Take It One Step At A Time
I know that the whole topic of mold exposure, remediation and recovery from mold toxicity can be overwhelming, especially since it is such an under-reported and not commonly understood issue.
But it can all be handled, one step at a time.
And rest assured that a combination of guidance from an experienced practitioner, natural remedies , and specific interventions, especially:
- Infrared sauna
- Rife therapy
- And ionic foot baths
are so effective at eliminating mold toxins from the body and repairing all the systems that have been impacted by them!
The results can be quite amazing: resolution of chronic and often inexplicable issues with your health!
Essential Oils Extracts And Tinctures
So many herbs have antifungal properties. The active compounds are extracted from herbs, and the essential oils deliver concentrated amounts of beneficial compounds that will kill spores inside the body.
Oils are most commonly preserved as tinctures and taking 10 30 drops, 3 x a day for three months will guarantee results. If taking a powder form usually ½ to 1 teaspoon, mixed in a little warm water, can be considered daily, also for about 3 months.
Yes, you can also take the natural fresh herbs instead of the more potent oils, especially if you want to prevent rather than cure.
Bleach Is The Best Method For Mold Clean
If youve found mold in your home and are worried about expensive testing and remediation, you might be tempted to find a do-it-yourself solution. Do not attempt to clean it on your own. Hire a certified contractor experienced in mold remediation.
While your first thought when attempting cleanup in your home may be to kill the mold and sanitize the area with the most powerful chemicals possible, do not use bleach or other strong chemicals on mold. In fact, its usually not possible to sterilize a moldy area. Mold spores will remain and begin to grow if supplied with moisture, especially on porous surfaces.
Bleach is formulated to work on non-porous surfaces. If you try to clean a porous surface, such as drywall, with bleach, it may sanitize the surface-layer, but it will not penetrate to the roots of the mold within the drywall. Water from the bleach will seep down to these roots, however, which will supply the mold with the moisture it needs to grow. It may appear that youve fixed the problem, but the mold is now thriving deep within the porous surface and will return stronger than before.
Finally, if youre already sick from biotoxin exposure, skin contact with bleach or inhaling its fumes will only add to your bodys burden. Instead of bleach, reach for supermarket 6% vinegar , which effectively kills mold and its underlying roots.
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How To Deal With Black Mold And Recover From Mold Poisoning
- Black mold is extraordinarily toxic, and more common than you might think. An estimated 22 percent of people and half of all buildings in the U.S. have a mold problem.
- The good news is that the word about mold is spreading, and its becoming easier and easier to deal with black mold and mycotoxins .
- This guide will tell you how to test for black mold, permanently remove it from your home, and flush mycotoxins from your body and repair the damage they do.
- Mold can make you feel hopeless and like your health is out of your hands. Dont worry with these steps, you can take control of your body and brain and get rid of mold for good.
Black mold is nasty stuff. It causes chronic fatigue, mood swings, allergies, asthma, unexplained weight gain even cancer.
Mold contamination is also more common than you might think. In a recent Bulletproof Radio podcast episode , geneticist and mold researcher Dr. Andrew Heyman explains why.
We estimate that 22 percent of the population is vulnerable to , says Heyman. Forty million people and at least half of all buildings in the U.S. have a mold problem.
Heyman goes on to say that people frequently overlook black mold, partly because it often shows up in hard-to-reach places, like ventilation systems in commercial buildings or apartment complexes.
Dangerous Mold Vs Mildew
The most common type of mold found in homes is mildew. Mildew is a surface mold that grows in warm, damp places like your bathroom and on fabrics and books stored in damp basements. Mildew begins as a gray or white powdery colony. It will turn black or brown if not removed promptly and often looks like soil accumulation. To test if the surface is covered with mildew or just dirt, dab the stain with a cotton swab dipped in household chlorine bleach. If the stain lightens or disappears after two or three minutes, it’s mildew. If not, it’s probably just dirt.
If you detect a musty smell anywhere in your home, then you have a high concentration of mold. It can be coming from a hamper filled with damp towels, from a damp crawlspace under your home, or carpets that have mold growing in the padding. If you smell that odor, it’s definitely time to take action to get rid of the problem.
