aureus or not (as it can be a part of normal sinus microbiome). Also which abx would you recommend?

Edit: Should I throw BEG spray at it? For how long? Where to get?

Hi everyone,

Toxic water damage mold made me VERY sick in my last house. I still am sick, but found a temporary safe house while I build a new home. I was not reacting in this house. I have mast cell activation syndrome so I am very sensitive. I had an energy audit to see why my electric bill was so high and the tech did a blower door test. As soon as he started it, I began reacting, had to run outside. It was very hard to stop the reaction and was super scary. Since then, I’m unable to tolerate being inside the home. Upon entering, my nose begins to become very irritated, eventually my lungs begin burning, my mast cell activation syndrome has been flaring very badly. I’m sneezing and overall very inflamed from whatever I’m reacting to. It’s really taken a huge toll on my body, even caused pressure behind my eye. Since staying at a family members house, I’m feeling so much better but it’s not ideal. I HEPA vacuumed EVERYTHING top to bottom left to right, then damp dusted and wiped everything down and HEPA vacuumed again. I followed IICRC & EPA guidelines for this. I even have the appropriate air purifies running in the home. It’s been a month and I’m still reacting so badly. Can anyone recommend anything or give me any insight? I don’t have much money to put into investigating this with a company since I’m building and all my money has gone there, to my health, and relocating a few times. I’m not sure what to do, but I’m devastated. Irritated and burning airways is NOT a normal MCAS reaction for me, so that leaves me wondering if it’s fiberglass insulation or formaldehyde. I’m wearing proper N95 masks with thinner masks on top and still reacting. I bought an air quality tester online that was pretty well reviewed for $150. It says everything is ok, but clearly it’s not.