What Medical Tests Are Available To Determine If I Am Allergic Tomold
There are medical tests to determine if you are allergic to a particularsubstance, such as mold. These can be performed on skin or blood. Skin testsare considered more reliable than blood tests to determine allergic reaction toa substance. Skin tests yield results more quickly, are less expensive thanblood tests and are generally considered more sensitive. If an individual hassymptoms year-round, which may indicate an indoor allergy, skin testing may berecommended.
Blood testing called the RAST test can be done to showif you are allergic to a substance. The RAST test detects levels of antibodiesto particular allergens. The test is expensive to perform and results areusually not available for about two weeks.
What Mold Smells Like
Mold has a damp, musty scent very similar to an old book. Smell is generally not a good way to determine if there is a mold problem. The smell of mold spores can differ on the type and surface of which it grows. Most people dont even notice the smell at all.
Mold Infestation is a serious concern if left unattended. The spores grow rapidly infesting every room and crevice that eventually ruin your health in a variety of different ways. Some people do not notice their symptoms in time or fail to remove all the mold spores entirely. Therefore, the mold mycotoxins spores will repopulate causing further damage to your health, animals and living environment.
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What Should I Do With My Moldy Bread
Although you should get rid of your bread when it develops mold, you should make sure that it is thrown away safely. The spores in the bread can become airborne and spread in your home. The safest way to throw it away is to wrap it in a bag and put it in a covered trash can.
Also, please DO NOT feed it to your pets.
See Your Doctor If You Feel Dizzy
If you begin feeling lightheaded or dizzy, you should see your doctor.
Many different things can make you dizzy, most of them unrelated to mold, including:
- Bacterial or viral ear infections
- Bacterial or viral respiratory infections
- Environment allergies
- Low blood pressure
- Heart problems
- Some medications
- Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo , a condition in which tiny particles of calcium in the inner ear are displaced, sending the body confusing messages about where it is in space, causing a dizzy sensation
- Menieres disease, a condition in which fluid builds up in the inner ear, causing a dizzy sensation, ringing in the ears and hearing loss
- Migraine headaches
Your doctor will do a complete history and physical, asking you about all your symptoms and checking your vital signs. Your doctor may order some tests, including blood tests and an echocardiogram. Audiologists sometimes perform tests for certain conditions that can make you dizzy, too. Your doctor may also recommend having your hearing tested.
You may be referred to one or more specialists, including an infectious disease specialist, a cardiologist, and/or an otolaryngologist . Since problems with the inner and middle ear often contribute to feeling dizzy, ENT specialists often treat vertigo. Sometimes hearing is also affected by the condition, but not always. You can read more about hearing loss related to mold. It can take a while to determine the cause of dizziness and to find a treatment that works.
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Can Mold Make You Tired
Absolutely in fact, chronic fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of mold exposure!
If you are susceptible to mold illness and are exposed to mold, your cells will struggle to make energy. As a result, this exposure to mold will make you tired.
Mold exposure causes most people to react, but their symptoms clear up when the mold is gone. Thats because they have a mold allergy.
However, about 25% of the population has the genes to develop mold illness, also known as Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome when exposed to mold.
When these people are exposed to mold, their body cant get rid of it. Ever. As a result of the mold exposure their immune system never shuts off and they suffer from a lot of very unusual symptoms.
These symptoms can often result in a diagnosis of:
- Fibromyalgia,
- Multiple Chemical Sensitivities,
- And many other vague diagnoses!
All too often, those who are dealing with a toxic mold illness get labeled with a diagnosis that only describes their symptoms. However, its really mold that is the root cause!
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.
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How To Keep Bread From Molding
Most slices of bread develop mold if theyre not eaten or thrown away fast enough. It could be as soon as 3-5 days. However, there are a few preventative steps you can take to delay this from happening:
Have You Suddenly Gained Considerable Weight
People can put on 50 pounds from mold exposure even with decreased caloric intake and increased exercise. Because of the insulin resistance from the imbalance of leptin and adiponectin, these people cannot burn fat.