All mildew is mold, but not all molds are mildew. Mildew can discolor and slowly harm surfaces but there are much more dangerous molds that can damage the structure of your home. If you see a black or green mold that is fuzzy or slimy and the drywall or wood underneath is soft or crumbly, there is irreversible rot, and the mold and the damaged surfaces must be removed immediately.
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Follow An Individualized Mold Treatment Plan From A Knowledgeable Practitioner
Most of conventionally trained medical practitioners have a narrow view on the effects of mold on the human body. Its important to work with an integrative practitioner familiar with the latest research regarding mycotoxins and mold.
While the exact components and duration each persons mold protocol can differ, here are some key possible steps for treatment:
- Use binders: These are used to bind up mycotoxins in the body. Cholestyramine, a prescription binder, may be used as well as natural binders such as charcoal.
- Address candida overgrowth: These could be yeast infections, thrush and digestive issues
- Treat colonized molds and bacterial infections: The gut, lungs and sinuses may be affected.
- Incorporate antifungals if needed.
- Support detoxification: This includes targeted supplements like glutathione to enhance detox pathways, ozone sauna and sweating through exercise as tolerated.
- Clean your air: Look for a high quality air purifier that utilizes HEPA, carbon, and zeolite filters. The Healthmate Plus from Austin Air does this and also filters VOCs.
- Clean your water: Stand alone filers like the countertop Berkey models or whole-house systems such as AquaTru can remove unwanted contaminants.
How Are Mold Allergies And Exposure Diagnosed
There are no proven tests that show when or where you may have been exposed to mold.
But your doctor may check for mold allergies by reviewing your symptoms and performing one of the following tests:
- Blood test. Your doctor takes a blood sample and then sends it to a laboratory to measure the number of certain antibodies, which can indicate your immune systems sensitivity to different mold species.
- Skin prick test. Your doctor takes a small amount of mold and applies it to your skin using a tiny needle. Your skin will break out in bumps, a rash, or hives if youre allergic to that type of mold.
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How To Detox Your Home Of Mold
- Make sure all leaks and water incursion are fixed. Dry the area completely.
- To avoid getting mold or mold spores in your lungs, wear an N-95 respirator. These are available at hardware stores and online. They will help trap spores in a disposable cartridge, so you can eliminate them safely.
- Wear long gloves, especially if using bleach and water to destroy mold.
- Wear goggles to avoid getting bleach or mold spores in your eyes.
- Scrub mold with detergent and water, and dry completely.
- Throw away porous or absorbent materials like carpets if theyre moldy.
A History Of Environmental Exposures
When I was 13 years old, I began working in my familys environmental laboratory company as a way to be able to purchase my Grandfathers old BMW. Although I can now look back and remember toxic mold exposures prior to this point, this is where I really began filling my toxic bucket with numerous exposures to chemicals, metals, biologics, and even radiation. Much of my work included continuous exposure to chemicals including Dichloromethane, Hexane, Benzene, Xylene, Freon 113, Ethyl Ether, Carbon Disulfide, Acetone, Acetonitrile, Toluene, Pentane, Methanol, Phenol, and consistently at least 200 others at lower levels. As a contractor for the Department of Energy , our lab analyzed decades worth of waste generated by our National Laboratories, which resulted in exposure to hundreds of unknown substances. As the Radiation Safety Officer for our organization, I was exposed to mainly gamma radiation, with some beta, in the receipt and screening of DOE samples, as well as through performing facility and personnel monitoring, laboratory analyses, and waste disposal activities. While my profession created an unusually high toxic burden to my body, many of us are exposed daily to environmental toxins in our workplaces and our homes. These ongoing, unrelenting exposures threaten long-term health and quality of life.
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Clear Out Other Pathogens
Mold illness can inhibit your immune system. Then, chronic infections such as Lyme disease may flare. And parasites may move in.
On the flip side, parasites and other infections can weaken your immune system. That makes you more vulnerable to mold toxicity.
Either way, kicking out unwanted critters helps reduce the strain on your immune system.
Moreover, mold spores may hide inside parasites. And, some parasitic worms can block your bile ducts, interfering with toxin drainage. This means you may not be able to fully recover from mold illness until you give parasites the boot.
In short, there are many strategies to help you overcome mold toxicity.
