What Are The Symptoms Of Mold Inhalation
Walking into a room where the mold spore count is high could have a significant effect on your response system. For those who have an allergic reaction to mold spores, the response is more immediate. These individuals may experience watery or itchy eyes, a runny nose, redness around the eyes, shortness of breath, or wheezing. Persistent exposure can create a nagging cough, asthma, or frequent sinusitis. As these symptoms sound much like the common cold or seasonal allergies, it can often be hard to narrow down the culprit as mold exposure.
As symptoms and severity are different for every person, it is difficult to say how long the symptoms will persist. Generally, the length of exposure, the type of mold that an individual has been exposed to, and the bodys natural health and detox process impact how long a person may struggle with a mold illness. Natural detoxing can see symptoms subside in a few days, particularly if the source of mold is eliminated or the individual leaves the environment where the mold is present.
Natural Ways To Deal With Black Mold Symptoms
If you already see or smell black mold, remove it immediately and thoroughly.
If youre experiencing black mold poisoning, there are thankfully some natural ways to help with your black mold symptoms, including:
1. Raw Garlic
Raw garlic has amazing antifungal abilities, which is just what your body needs when it has been exposed to black mold. Garlic helps to kill off fungi, molds and yeasts. Two to four grams of fresh garlic per day, or 600 milligrams to 900 milligrams of garlic tablets daily, is recommended for toxic mold exposure.
2. Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal can be taken as a supplement for mold cleansing. Most people dont think about mold living in their bodies, but it can, and activated charcoal is a potent natural treatment. It traps toxins in the body, allowing them to be flushed out so the body doesnt reabsorb them. Activated charcoal is made from a variety of sources, but when used for natural healing, its important to select activated charcoal made from coconut shells or other natural sources.
3. Chlorophyll
Its so much more than a green pigment found in plants. Im talking about chlorophyll, which has shown an ability to protect DNA from damage caused by toxic molds like aflatoxin. Chlorophyll also has antibacterial and antifungal properties, making it a highly recommended part of any healthy diet, but especially one that is looking to fight black mold symptoms.
4. Cut Down or Cut Out Sugar
5. Identify the Moisture Source
6. Fix the Source
When Should You Test Your Home For Mold Exposure
According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency , if visible mold is present on inspection, testing is usually unnecessary. There are no Environmental Protection Agency or government standards that have been established for mold or mold spore levels, so it is impossible to prove that a building or room complies with any health regulations concerning mold exposure. Likewise, the CDC does not recommend routine sampling and testing of mold in the home. Health officials havenât defined tolerable or acceptable limits of mold exposure for humans, and since individuals vary in their susceptibility to mold, testing cannot reliably predict the degree of health risks from any occurrence of mold.
When mold has previously been identified and cleanup procedures have been undertaken, sampling and testing may be carried out if necessary by qualified professionals to determine that adequate cleaning of a building has occurred.
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Phase Iv: Systemic Detox
In phase IV, we will continue to support your mitochondria and immune system. We will also add detoxification support for environmental chemicals and heavy metals.
Heavy metals serve no purpose in your body. Heavy metal toxicity can be very dangerous to your health. Heavy metals, including lead, arsenic, mercury, aluminum, and cadmium can increase inflammation, oxidative stress, and cellular interference. They can weaken your body making recovery from biotoxin illness more difficult.
Heavy metals and other toxins can lead to various symptoms, including fatigue, blurred vision, inflammation, joint stiffness, pain, weight gain, digestion issues, nervous system problems, and increased risk of cancer. As the mitochondria get stronger and our pathogen load goes down, we want to ramp up our aggressiveness in getting these out of the body.
Eating a nutrient-dense diet, proper hydration, movement, oil pulling, and other detoxification strategies that support cleansing, digestion, and elimination is critical. This is why we are adding Bioactive Carbon MetChem for heavy metals in this phase .
Phase IV Supplements
TUDCA: This is a fantastic supplement for drainage and liver support. Take 1 capsule twice daily in the morning and at night.
Bioactive Carbon MetChem: This supplement supports detoxification from heavy metals. Take 2 capsules in the morning and 2 capsules at night.
Phase V: Deeper Immune Support
Phase V Supplements
Which Molds Produce Mycotoxins
Molds are everywhere in our environment. No one knows how many varieties there are, however estimates range from tens of thousands to more than 300,000. Most types of molds dont cause adverse health effects, while others the toxic molds give off the mycotoxins that can be very dangerous.
Some molds, like the ones used to make certain cheeses, are edible. Others that grow on a wide array of foodstuffs including bread, soy, corn, dried fruit, coffee, peanuts, and many others can either be harmless or give off mycotoxins, depending on the type. Below is a chart of the most common types of toxic molds found in homes and the mycotoxins they produce.
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Common Symptoms Of Mold Sickness
Symptoms of mold-related illness vary and are wide-ranging. You may experience only a few symptoms or you may experience many. Symptoms might include:
- Development of asthma or asthma-like symptoms in people not previously diagnosed with the condition
- Sinus infections, which may become chronic
- Sore throat, which may become chronic
- Runny nose or stuffy nose
- Itchy or irritated eyes
Here is more about mold health problems.
