What Does Mold Poisoning Feel Like
Most experts agree that if you have at least 6-10 symptoms its worth checking into mold as a possibility and consider a detox. Mold poisoning is difficult to detect because the symptoms can often be credited to another source. Most commonly, mold poisoning often feels like Lyme disease and chronic fatigue syndrome. As you see multiple symptoms showing up together, its a good idea to test and see if mold might be the issue and learn how to detox your body from mold.
How Can I Heal From Mold Toxicity
If you and your health care practitioner determine that youre suffering from mold toxicity, the first thing to remember is that healing wont happen overnight. It can be a long and difficult process, but I promise you it will be worth it when you finally rid yourself of symptoms that may have been plaguing you for years. Set realistic expectations for your healing, and stick with it!
Testing and recovery can be expensive and frustrating, but there are some simple and cost-effective things you can try to get yourself started. Lets take a quick look at some things you can do now to start feeling better. These tips can boost your health even if mold isnt the issue, so theres no risk and nothing to lose!
Dont Discount the Mind-Body-Spirit Connection
Health is about more than physical symptoms. To live a truly healthy and full life, its crucial to be in touch with your emotions and find things that bring you joy. Daily mindful practices like meditation can make you keenly aware of what is going well and what needs to change in your life. Pursuing creative activities and finding a community of like minded people for support and connection are other great ways to nurture your spirit and your health.
Limit Exposure to Toxins
Heal Your Gut and Any Hormonal Imbalances
Eat to Treat Mold Toxicity
Support Your Body with Supplements as Necessary
Dont Let Mystery Symptoms Rule Your Life Ask Your doctor About Mold Toxicity!
Resources:
What To Do If Your Home Is Mold
First, you need to identify the source of water intrusion and fix it. A leaky roof or pipe will only create more issues after mold remediation.
Fixing an extensive mold problem is best left to professionals. When you disturb-mold infested materials, the spores and toxins spread like dandelion seeds in the wind. Attempting to tackle it yourself could make a bad problem much worse.
When looking for a professional mold remediator, some of the questions you should ask are:
- Are you certified in mold remediation? Examples of major certifying groups are the American Council for Accredited Certification and the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning, and Restoration Certification .
- How do you document your work? This should include photos of damaged areas. The company should also provide an itemized cost estimate before starting.
- How do you contain mold-contaminated areas? This generally includes using thick plastic sheeting to seal off the moldy area. Remediators also use indoor air scrubbers with high-efficiency particulate air filters. These should be vented to the outdoors.
- How do you clean your equipment? Besides air scrubbers, remediators also use HEPA vacuums. Ask what measures they take to avoid contaminating your house with their equipment. Do they change HEPA filters between jobs and sanitize their equipment?
- How do you dispose of moldy material? The moldy debris should be double-bagged before removing it from the building.
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Mold Toxicity And Lyme Disease
Mold illness causes many of the same symptoms as Lyme disease. Both trigger systemic inflammation and immune dysregulation leading to symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, headaches, joint pain, and anxiety.
When tick-borne infections and mold toxicity occur together, the mold illness must be addressed before the tick-borne infection can be treated successfully. Mycotoxins suppress the immune system making it difficult to effectively treat Lyme disease and co-infections.
Symptoms Of Chronic Toxic Mold Exposure
We all know about mold we dont eat it when it grows on our food or touch it when we see it in the wild. So, how would you feel about living with it?
Shockingly, many people do. The term toxic mold is becoming increasingly common in conversations about health in the United States, and this mold may be closer to you than you think.
What do toxic mold exposure symptoms look like over time? How can you tell if you have this uninvited guest growing in your home?
Keep reading as we unpack where it comes from, what symptoms you may already have, and how to test for and remove toxic mold from your home. You might even need to try a mold detox diet.
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Ive Found That 99% Of My Clients Have Mold Toxicity But Once They Detoxify Mold Correctly They Can Significantly Reduce Their Mast Cell Activation
A lot of advice out there for people with major health issues, though, doesnt take into account Mold Toxicity.
Many people with Mold Toxicity are often highly sensitive and have trouble detoxifying.
As a result, they tend to not get better from that advice. Worse yet, it can make them even sicker.
I have taken the wrong advice and suffered badly from the consequences many times. I dont want that to happen to you.
If you have some of the symptoms above, it is likely that you have inflammation and toxicity from mold. So, I recommend getting tested and addressing Mold Toxins.
However, it is important to do it correctly and slowly, step-by-step. Detoxifying mold in the wrong order or too fast can make you very sick.
My MC360 Precision Mold Detox Protocol is science-based and optimized through working with over 600 very sensitive clients with Mold Toxicity.
