Can Avoiding The Moldy Environment Reverse The Symptoms
Interestingly, half of the employees had circulating immune complexes during the months and years working in the Health Center. Most of these employees had cleared them by 18 months after the health center closed .
These data suggest to me that removing the instigating infection or exposure to the mold spores can help reverse even antibody-based disease signs .
Dr. Luosujarvi et al described the disease course of one of the patients. He wrote, Our patient terminated his work at the health center soon after he became ill, and this may be the reason why he has now been in remission without drugs for 3 years. .
Thus, changing the environment by removing the mold or moving to a new location can help relieve symptoms, at least in some people.
Viral Arthritis Vs Rheumatoid Arthritis
Experts estimate about 1% of arthritis cases to be viral arthritis.1 In these cases, a viral infection leads to joint pain and swelling. For example, parvovirus B19, known for causing fifth disease , sometimes causes swollen, painful joints and anemia. Other examples of viruses that can cause viral arthritis include enterovirus, rubella, HIV, and hepatitis B and C.
How is it similar to RA? Viral arthritis results in inflamed joints that are swollen, tender, red, and warm to the touch.
How is it different? There is no specific blood test for RA, but a blood test can usually show whether or not a person has or had a particular virus. The joint symptoms will typically go away once the viral infection is either treated or resolves on its own, though in some cases arthritis symptoms become chronic.
Can A Building With Mold Induce Joint Problemsincluding Rheumatoid Arthritis
Yes. Rheumatoid arthritis can be triggered insome people by working in a building with mold and damp-loving bacteria. RA and other rheumatic diseases developed inemployees of two different buildings with poor indoor air quality .
Mold damage and actinobacteria infection were found in walls and under the foundation of a health center after all 34 employees had developed rheumatic symptoms Ironic, isnt it?
Two of the 34 employees developed rheumatoidarthritis. Three more workers met the 1987 RA classification criteria. Sixteenemployees had joint pains. These joint pains began in 11 employees afterbeginning to work at the health center .
In a second building, ten employees of 83 to 113 employees developed rheumatic diseases in a different building with an air quality problemagain from mold and damp-loving bacteria. Three developed rheumatoid arthritis, one had psoriatic arthritis, two had Sjogrens syndrome, and four had ankylosing spondylitis.1
Rheumatoid arthritis and other rheumatic diseasesusually do not begin in most people of a group at the same time.
These data support the role of the mold anddamp-loving microbes in the onset of RA and other rheumatic diseases insusceptible people
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How To Improve Joint Health After Mold Exposure
Now that you are aware of the many hazards of mold, take the first steps to improve your well-being and get a checkup with your physician. The sooner you address the issue, the better off youll be.
Inflammation and joint pain can cause long-lasting problems that can become exasperated over time. Inhaling spores regularly will likely cause other symptoms as well, that may be become more challenging to recover from. Make sure to get the professionals involved when removing mold from your home. If you are already experiencing symptoms, it is best that you do not continue to expose yourself to more harmful spores.
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What Is A Dehumidifier
A dehumidifier is a machine that removes moisture from the air. These machines are particularly useful in damp areas like basements.
Dehumidifiers work by drawing air in and across cold metal coils. As the air moves across the cold coils, moisture is removed from the air. Then, the air is passed over warm coils and returned to the room. The water that is removed from the air can be drained through a hose or by periodically emptying a container.
Most home dehumidifiers can remove between 10 and 50 pints of water from the air each day. How much moisture is removed depends on the humidity in the room, and the power or capacity of the machine itself. Generally, dehumidifier capacity is measured by how many pints of water can be removed in 1 day from a room that has 60 percent humidity at a temperature of 80°F .
While dehumidifiers are often used to remove moisture from damp areas like basements, they can be particularly helpful for people with health issues like allergies or asthma. Dust mites and other tiny organisms that can make these conditions worse tend to thrive in humid conditions. Dehumidifiers can help people with allergies or asthma especially the very young and very old limit their exposure to these triggers.
