Proper Testing For Mold Illness
Physicians that specialize in mold illness have narrowed in on tests that are most effective in determining if mold is an underlying cause of someones symptoms. Before considering laboratory tests, there is often a clinical suspicion someone may be suffering from symptoms of mold exposure.
When someone is experiencing any of the above symptoms and no other diagnosis has been made that explains these symptoms mold illness should be considered. There is also the circumstance when someone has another diagnosis such as Lyme disease, but treatments have not been effective in resolving symptoms.
There is no one perfect test to diagnose mold toxicity. I use the two testing methods below to determine if mold and mycotoxins are undermining someones health.
Urine Mycotoxin Test
A urine mycotoxin test indicates whether or not a person is excreting mycotoxins from mold exposure. However, our bodies should excrete mycotoxins after exposure to mold and this does not necessarily mean someone has mold illness. The degree of elevation of mycotoxins in the urine suggests the severity of mold toxicity.
Great Plains Laboratory and Real Time Laboratory are the labs most commonly used by physicians treating mold toxicity. The two labs use different testing methodologies and test for different mycotoxins, so it is hard to compare results between the labs.
Preparation for urine mycotoxin testing
Mycotoxin Antibody Test
Dont Let Mold Interfere With Restoring Your Health
Mold is everywhere in the environment. Indoor exposure to toxic mold can trigger inflammation and cause immune dysregulation that causes multiple symptoms in multiple systems of the body. This makes mold illness difficult to diagnose. Physicians rarely look for environmental causes of illness so they do not ask patients about exposures such as mold. If you are suffering from multiple chronic symptoms or have been diagnosed with Lyme disease, or an autoimmune or neurological condition without a known cause, find a physician with expertise in mold illness so you can get properly tested.
Why Are Mold Issues Difficult To Diagnose
Conventional medicine recognizes that mold can cause allergies but does not recognize that mycotoxins emitted by some species of indoor mold can cause a problem, says McElroy. This means that doctors unfamiliar with mold and mold treatment may miss one of the main types of mold reactionsthe chemical and inflammatory reaction. This is for a few reasons:
- There is no gold standard in testing for mold
- There is no standardized treatment protocol or drug for mold toxicity
- There are very limited human-based studies looking at the connection between mycotoxins and human health
- The presentation of mold issues is very different among patients
- Not everyone exposed to mold mycotoxins will have a reaction to them
Its no wonder mold illness can be hard to diagnose. Fortunately, holistic medicine providers consider environmental factors that affect health when evaluating patients and may have additional advanced training in treating mold toxicity.
According to McElroy, one of the biggest challenges with mold is that mycotoxins can cause only some people to launch an inflammatory response. This unpredictable response can go on for years after a long-term exposure in a susceptible individual, she explains.
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Is Sampling For Mold Needed
In most cases, if visible mold growth is present, sampling is unnecessary. Since no EPA or other federal limits have been set for mold or mold spores, sampling cannot be used to check a building’s compliance with federal mold standards. Surface sampling may be useful to determine if an area has been adequately cleaned or remediated. Sampling for mold should be conducted by professionals who have specific experience in designing mold sampling protocols, sampling methods and interpreting results. Sample analysis should follow analytical methods recommended by the American Industrial Hygiene Association , the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists , or other professional organizations.
How To Prevent Black Mold From Growing
It hides in plain sight. Mold loves damp, humid conditions. It will thrive and multiply at a tremendous rate in perfect conditions. But when those conditions change the spores can stay dormant in arid conditions, for very long periods. This is when you may not know the mold is present. As soon as damp returns you will be able to see exactly where the mold is.
Start by inspecting your home. Look in the kitchen around the sink area, where the tiles meet the sink. Mold loves to grow under the silicone that seals the cracks between wall and sink. Over time water gets trapped behind the silicone and mold will appear.
Look in all your cupboards, in the dark corners, both bottom, and top. If a room is not well ventilated and the climate is humid, no doubt, mold will be growing.
Air ducts of aircon systems gather moisture and condensation, perfect breeding grounds for mold. Surfaces with a high cellulose content are also favored by mold colonies.
Check the bathrooms, around the sink and bath and in the shower. Check for mold and check for damp.
Prevention is always better than cure so if you find damp areas, a leaking tap or an outlet pipe, on the outside of the house, sort it out fast.
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Who Should Consider Mold Or Mycotoxin Testing
First, lets distinguish between mold and mycotoxin testing.