Find Optimal Health And Wellness
If youre dealing with mysterious symptoms that you think could be related to mold exposure, dont lose hope. Contact us for an appointment and an individualized treatment plan to help you regain optimal health and wellness.
1. Mold General Information: Facts about Stachybotrys chartarum CDC.. Accessed 6 Aug. 2019.
2. Mold General Information: Facts about Stachybotrys chartarum CDC.. Accessed 6 Aug. 2019.
3. Molds, Mycotoxins and More | Surviving Mold.. Accessed 6 Aug. 2019.
4. The role and abatement of fungal allergens in allergic diseases .. Accessed 6 Aug. 2019.
5. Bacterial amplification and in-place carpet drying: implications NCBI.. Accessed 6 Aug. 2019.
6. Indoor Air Quality Explained | Welcome to Austin Air.. Accessed 6 Aug. 2019.
7. Mixed mold mycotoxicosis: immunological changes in humans NCBI.. Accessed 6 Aug. 2019.
8. Structural brain abnormalities in patients with inflammatory NCBI. 17 Jun. 2014, . Accessed 6 Aug. 2019.
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How To Recover From Mold Toxicity
Evaluate The Issue. I did a lot of experimental things to deal with my illness such as hyperbaric oxygen, ozone and more, but there are also daily things I did to optimize my health.
My advice? If you suspect mold, find someone who can identify and examine your house for mold one who is not the remediator. In other words, you dont want the guy whos fixing your house determine if there is toxic mold present . You want someone whos independent and can do a full evaluation. Thats the first step. And then it might be a simple problem, say a water leak in one area, which is a simple fix. A friend of mine told me to do something as basic as put a plastic container under your sink that can catch water that leaks. I also invested in good quality air filters.
Address The Toxins. The first thing is to make sure the exposure is not continuing.
I recommend working with a functional medicine practitioner who can help support your detoxification systems and mitochondria. My friend, Dr. Ann Shippy, recommends liposomal glutathione and binders like charcoal, clay and modified citrus pectin to draw out the toxins. Also, things such as phosphatidyl choline, CoQ10, D-Ribose and carnitine to support mitochondria. Always work with a practitioner and remember everyone is affected differently. I have specific SNPs that make it harder for me to detoxify from toxins, so when I was exposed, I really had to tackle the problem head-on.
Modulate That Inflammation And Heal
Healing From Mold Protocol #6 From the Step By Step Protocol To Healing From Mold
Once you are no longer in a moldy environment, and you have removed most of the mycotoxins from your body, you still have to deal with the residual inflammation left from the mycotoxins, and your bodies reaction to them, which is largely an inflammatory reaction. It is this inflammatory reaction that creates many of the signs, and symptoms a mold susceptible person has. Many moldy people also have additional health issues that will become evident, and need to be dealt with. Look for heavy metals, pathogens such as parasites, viruses, retroviruses, bacteria, internal fungus, and look for other environmental toxins, electromagnetic frequency reactions, mental/emotional stress as well as any other organ issues, or genetic issues that might add to the health picture. If there are nutrient deficiencies or excess that have not yet been dealt with, do it now. Remove all processed foods, chemicals in food, and dont forget drugs might be adding to the disease picture. I cant cover all the possible issues each person may have, but I can talk about the generalized inflammation, and ways that it can be dealt with, that are also shown to normalize the lab markers that these moldy people have out of kilter.
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Do I Need To Get Medical Treatment
In many cases, exposure to toxic mold doesnt require medical treatment. If you experience cold-like symptoms after exposure to potentially toxic mold, these symptoms will likely fade on their own with no long-term effects once you remove yourself from the environment with the mold.
Generally speaking, your overall risk of long-term health effects related to mold exposure is fairly low. That said, experts still have more to learn about the possible health effects of mold exposure.
For this reason, its still important to avoid long-term exposure to potentially toxic mold and promptly address signs of mold in spaces you spend time in.
Reaching out to a healthcare professional may be a good option if you:
- have a compromised immune system due to another health condition
- have significant trouble breathing
- live with cystic fibrosis
As for a mold detox? Contrary to some beliefs, theres typically no need to go on a cleanse or detox in order to heal your body after exposure to mold.
Heres why: When functioning optimally, your body constantly detoxes itself and its very efficient at this task.
Mold May Contribute To Other Diseases
Mold illness mimics many other chronic illnesses and in fact may contribute to many other diseases such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, hormonal disorders, anxiety, depression, sleep disorder, autoimmune disease, irritable bowel syndrome. The list of other diseases and symptoms may mimic other environmental illnesses including chronic persistent Lyme disease and other persisting infections. Patients with mold illness may have other environmental toxicants at the same time! This is often seen.