Currently, my practice has a 1-year waiting list.
But I know there are people who need this information who cant wait a year. So, Im teaching my detox method, along with all the science, in my MC360 Precision Mold Master Class.
I want you to experience your own health breakthroughs, just like I did. I want you to get back to living your best life!
How Do You Treat Mold Toxicity Symptoms
Right now, youll see a lot of experts recommending handfuls of supplements and strict diets but the reality is, we just dont know for sure if these are the right treatment approach, says McElroy. Instead, she recommends the steps below. You might be surprised to see that killing the mold is only one out of five. Thats no coincidence! As McElroy explains, I often dont focus on killing mold since most symptoms are due to the immune response, not the mold itself. Instead, she starts with simple lifestyle steps and utilizes non-pill practices to achieve a state of better immune health, including:
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Mold Toxicity: Pathways Diseases & Interventions
Read Time: 9 Minutes
Mold, fungi, and bacteria that thrive in damp environments with inadequate ventilation emit spores, allergens, mycotoxins, endotoxins, -glucans, and microbial volatile organic compounds into the air.1 These submicron fungal fragments may contribute to adverse health effects like asthma due to their small size and biological composition.2 Fungal fragments can stay airborne longer than fungal spores, which are larger, and can penetrate deeply into lungs and be deposited due to their small aerodynamic diameter.2
Evidence suggests these emissions may act as inflammatory mediators and may damage airways, leading to respiratory disease.3 The causative agents of adverse health effects involving mold have not been identified conclusively, but the World Health Organization considers an excess level of any of these agents in the indoor environment a potential health hazard.1 Extreme dampness, mold, and fungal fragments also contribute to indoor air pollution, which is considered a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide.1
- Condensation on surfaces or in structures such as windows
- Visible mold, especially black mold
- Perceived moldy odor
- Poorly maintained air conditioning systems
- A history of water damage 1
Asthma & Allergic Respiratory Diseases
Nonrespiratory Conditions
Clinical Applications
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Symptoms Of Mold Illness
Patients with CIRS present with a wide range of symptoms, including:
- Fatigue and weakness
- Muscle aches, cramping, and joint pains without inflammatory arthritis
- Hypersensitivity to bright light, blurred vision, burning or red eyes, and tearing
- Cough, asthma-like illness, shortness of breath, and chronic sinus congestion
- Air hunger or unusual shortness of breath at rest
- Chronic abdominal problems including nausea, cramping, and secretory diarrhea
- A propensity to experience static shocks
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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 haven’t 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.
Mold Toxicity Can Be A Difficult Thing To Diagnose And Treat Especially Because Many Conventional Doctors Dont Know The Signs Of Mold Toxicity To Look For But Parsley Health Was Able To Help One Member Get A Diagnosis And Start Treatment For Mold
At Parsley Health we have hundreds of patients who come to us hoping to find the root cause of their many symptoms. In our new Case Studies series we take a look at a few members health journeys, what brought them to Parsley, and their road to recovery. In this case, we take a look at mold toxicity.
When I first met Jenn, she came in for a Parsley Assessment, a one-time evaluation with one of our doctors, essential lab testing, and a health coaching visit. At that time, her goal was to optimize herself for a future embryo transfer. During our conversation, she discussed long-standing issues like eczema, fatigue, and unexplained pain that radiates throughout her body. She also disclosed that she is highly sensitive to chemicals such as cleaners, perfumes, etc. Her symptoms were similar to other patients I have seen who had mold toxicity.
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How Do You Get The Molds Out Of Buildings Including Homes Schools And Places Of Employment
Mold growing in homes and buildings indicates that there is a problem with water or moisture. This is the first problem to address.
Remove moldy items from living areas. Once mold starts to grow in carpet, insulation, ceiling tiles, drywall, or wallboard, the only way to deal with the problem is by removal and replacement.
It is important to properly clean and dry the area as you can still have an allergic reaction to parts of the dead mold and mold contamination may recur if there is still a source of moisture.
Remove or replace carpets and upholstery that have been soaked and cannot be dried promptly.
Clean up and dry out your home thoroughly and quickly after any flooding. Dig out mud and dirt . Use a wet vacuum to remove remaining dirt. Scrub cleanable surfaces with soapy water and a bristle brush. Thoroughly clean all hard surfaces with water and dish detergent. Dry surfaces quickly and thoroughly after cleaning. If you have a fan, air conditioner or dehumidifier that wasnt affected by flooding use it to help the surfaces dry after you finish cleaning
Mold growth can be removed from hard surfaces with commercial products, soap and water, or a bleach solution of no more than 1 cup of bleach in 1 gallon of water to kill mold on surfaces. Never mix bleach with ammonia or other household cleaners.