Mold testing generally refers to environmental testing , while mycotoxin testing refers to tests that look at the presence or effects of mycotoxins in the body.
You might want to consider mycotoxin testing if:
- You have already taken care of foundational health steps, including modifying diet and lifestyle and healing your gut, but you are still not feeling well
- You are experiencing symptoms or health effects consistent with mold toxicity, and
- You have access to an experienced, trusted, and rational practitioner who can help to interpret your results.
Healthy Home Myths Debunked
Common areas to test for black mold are basements, crawlspaces, bathrooms and kitchens where moisture and condensation may gather regularly. A water source is the first requirement for mold growth, so any damp, humid areas of the home are often susceptible.
Sight and smell may give you a good indication of whether or not you have a black mold problem black mold tends to have a strong, musty smell, and of course it displays a trademark black color. If you believe you have black mold growth in an area of your home after these initial inspections, you have two options: professional mold testing or do-it-yourself testing.
Professional mold testing companies will take samples of the air and any areas of mold growth, identify precisely what type of mold is present, and recommend next steps for remediation.
If you go the DIY route while testing for black mold, you will need to purchase a mold testing kit from a hardware or home repair store, take samples of the air and affected areas yourself, and then send these in to a testing facility, which will report back as to which type of mold is present.
Black mold can be an expensive and potentially unhealthy problem for homeowners, but by testing for black mold, you can know for sure if you’ll need to take steps to eradicate black mold from your home.
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Do Air Purifiers Help With Mold
Do air purifiers help with mold? Air purifiers help capture mold spores from the air, preventing them from reproducing and spreading throughout your home. While air purifiers won’t help treat active mold that’s already present on surfaces, they are a great way to control the spread of airborne mold particles…. see details
Is Your House Making You Sick?
What Is The Best Mycotoxin Test
MycoTOX is the most comprehensive and competitively priced mycotoxin test available. MycoTOX uses the power of advanced mass spectrometry , which is necessary to detect lower levels of these fungal toxins. This test is optimal for follow up testing to ensure that detoxification therapies have been successful…. read more
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Mold Exposure And Respiratory Symptoms
In order to more thoroughly investigate mold exposure, the subjects were divided into groups with different exposure intensities . It became clear that the extensively exposed subjects reported more frequently respiratory symptoms and asthma, with the frequency decreasing in the same manner than mold exposure. In the non-exposed group without dampness, only 27% reported respiratory symptoms, whereas in the extensively exposed sub-group, up to 75% reported symptoms. In particular, the rate of asthmatics was reduced in the same way there were one-third fewer asthmatics in the currently-exposed and low-exposed groups compared with the extensively-exposed group. A similar effect of building dampness and mold exposure was described in a meta-analysis , which reported a 30 50% increase in various respiratory and asthma-related health outcomes with statistically significant association to mold exposure in nearly all cases. Even though the results of the current study might be supposed to reflect the pre-selection of exposed subjects, similar effects have also been shown in other studies .
How Do You Test For Mold In Your Home
Do a home mold test or arrange to have an environmental hygienist or mold specialist take samples from an HVAC system, contents or patch of visible mold growth. Lab analysis can determine which species of mold are growing and the severity of an infestation. Professional tests may take place before and after remediation.
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The Problem With Most Home Tests For Mold
Nine times out of 10 they will tell you: Air sampling.
Newsflash: Air sampling is the least sensitive marker for mold, especially toxic mold.
This is because mycotoxinsthe toxic mold spores from moldare heavy. They fall to the ground, collect in dust. Air sampling wont catch these guys unless you have a really, really large toxic load in the whole home.
Additionally, many traditional home inspectors often fail to catch mold because they are simply looking for mold with the naked eye. But remember: mold is not always seen with the naked eye. Its hiding in walls, flooring and HVAC systems too. Many average mold inspectors, unaware of the nuances of testing, will come to your house, look, and if they dont see anything visually black on the wall, growing, they may feel you, You dont have a mold problem. If more mold inspectors conducted proper mycotoxin testing , or if they cut into the walls and floors in homes, wed have a front-page-news huge housing crisis on our hands.
When To See A Doctor For Mold Exposure
Are you worried youve been exposed to mold?
Not sure of the signs and symptoms to look for and when should you see a Doctor?
In this article, you will learn:
- The dangers of mold exposure and what symptoms to watch out for,
- When to see a doctor and what they can do to help,
- Treatments and prevention of mold exposure.