Appetite swings are real common. One very unique thing is patients in a moldy environment often will develop leptin resistance and because of that, they can gain thirty, fifty pounds in a very short period of time with no change in diet or exercise and you can imagine how terrifying that is to a patient to suddenly have this massive amount of weight gain. Its less frequent to have weight loss but that can also occur.
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Chronic Fatigue From Mold Exposure
Chronic fatigue is something many people complain about when theyve been exposed to household mold for a long period of time. While respiratory symptoms are often rapidly attributed to mold, people are not so quick to attribute fatigue to the presence of mold in the home. They may not realize that exposure to mold can cause fatigue or they may simply assume the fatigue is due to something like, like a busy schedule or just not getting enough sleep.
It is true that fatigue is only one of a long list of symptoms associated with exposure to mold in the home. Other common symptoms of mold exposure include coughing, sneezing, shortness of breath, a runny nose, itchy eyes, sinus infections, bronchitis, pneumonia and asthma attacks. You can read more about mold-related health problems. Severe fatigue is often experienced along with other symptoms. In some cases, the degree of fatigue can be extreme and it can be fairly debilitating.
Watery Or Irritated Eyes
When allergens are present, the body releases histamines as part of its immune response. This histamine release is what causes the eyes to water excessively when exposed to toxins from mold.
This reaction from histamine may be the bodys way of flushing out allergens and toxins. It can serve as a warning to you that your environment may contain dangerous black mold.
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Can I Buy Bread That Is Mold
All bread are going to grow mold at some point, but many loaves contain preservatives like sorbic acid and calcium propionate that makes it more resistant to it. If you buy bread without preservatives, it will likely grow mold faster.
However, most commercial loaves contain compounds that are designed to help prevent the growth of fungi. You should expect the average loaf to stay mold-free for four to seven days.
Also, sourdough bread is shown to have an extended mold-free storage life. It is due to the sourdough production process where bacteria convert the linoleic acid in flour to a powerful antifungal compound.
In addition, some loaves that are vacuum-sealed can last up to a year, but once you have opened the packet, then it should be eaten in a few days. Always check the label for storage instructions and the shelf life after opening.
You can avoid all of the added ingredients and preservatives by making your own.
Homemade bread is fresh, delicious, and also a lot cheaper. Although the bread maker could be quite expensive to buy, after 2-3 months, you will have already got your money back on your equipment.
Read how I calculated the cost of making your own loaf here: How much does it really cost to make bread in a bread machine?
What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Last Updated on by RTL Staff
Home»Blog»What Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?
Are you constantly tired, no matter how much sleep you manage to get at night? Do physical and mental workouts leave you worn out for days at a time? Do you suffer from unexplained aches and pains that never seem to go away? If you answered yes to all of these questions, you may be suffering from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome.
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What To Tell Your Doctor
If you have symptoms, and youve been exposed to mold at work, on a trip or at home, you should consult your doctor immediately, Dr. Ibrahim says. Tell your provider all that you can about the mold and the location.
Be sure to mention all symptoms you may have, no matter how trivial they may seem. There are no insignificant symptoms when youre being evaluated for a new problem, Dr. Ibrahim says. Pay close attention to symptoms that are only present or worsen at home or other public areas where mold is common.
Do You Suffer From Mold Exposure Symptoms
If you realize that you suffer from several or all of these symptoms on a regular basis, it is advisable that you inspect your home for mold. It is also wise to track how your symptoms occur. If you leave your home each day to work and notice that you feel better during the day, this can be a clear indicator that something in your home is causing your distress. The same can be said if you travel and find yourself in better health then. Your home shouldnt make you sick and finding and treating the mold problem will ensure that doesnt happen. 24 Restore in Minneapolis specializes in mold removal and help answer any questions you might have. If you are experiencing any of these symptoms and wonder if mold might be to blame call 24 Restoretoday.
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What Causes Fast Molding
Some types of bread develop mold faster than others due to their moisture content. You may notice that softer pieces of bread tend to mold more quickly than harder ones. Since fungus is a living organism, it relies on organic material as well as water to grow.