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Effective Treatment For Symptoms Of Mold Exposure
Get Your Home Tested Properly
Proper mold inspection requires hiring an experienced Indoor Environmental Professional that uses various testing techniques to ensure there has not been water damage leading to mold growth in your home. When someone is sick in the household, the degree of mold testing needs to be more comprehensive than if someone was doing a general home inspection. I have witnessed mold inspectors miss water damage and mold growth in patients homes because they did not do a thorough investigation, or used the wrong testing methods.
Proper testing for mold helps to establish the scope of work for remediation. It is a conflict of interest to hire an inspector who also does remediation. However, most reputable inspectors can recommend a contractor who specializes in mold remediation.
To find a certified IEP in your area, visit www.acac.org and look for CIEC and CMC certifications. You will also find certified remediators with CMRS and CMR designation.
Treatments for mold Illness
Prescription medications and supplements referred to as binders are used to reduce the mycotoxin burden in the body. Technically these compounds do not bind mycotoxins, but they adsorb like static cling. Mycotoxins are secreted with bile from the gallbladder into the intestines. Mycotoxins adhere to binders in the intestines and then excreted through the stool.
Glutathione in Treating Mold Toxicity
Reduce Inflammation in Mold Toxicity
- Transfer Factors Enviro
Increased Risk For Mold Growth
Buildings with flat roofs or basements, or that are built on hillsides or in shaded areas are at increased risk for mold growth. HVAC systems are also a significant source of mold growth, especially when ducting is in a basement. In addition, water damage can come from a leaking roof, pipe, or appliance such as a dishwasher, refrigerator, or wash machine. Buildings that are poorly maintained are much more susceptible to mold growth. Government buildings and schools, as well as rental apartments and homes, tend to be poorly maintained.
There are also circumstances when water damage to a home or building is apparent. A patient shared a story of a wall caving in under the pressure of a paint roller because the sheetrock was so damp from water damage. Others have reported discovering mold growing on a wall after removing a bed or a picture . I have seen patients who were exposed to mold in their car and at their place of work.
Current and past mold exposure can cause illness. People can continue to have elevated mycotoxins from a past mold exposure long after leaving a moldy environment.
However, most of the time, my patients are unaware they have been exposed to mold until they get tested. Once diagnosed with mold illness, people may recall a house they lived in years prior to their health decline had a musty odor. How about the dorm the college student lived in where the air conditioning unit was on all the time? When did their health decline?
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Elemental Diet And Ra
An elemental diet contains amino acids , mono/di-saccharides and medium/long-chain triglycerides. These are supplemented with vitamins and trace elements. In a pilot study, 30 patients with active rheumatoid arthritis were randomly allocated to 2weeks of treatment with an elemental diet or oral prednisolone 15mg/day . In this study, elemental diet was as effective as a course of oral prednisolone 15mg daily in improving subjective clinical parameters in RA except the swollen joint score. An improvement of greater than 20% in early morning stiffness, pain and the Ritchie articular index occurred in 72% of the elemental diet group and 78% of the prednisolone group . However, not all patients benefit with elemental diet and this may be reserved for only select patients with RA .
Lyme Disease Vs Rheumatoid Arthritis
Lyme disease is a bacterial infection spread to humans by infected deer ticks and western blacklegged ticks. Some people do not know they have been bitten, making diagnosis challenging. A doctor may consider a Lyme disease diagnosis if the patient experienced a bulls-eye shaped rash or has been in area where deer ticks and Lyme disease thrive, such as forested areas of the East Coast and upper Midwest.
See Risk Factors for Rheumatoid Arthritis
How is it different? People with Lyme disease often report headaches and/or stiff necks. Lymph nodes may become swollen and muscles may ache. A fever may be accompanied by the chills.
A blood test can show the presence of Lyme disease, but it cannot be done until 2 or 3 weeks after the tick bite, and results are not always accurate.