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What Are Symptoms And Signs Of Mold Exposure
Molds produce irritating substances that may act as allergy-causing substances in sensitive individuals. Furthermore, some molds produce toxic substances known as mycotoxins, but mold itself is not poisonous or toxic. The term toxic mold, therefore, refers to the fact that certain kinds of mold can produce mycotoxins. The conditions under which some molds produce toxins are not understood, and the presence of mold, even a mold that is capable of producing toxins, does not always imply that toxins are being produced or that a health risk or problem is present. Mold may not cause any health problems, or it may lead to allergy or other symptoms in people, including adults and children, who are sensitive to molds.
Allergic reactions to mold are the most common health effects of mold and are therefore the greatest health risk related to mold. Allergic reactions may happen immediately or develop after a period following exposure. Both growing mold and mold spores may lead to allergic reactions. Symptoms and signs of mold allergy may include
Mold or mold spores may cause asthma attacks in people who have asthma and are allergic to mold. Even in some non-allergic individuals, mold can cause symptoms of irritation in the eyes, skin, and airways. For example, the black moldStachybotrys, along with some other types of mold, produces toxins known as mycotoxins that can cause irritation of the skin and airways in susceptible individuals.
Reducing The Risk Of Mold Exposure And Removing Mold In The Home
The best way to avoid mold toxicity is to reduce your risk of exposure and this starts at home. There are many ways to reduce the possibility of mold in your home. They include:
- First, address any potential water leaks. This includes plumbing problems or leaky roofs. Second, fix leaking pipes and make roof repairs. In addition, let any areas that receive water damage from the leaks dry completely. Use fans if possible.
- Increase the airflow in your home. For example, open windows and allow fresh air to come in. Above all, ensure that air can circulate throughout the entire home. This may mean moving furniture away from the walls, allowing for full air circulation.
- Install or repair broken exhaust fans in the bathrooms, kitchen, and laundry room. This helps reduce increased moisture levels.
- Check that you have adequate insulation and ventilation in your attic and crawl spaces.
- Clean and dry carpets, bedding, and furniture within 24 to 48 hours of exposure to water damage.
- Vacuum and dust on a regular basis to help remove mold spores from carpeting and furniture.
- Check all your windows for signs of water droplets or condensation. Immediately dry the water and check the window seals. Finally, repair as necessary.
- If you live in a humid climate, consider a dehumidifier to reduce humidity levels.
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Does Mold Sickness Go Away
People often contact us to ask, does mold sickness go away? They contact us while struggling to cope with severe symptoms of mold sickness, worried that they are going to be sick forever.
Unfortunately, its not a question with a simple yes or no answer. Often, mold-related illness does go away after you get treatment and are no longer exposed to mold in the home. Sometimes, however, there are lasting effects.
Well tell you how you can reduce your risk of on-going mold-related symptoms and what to do if you are experiencing chronic symptoms. Well also review the common symptoms of mold-related illness for you.
Clean Black Mold And Get Rid Of It For Good
Once you know how bad your mold problem is , its time to get rid of the problem.
- Clean mold yourself. If your mold problem is small and visible, like caulking around your bathtub, you can get rid of it yourself. You just want to make sure you use the right cleaning solution. Bleach wont kill mold entirely, and as the chlorine in bleach dissipates, the bleach turns into water, which creates the perfect environment for new mold to grow. Cleaning vinegar will kill mold, as will industrial chemicals like Moldex. Always wear a P100 respirator so you dont inhale mold spores while you clean. Goggles are a good idea too, and a full body suit for larger mold infestations.
- Get rid of mold-contaminated items. Clothing, carpet, drapes, caulking, and paper goods like books and files will all absorb mold spores and can cause new mold growth. If theyve been in an area with black mold, get rid of them, or in the case of cloth goods, get them professionally dry-cleaned. Throwing out belongings is a bummer, but its better to be safe than to have to deal with a new mold problem all over again.
- Professional mold remediation. If you have water damage or major mold contamination in hard-to-reach places, hiring a professional is your best bet. Mold remediation can be expensive, but professionals have the tools to find and eliminate all the mold in your entire home.
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The Steps To Healing Before The Steps
First, the most important stepthe step that had to occur before any healing of my body could meaningfully beginwas leaving the moldy environment that was making me sick. We did end up remediating our home by literally gutting it, but I had to leave and get to a safe environment with clean air in the interim. Second, but equally as important to understand, is that healing your body is going to look different for every single person. I mean that in the biggest sense of the word, but healing takes on a new complexity when mold-triggered illness or mold toxicity is being discussed.
First: Time Length Of Mold Exposure
The single greatest factor in your recovery from mold is time of exposure. If you have been living in a house with a substantial mold problem for years, you are highly likely to have a fungal build-up in your body. This can take the form of fungus balls in your sinuses. It can be Candida in your gut. In extreme cases mold can be stored in and around the organs of your body.
The more mold that builds up in your body the longer it takes to remove, and the more powerful the anti-fungal you will need to stop your symptoms. If it took years to create the problem, it could take more than a year to undo it. And that is assuming that you have completely remediated the mold source and/or moved out of the problem environment. If you continue to put mold into your body you may never get truly well, you will only succeed in reducing your symptoms.
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