Baked goods that have a moderate to high moisture content are going to develop spores growth faster. Additionally, bread that is kept in a warm , moist environment will develop mold growth quickly as well.
Can You Eat Moldy Bread If You Toast It First
Unfortunately, toasting wont get rid of the mold. Heating foods is a well-known way to get rid of many types of bacteria in foods. However, since mold produces toxins, heating the bread will kill the mold but wont actually get rid of the toxins. They remain in the food, and there is no way to remove them. When mold is present, the best option is to discard it.
Toasting could actually make the situation even worse. Mold spores could become airborne and not only contaminate your toaster but also other food products in your kitchen. So, do not toast it.
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General Treatment Suggestions Gathered From The Web
Avoidance so that the body can detoxify itself and return to health. Avoidance works for some people and others need more help.
Cholestyramine New Uses for Old Products Cholestyramine is an old cholesterol reducing prescription medication that has been largely superseded by more newer, more effective meds which can bind to the mold toxins in the gut and remove them from the body. A well test medication its has side effects other than constipation and heartburn.
Other Detox Methods Limu -Muoi Modifilan, zeolite, saunas all employ different means of detoxificaiton. Dr Shoemaker reported he has not found success with charcoal, zeolite or herbal preparations. For more on these from a patients website,
How To Minimize Your Risk
To know how to protect yourself, start by knowing where mold spores thrive. Besides growing best in warm, damp, humid spots. Outside, youll find mold in shady, damp areas or where leaves or other vegetation break down. Inside, mold grows in high-humidity locations, such as basements and showers, she says.
If you are prone to breathing problems, such as asthma, you should consider limiting exposure to damp, humid areas such as basements and saunas, she says.
Here are other things you can do to minimize your mold exposure risk:
- Use an air conditioner or dehumidifier to keep humidity levels below 50% at all times.
- Check the humidity level in your home at least once a day because humidity changes with temperature shifts.
- Be sure your home is adequately ventilated. If you have exhaust fans, use them especially when you shower.
- Use paints fortified with mold inhibitors.
- Use mold-killing bathroom cleaning products, such as bleach.
- Dont carpet bedrooms or bathrooms. If you own your home and can afford to, remove carpeting from your home and replace with another surface, such as laminate tile, thats easy to clean.
- Remove or replace carpets and upholstery that have gotten wet or soaked through in the past as these are breeding grounds for mold spores.
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How Do You Increase Vegf
You can check out my previous post about the best supplements for chronic fatigue. Below, Ill offer my thoughts on three ways to improve VEGF. Improving VEGF levels may very well be exactly what you need in order to improve your fatigue!
But please note, before treating low VEGF you need to get rid of the toxic mold and CIRS in the correct order.
The only way to fix your low VEGF symptoms is to identify the root cause. Often, lowered VEGF is caused by toxic mold illness. If mold is the root cause of your fatigue, you need to find a mold-literate practitioner to help guide you back to health. Properly remediating toxic mold illness is a complicated, multi-step program. You need to find a practitioner who has experience in mold illnesses.
Flourish Clinic specializes in treating mold illnesslearn more!
Before you start increasing your VEGF levels, its incredibly important to be screened for cancer. VEGF increases the number of blood vessels and therefore the amount of blood flow to an area. While this is great for fixing chronic fatigue, it can have a costly effect if you have cancer.
Cancer needs a healthy supply of blood to thrive. As a tumor grows, its cells require more and more oxygen. Blood flow delivers oxygen. If your blood test shows elevated levels of VEGF, it could indicate cancer. So, before amping up your VEGF, please ensure youve been properly screened.
Increasing VEGF levels
After you have addressed your mold illness you can start on your low VEGF.
How To Tell If Your Loaf Is Spoiled And Inedible
The best way to determine if the bread has mold is through a visual inspection. Take it out of the bag and look at the exterior of it for any unusual spots. They look like small fuzzy patches and may be present anywhere on the surface.
As you cut the loaf, look at the interior as the spores growth may have started here.
Also, take note of the smell as some molds have an unpleasant odor. If the loaf or slices look normal and have a normal smell, then it most likely does not contain any mold.
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