My skin mysteriously started rotting – then we found something terrifying in the AC unit

A woman says mold in her apartment’s air conditioning left her with “burning” skin and a $10,000 bill.

Autumn Clayman, 29, started experiencing a burning sensation around her face and started seeing red spots appear on her skin shortly after moving into her new apartment in Los Angeles, California, in February.

Then she started developing eczema – chronic inflammation and itching of the skin – all over her body and her allergies worsened.

Unsure what was causing her problems, Ms. Clayman cut out certain foods to see if the situation improved, but it did not.

In June, Ms. Clayman’s seizures became worse and she thought the cause was something in her apartment. So she stayed with her boyfriend for two weeks. While she was there, her symptoms began to improve.

Confident that it was her home causing the problems, Ms. Clayman paid $780 to have her apartment tested for mold. The result came back positive for stachybotrys chartarum (or black mold) in both of her air conditioning units, which had been blowing cold air throughout the room. apartment

Ms. Clayman moved into the apartment in February and began noticing symptoms after just a few weeks.

She said: ‘There’s a big mold problem in LA and the apartments are old. I moved in April and around April I started experiencing symptoms.

‘I wasn’t 100 percent sure if it was the apartment, so I went through all the scenarios. I cut out some foods to see if it would change the situation, but it didn’t help.”

Ms Clayman, who runs a consultancy, added: ‘For six months I felt like I was living in fight or flight. My gut told me there was a deeper problem going on.

‘I couldn’t sleep at night because my skin was so itchy. You’re not just dealing with your skin; your whole body is burning and it really affects you.

‘I had a burning sensation that started in my face, eyes and neck, followed by visible red spots. Then the eczema started in those areas and throughout my skin

‘My allergies flared up and I had burning, itchy eyes. I also suffered from fatigue and more depressive episodes.’

In late July, after Ms. Clayman returned home from her boyfriend, she paid a mold inspector to inspect her apartment.

She said: “He came out and said he could see there was mold there. They checked the AC units and there was visible mold in them. The air conditioning was always on, so no wonder I would feel so overstuffed when I woke up.

‘After a swab it came back as black mold.’

Black mold usually grows where there is moisture from water damage, water leaks, condensation or flooding.

The Cleveland Clinic reports that blocking mold triggers an immune response and people may experience worsened allergies and develop symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, congestion and eye irritation.

For most people, exposure to black mold will not make you seriously ill or cause death. However, for people with weakened immune systems, exposure to black mold can cause mycosis, a fungal infection throughout the body that leads to fatigue, muscle aches, chest pain, weight loss, and asthma-like symptoms.

Following the test results, Ms Clayman’s landlord apologized and carried out two deep cleanings of the apartment before moving back in.

While work was underway to correct the problem, Ms. Clayman had multiple doctor appointments for her eczema and is currently waiting to see a dermatologist for her skin.

Despite the thorough cleaning, her symptoms returned just a day after she moved back into her apartment.

She said: “They cleaned the air conditioning units. I moved back there in August and the next day my symptoms had returned.

‘It was no longer safe for me to live there; it affected me physically, mentally and at work.

“They decided to let me out of the lease and I moved out a few days later.”

But because the mold spores spread through the apartment from the air conditioner blowing, the mold had contaminated many of her belongings and she had to replace most of her furniture.

She estimates she has spent $10,000 replacing contaminated furniture and clothing, as well as medical appointments for her skin and fungal tests.

She said: ‘I had to get rid of dining tables, chairs, consoles, the dresser, fabrics, rugs – anything porous.

‘With the financial loss and throwing away stuff, I’ve spent $10,000 so far – that doesn’t include all the furniture I’ve had to re-buy.

‘It was great in the new apartment. I feel like I can focus on healing and taking care of my body.”