Experts recommend treating suspected Lyme disease with antibiotics as soon as possible, often before lab tests can confirm a diagnosis.
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Can Other Molds Cause Arthritissymptoms
Yes. A six-year-old boy who came down with a chronicarthritis turned out to have a mold infection.3 It had pus. The arthritis arose after abicycle accident. Thus, this boyexperienced two events associated with a higher risk of developing RA, namelyphysical trauma and infection .
The infectionwas cured with an effective anti-fungal agent, which happened to be the thirdone administered . However, the knee remained stiff.
Outdoor accidents that infect someone with mold can lead to arthritis in susceptible people.
What Are The Signs & Symptoms Of Cirs
Malaise, fatigue, weakness, a flu-like symptoms, exhaustion, insomnia, sensitivity to several environmental agents .
There may be other diagnosis I refer to as superficial that may have been placed on a patient by other doctors . Being pigeon-holed with a superficial diagnosis can lead to a much longer course of suffering before the deeper of the illness is discovered.
Eye/Ear/Nose/Throat SymptomsBlurred vision, floaters, light sensitivity, tearing eyes, puffy/dark circles around the eyes, night blindness, tinnitus or ringing in the ears, hearing loss, dizziness, sinus/nasal congestion, nose bleeds, offensiveness to odors, vocal cord and nasal polyps, laryngitis or changes in phonation, and sore throat are a few.
Musculoskeletal SymptomsMuscle and Joint pain, atypical burning pain in the chest, stabbing pain, cramps, muscle weakness, neurological tics, spastic muscles with hands curl up, toes & feet curl up, morning stiffness and neck pain and others.
Lungs/Heart SymptomsShortness of breath and air-hunger, constant yawning, Fluttering and palpitations, tachycardia at rest or with exercise, dry cough, wheezing, asthma like symptoms, sweating, swelling of extremities, and symptoms similar to congestive heart failure and others.
ExtremitiesCold hands/feet, discolored hands and feet such as white and red mottling or blanching, numbness in parts of the body, tingling, hands shake, and several others.
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Indoor Mold: 5 Symptoms Of Mold Exposure
Have you been wheezing lately, or getting out of breath just taking the stairs? Or maybe you feel like youre constantly battling a headache that just wont go away. Symptoms of mold exposure can be similar to those of infections or other conditions. So diagnosis and treatment takes longer than it should. But take heed. Those exposed to mold can be between 30-50% more likely to develop asthma. They also suffer from other respiratory problems and bronchitis.
Gaps In Understanding And Directions For Future Research
There is currently a lack of understanding for nutritional requirements in RA. Specific dietary recommendations have not evolved due to variability in the clinical course of RA. In 386 patients from the Västerbotten Intervention Program cohort, diet was not associated with a risk of RA. In a recent feasibility trial, individualized counselling did not significantly improve the dietary habits in patients with inflammatory RA of < 1 year duration .
Future trials may evaluate specific dietary modifications, e.g. the association with moderate intake of alcohol and the role of probiotics and antibiotics in RA. There is a potential role of adipokines in mediating the association of RA and obesity. If studied in future trials, this can help to understand newer molecular targets for management of RA Studies that link diet with RA and specific pathways of inflammation and immune regulation offer the possibility of identifying new therapeutic approaches in select patients. Better understanding of dietary factors in RA can contribute to developing new insights in disease pathogenesis and RA-specific recommendations.
The effects of -3 PUFAs supplementation on radiographic progression and synovial histopathology in RA remain to be evaluated in future studies. The role of polyunsaturated fatty acids in early arthritis and in combination with biologics should also be explored in well-designed trials in RA patients .
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What Primary Physicians Should Know About Environmental Causes Of Illness
Virtual Mentor.