Still, youll be fighting an uphill battle if you continue to live or work in a moldy building. That can make you sensitive to health measures and other get-well strategies. So, dont overlook this elephant in the room.
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New And Natural Treatments For Toxic Mold
Todays mold patients are sicker and more sensitive. Throwing high doses of Cholestyramine or Welchol at them tends to only make things worse. As practitioners, we need to move slower and more gently.
As a patient, you need to inform your practitioner about all the side effects youre experiencing from treatment. Those side effects or symptoms are not in your head. Theyre real. If youre experiencing them, you need to move slower. Decrease your dose or the type of medication/supplements youre using.
Treating toxic mold is a marathon. Not a sprint. Go slow.
That includes starting slow. Increase your dose only when your symptoms are tolerable. If you find yourself reacting to just about everything, start with Saccharomyces Boulardii a beneficial yeast species that has been shown to help improve your bodys ability to detox molds.
Below, I list some of the newer and natural treatments. These treatments are far more gentle than Welchol or Cholestyramine for mold.
Glutathione
In many natural health circles, glutathione is known as the master antioxidant. Glutathione is most certainly an antioxidant whether it is better than the other antioxidants, Im not sure. Your body is capable of creating its own glutathione from amino acids easily obtained in your diet.
When practitioners suspect you have mold illness, glutathione should be one of their first recommendations. And for good reason glutathione is a wizard at helping your body rid itself of mold toxins.
Sauna
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Mast Cell Activation Syndrome And Toxic Mold
Mast cells are one of the most important types of white blood cells in your body. The basic function of your mast cells is to coordinate your immune systems response to harmful invaders. Toxic mold is just one of the many potential invaders.
You have the highest concentration of mast cells in the parts of your body that come into the most contact with the outside world: your GI tract, sinuses and respiratory tract, skin, and genitourinary tract. Notice how a lot of the symptoms of toxic mold affect those body systems in particular!
When your mast cells come into contact with mold, they sound the alarm bells. Mast cells commonly release histamine, serotonin, or tryptase in response to toxic mold.
When you start treating toxic mold with binders, you may trigger a response from your mast cells. When this occurs, there is typically an aggravation in your symptoms. This is why so many of you may feel far worse when you start taking cholestyramine.
Mast cell activation syndrome could be preventing you from treating and overcoming toxic mold.
If your mast cells are hyperactive, youre going to need to quiet them down before treating toxic mold. To do this, start with 500mg of quercitin thirty minutes before your meals. Quercetin has been shown to be even more effective than prescription medication at calming down your mast cells.
Ok, now I want to hear from you!
What sort of treatment has helped you overcome toxic mold?
Leave your answers in the comments section below!
How To Remove Black Mold
Protect yourself. You don’t need to worry about having mold tested if you find mold in your house. But you should get rid of it no matter what type of mold it is. Take precautions to protect yourself before you attempt to remove mold.
Use an N-95 face mask to avoid breathing in mold spores. Wear gloves to protect your hands and goggles without ventilation holes to protect your eyes.â
Find and destroy the mold. The most important part of removing mold is finding and removing its water source. Mold can’t grow without moisture. Keep the following tips in mind when you’re cleaning up mold:
- Items that can’t be dried quickly should be discarded if they show signs of mold or water damage. Porous items such as carpet, padding, drywall, and paper soak up moisture.
- Do not paint or caulk over moldy surfaces. Remove the mold and dry the surfaces before you paint. Paint applied over mold will peel.
- Use plastic sheeting to block an area with mold from the rest of your house and keep the spores from spreading.
- Scrub hard surfaces with mold with detergent and water and dry them thoroughly.
- Put any moldy items in a plastic bag before you take them out of the room to prevent mold spores from spreading.
- Use a HEPA filter in your air conditioner and furnace to capture mold spores that may be airborne in your house.
- Consult a specialist if you’re not sure of the best way to clean a valuable or sentimental item.â
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What Are Signs Of Mold In Your House
What are the signs of mold?
- It has a musty, earthy smell.
- Theres a nearby source of moisture, but not much light.
- You see warping, cracking, or peeling of whatever material its growing on.
- A drop of bleach lightens its color in a minute or two.
- Unchecked, mold will continue to grow. Dirt and old stains wont.
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