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How To Know If You Have Black Mold In Your House
Mold isnt always visible. If you can see mold, its only a sign of the real potential health risk, which is the harmful types of unhealthy levels of mold in the air of your home or workplace.
Airborne mold is all around us in both the outdoors and indoors. The types and amount of mold is what determines the potential health risk. Most of us are typically accustomed to the varieties and amounts of mold present in our outdoor environments.
Healthy indoor environments will have mold conditions similar to or better than those in the surrounding outdoors. Over time, because of moisture , many indoor spaces develop unhealthy types and/or unhealthy levels of airborne mold that can be harmful to you or your pets.
These signs will help you know if you possibly have unhealthy mold conditions in your house:
- Allergic symptoms
- A damp or musty odor in one or more places
- Frequent headaches
- The air in the home feels different
- Your house has been flooded or currently has leaks
- You previously tried removing mold yourself
Take note of how you feel in and out of the house. If the symptoms disappear or decrease when youre out and about, then you might have a mold problem, yes, even if you cant see mold.
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.
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Identifying Mold In Your Home
- Appearance or dark spots or clusters. Look for spots or clustered growths, especially in warm, moist rooms.
- Musty smell. You may be able to identify mold by a musty smell.
- Allergies or asthma. If you experience asthma attacks or allergy symptoms in your home, that may also indicate theres mold.
- Potential causes. Look for causes of mold growth, like a leak, water damage, lack of ventilation, or old food, papers, or wood.
How Can I Test Myself For Mold Exposure
Joseph is an HVAC technician and a hobbyist blogger. Hes been working as an HVAC technician for almost 13 years, and he started blogging just…Read more
Mold exposure can cause a variety of health problems, including respiratory issues, skin irritation, and headaches. If you suspect you have been exposed to mold, it is important to get tested as soon as possible. There are a few different ways to test for mold exposure. The most common way is through a blood test. This test can show if you have antibodies to certain types of mold. Another way to test for mold exposure is through a skin prick test. This involves putting a small amount of mold on your skin and seeing if you have a reaction.
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How Long Do Mold Symptoms Last
The tricky thing about mold exposure is that its different for each person. The amount of time mold exposure symptoms persist depends on:
- What type of mold they are exposed to,
- How long the exposure has been,
- How well their bodies eliminate toxins
Those who process toxins well can see their symptoms disappear as quickly as a few days.
Others who eliminate toxins slowly can experience symptoms for much longer. They could be ill for months or even years after the source of mold is eliminated.
What Are The Most Common Mold Toxicity Symptoms
In my experience, a wide array of symptoms can manifest if youve been exposed to mold spores. Symptoms will vary depending on how long someone has been in a moldy environment, what type of mold and mycotoxins are detected, as well as the overall health status of the individual, genetics and lifestyle factors.
Some patients ask me: What are the symptoms of toxic black mold exposure? and the truth is that symptoms vary because the variations of mold toxicity is extremely vast. That is why it is essential to work progressively and systematically with a health practitioner who can help you detox your body of the toxins, byproducts and address potential co-conditions.
Aspergilloma of the lung and close-up view of Aspergillus fungi, 3D illustration. Also known as mycetoma, or fungus ball, a lesion produced by fungi Aspergillus in immunocompromised patients
Common symptoms associated with toxic mold exposure include:
- Allergy-like symptoms
Multiple studies demonstrated that long-term exposure could also lead to feelings of chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, impaired memory, decreased libido, and stomach pains. Research shows that our neurological, respiratory, and immune systems are most affected by water damage and mold. A study published in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology showed that mold exposure in early childhood led to an increase in asthma prevalence in children at the age of 7.
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I Heard About Toxic Molds And Black Molds That Grow In Homes And Other Buildings Should I Be Concerned About A Serious Health Risk To Me And My Family
There is always a little mold everywhere in the air and on many surfaces.
Certain molds are toxigenic, meaning they can produce toxins . Hazards presented by molds that may produce mycotoxins should be considered the same as other common molds which can grow in your house. Not all fungi produce mycotoxins and even those that do will not do so under all surface or environmental conditions.
Mold growth, which often looks like spots, can be many different colors, and can smell musty. Color is not an indication of how dangerous a mold may be. Any mold should be removed and the moisture source that helped it grow should be removed.
There are very few reports that toxigenic molds found inside homes can cause unique or rare health conditions such as pulmonary hemorrhage or memory loss. These case reports are rare, and a causal link between the presence of the toxigenic mold and these conditions has not been proven.
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