Health and disease appear to have two main contributorsenvironment and genetics. Since genetic manipulation is still in its infancy, medicine should devote energy to discovering what environmental triggers cause, exacerbate, and disturb bodily function. We all know that bacteria, viruses, and parasites can cause disease processes such as diarrhea, cardiac valvular disease subsequent to streptococcal rheumatic fever, arthritis, and pneumonia. Less is known about the more than 80,000 toxic chemicals in our air, food, and water that can cause adverse reactions to foods, and to airborne substances like molds, pollens, and terpenes . These substances can also trigger the immune neurovascular system to initiate disease. The generalist should be aware of toxins in these three categories referring patients with possible toxin-related illness to an environmental specialist can prevent end-stage disease .
Odor sensitivity can be the tip-off for a chemical or an environmental contributor to a patients malfunction. Odor sensitivity can manifest as intolerance to perfumes, detergents, fabric softeners, newsprint, phenols, alcohols, natural gas, gasoline fumes, car exhausts, pesticides, formaldehyde, and cigarette and wood smoke. The clinician may also find odor sensitivity in some cases of asthma vasculitis autoimmune disease cerebral dysfunction after anesthesia, surgery, and trauma or in neuropathy and musculoskeletal disease.
For Help Locating And Removing Mold
If you have a mold-related infection, most likely you were exposed to mold at home. If youre not sure if there is mold in your home or not, though, you can have a professional test your home for mold. This article explains mold testing, and when it is necessary.
If there is mold in your home, it is recommended that you arrange for someone else to remove the mold for you if you are experiencing mold-related health problems so that you do not exacerbate your condition by further exposure. If youve just had a surgical procedure to drain an infected joint, youre not likely to feel up to the task anyway.
You can schedule a free consultation with a mold removal professional to discuss your needs. The professional will come to your home or, if your physician advises you not to be in your home until the mold is removed, he or she will come to another convenient location to meet with you. In addition to explaining what needs to be done to remove the mold and make your home safe again, the mold removal professional will answer all your questions. He or she can also tell you about safety precautions you can take to prevent mold in the future. Follow this link to find qualified mold removal professionals offering free consultations in your area.
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Understanding Mold And Mycotoxins
Illness from mold is one of the biggest health issues impacting Americans today that is not addressed effectively in the American medical system.
Mold illness occurs after exposure to a building overrun in mold or via food sources that contain mold. The mold reproduces by forming spores that can travel through the air and replicate once it has landed on a moist wall or structure.
What ultimately triggers health issues for patients is the toxins released by mold called mycotoxins, which are very toxic chemicals. It is estimated that 25% of Americans immune systems cannot identify these mycotoxins as a result, the mycotoxins will stay in the body for many years invisible to the immune system.
Research is now finding that mycotoxins can trigger autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma, and especially neuro-autoimmunity such as Menieres. The most common molds found to trigger health issues are Aspergillus, Penicillium, Stachybotrys chartarum .
- Body aches and sharp shooting pains like electrical shocks and or ice pick like pain, numbness/tingling and joint pain
- Lack of stamina and fatigue
- Light, noise and sound sensitivity
- Poor focus and other neurological symptoms
- Depression, anxiety and or mood swings
- Nigh sweats and or alternating between feeling hot and cold
Gluten Free Diets In Ra
Gluten, a gut-derived antigen, is an immunological trigger in coeliac disease and RA. The systemic immune response in celiac disease may be directed towards sites other than the gut. Gut-derived antigens are the key initiators and drivers of dysimmunity in RA. These shared immunological mechanisms explain the concomitant occurrence of celiac disease and RA . Gluten-free diet has been associated with benefits in patients with RA though the existing evidence is inconclusive. Gluten-free vegan diet for 1 year has been shown to significantly reduce levels of antibodies to -lactoglobulin and gliadin and disease activity in patients with RA . In a randomized study in 66 patients with RA, a gluten-free vegan diet demonstrated potentially atheroprotective and anti-inflammatory changes, including decreased LDL and oxLDL levels and raised natural atheroprotective antibodies against phosphorylcholine .
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