If you choose to use bleach to clean up mold:
What Types Of Mold Cause Problems
Youve likely heard of black mold or Stachybotrys chartarum, which sometimes makes news headlines. It is greenish-black in color and well-known to contribute to mold-induced toxicity.
But black mold is far from the only mold that can harm your health. And Stachybotrys chartarum is not the only mold that can appear black.
Examples of other types of mold often found in toxic indoor environments include:
- Aspergillus
- Sleep: Insomnia, frequent waking during sleep, night sweats
- Urinary system: Increased urination, urgency, incontinence
- Weight: Appetite swings, weight gain or weight-loss resistance
Many of these symptoms could also be due to reasons other than mold toxicity and CIRS. Thats why mold illness is often overlooked or misdiagnosed. The specific effects depend on your bodys unique vulnerabilities.
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How Mold Testing Works
There are two different kinds of professional-grade tests that experts tend to utilize to look for mold infestations. Both of them involve taking a small sample of material, which is then analyzed in a lab for traces of mold spores or the presence of mycotoxins. Urine test kits, as their name implies, require a small volume of urine from a human . These kits are used to determine if a person has a mold infestation in their body.
Meanwhile, home test kits require a small amount of dust or detritus from a buildings air conditioning or heating unit filters. Its not uncommon for professional environmental inspectors or mold remediators to use both kits in tandem after experiencing water damage, as they provide differentbut equally crucialinformation.
There is a third type of mold testing kit on the market its the kind that folks frequently see in hardware and big-box stores. These kits are designed to detect mold spores in the air, and they usually consist of a petri dish filled with microbial growth medium. The dish is exposed to the air for a set period of time in order to collect samples, and then its sealed and allowed to incubate. The idea is that any mold spores captured by the dish will then grow, allowing them to be seen and studied.
How Can I Find Out If Mold Is Harming My Health
You dont have to sit back and accept the harmful effects of mold exposure. Getting a mycotoxin test may help you determine whether you have mold toxicity in your body. This is a great way to test whether the harmful antigens in the mold are negatively impacting your health. This test may help you decide how to treat your mold exposure and allergies.
Treating these conditions may improve your symptoms and allow you to regain your health. These treatments may also prevent you from developing more serious mold-related health conditions.
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Demystifying Mold Toxicity Treatment With Dr Ami Kapadia
Hi everyone. In todays episode we discussed mold with Dr. AmiKapadia. What I enjoyed about her perspective is she is a testing minimalistand someone who simplifies treatment. I think weve done a pretty good jobbringing you guests and experts in this area who are of that same mindset andweve had our pinnacle today with Dr. Ami. Really simple narrative on testing anda straightforward protocol for treatment. It was reassuring to me personally tosee that what shes doing as someone whos fairly focused on mold andenvironmental illness is very similar to what Ive been leaning toward in theclinic. This tells me that Im on the right track in terms of determiningwhats working, whats not working, what to focus on, and what falls along theline of frivolous testing and or treatment recommendations regarding mold andenvironmental toxins.
How To Test For Mold Exposure
Testing for mold exposure can confirm whether individuals have internal indications of exposure to harmful fungus. Homes and commercial buildings can be tested to determine whether high concentrations of fungus spores, microbial volatile organic compounds or mycotoxins are present that may make exposure more significant.
The best mold tests are performed by trained medical or mold remediation experts and return results confirmed by lab analysis. This applies to analysis of air, batch or surface samples taken at a location as well as medical lab testing for immunological indications of mold exposure.
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How To Clean Mold From Your Home
If you notice mold in a confined area of your home, you can often clean it out yourself and eliminate the source. Be thorough in all areas and when in doubt, throw it out.
- Toss out all moldy items like clothing, linens, sheets, drapes, pillows, books, papers, and blankets. This is not an easy step, but its often the only way to eliminate the problem. For special items, you can have them professionally dry-cleaned to remove the mold.
- Clean all hard surfaces with mold-killing products. Bleach is not an effective mold cleaner and can actually encourage the growth of more mold. Instead, use one of the following:
- Cleaning Vinegar: Cleaning vinegar is the most effective, and is stronger than basic kitchen vinegar. You can use it at full strength in a spray bottle or dilute it with water.
- Moldex is an industrial-grade cleaner that has been designed for household cleaning. Its approved for hospital use and is formatted as a fungicide to kill mold and mildew.
When you clean, youll want to use a P100 respirator goggles, gloves, and a full-body suit for larger infestations to protect yourself from inhaling spores. If you have extensive mold in your home, you may want to enlist the help of a home mold expert. Particularly if mold is in your walls or structural areas of the home, it will require extensive renovation and professional cleaning.
