Mold And Chronic Lyme Disease
There is growing evidence supporting a connection between mold toxicity and chronic Lyme disease. In a July 2014 article by Scott Forsgren, Neil Nathan, MD and Wayne Anderson, ND, the connection between mold toxicity and chronic Lyme disease was discussed. Dr. Anderson finds that exposure to Lyme disease makes a patient more susceptible to mold toxicity and vice versa. In many cases, if a patient with Lyme disease does not respond to traditional treatment, an underlying mold infection is often the cause.
Mold exposure and toxicity contribute to many different symptoms and medical concerns that hyperbaric oxygen and HBOT address. With this in mind, if you suspect mold exposure and experience symptoms, give our office a call today to set up an initial consultation with Dr. Spiegel and his team.
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What Are The Symptoms Of Mold Exposure
Everyones reacts to mold differently, but there are also many similarities in symptoms. In my case it started with a sinus infection that would not go away even after four sinus surgeries and trying every antibiotic under the sun. Below in my interview on televisions Know The Cause. I discuss my head to toe symptoms from mold exposure with host, Doug Kaufmann. Doug has studied mycology for over 40 years and has learned that every organ and tissue in our bodies can be devastatingly effected by mold. Learning how to get mold out of your system is crucial to recovering.
How To Get Rid Of Mold Spores In The Air & In Your Lungs
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Have you been staying at home, and yet find yourself sniffling and sneezing every couple of seconds?
Maybe you find that your eyes are watery or itchy, and your nose is runny.
Well, if youve looked at all the usual suspects of these symptoms and found none of them guilty, then it is possible that you have a housemate living rent free, and its high time you evict them!
What are we talking about? Well, mold spores, of course!
If youre feeling out of your league with this serious household problem, well, dont worry. Were going to help you tell whether or not you have a mold problem inside your home.
If you end up confirming that you are unknowingly harboring a housemate, then well even teach you how to remove them safely both from your house, and from your body and how to prevent them from coming back.
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Checklist: Preventing Mold Growth & Toxicity
Keep the humidity in buildings less than 50 percent. Dont set your AC up over 78 degrees when you are on vacation.
If you have a water spill or leak it needs to be dried in less than 24-48 hours. If drywall gets wet, remove it.
Inspect all barriers to water and/or re-caulk bathrooms, kitchens, windows, roof annually.
Minimize your exposure to other environmental toxins .
Take supplements that support your detox pathways to keep ahead of exposures.
Bigger picture: We need to update our building guidelines to reduce the risk for mold growth. The issue is that buildings are being built so tight for energy conservation that now they dont breathe. This decreases the likelihood that moisture will dry out and increases the risk for condensation. If you have an opportunity to build a house or remodel find experts to work with who are familiar with these tradeoffs.
How do we test for mold in our environment/home/office, and get rid of it?
We still need to develop more comprehensive testing technology for the presence of mold toxins in buildings . There are limitations with all environmental mold testing options. The mold plates available at hardware stores dont usually catch the most toxic mold spores. These molds dont send out very many spores, or they are heavy and dont make it very far, so they dont land on the plates.
Should we all be testing for mold regularly, or only if it seems to be an issue?
How is mold toxicity diagnosed?
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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What Is Mold Toxicity
Youre likely familiar with mold allergies. But you may wonder how they differ from mold toxicity, also called chronic mold illness. In short, poisons produced by mold can cause illness that extends beyond common mold allergies.
Mold allergy symptoms tend to be limited to your respiratory tract, eyes, and skin such as a runny nose and itchy eyes. Allergies happen when your immune system overreacts to mold spores. Those are dormant forms of the fungi. Theyre lightweight and easily float through the air.
In contrast, mold illness results from mold growing indoors and producing toxins. These can trigger varied and widespread symptoms in your body.
The buildings that harbor mold toxins are water-damaged buildings. This damage can result from any water intrusion such as from flooding, melting snow, or leaky pipes. Everyday activities like showering without good ventilation are risks, too. Warm, humid environments also increase mold growth risk.
Toxic mold growth could happen in any type of building. The most problematic ones are those where you spend a lot of time. That includes homes, workplaces, and schools.
Studies suggest that up to 50% of buildings in North America and Europe may have water damage.So, its better to suspect a building has a mold growth problem rather than assume it doesnt.
How Can You Detox From Mold
In addition to removing yourself from the environment where the mold is or having the mold removed, you can help your body detox the spores that have been inhaled and trapped inside. You can take supplements to build up your immune system, reestablish your gut health, and reduce inflammation:
Rather than trying to handle mold exposure on your own, you should consider seeing a physician. The situation may be more serious than you think.
Read Also: Airborne Mold In House
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.
Identify & Remove Mold Toxins In Your Home
You have two primary options when it comes to reducing toxins in your environment:
Move
Remediate the Mold from Your Environment
Option 1: Move Out of Mold
This option is easier if you are renting your home, apartment or office space. Many states have no-contest laws in place where, if there is mold present, you may be able to get out of your lease.
Moving out of mold basically entails:
Uncovering the mold problem, then moving yourself to a non-moldy environment and
Parting with some of your cross-contaminated items
It really depends on your personal threshold. In my personal experience, getting rid of everything was necessary. Mold made me a sick person, and I began reacting to my clothes, books, furniture, purses, my car and more with my mold symptoms .
Even though you may not see visible mold on your items , this does NOT matter, nor does it mean that those items are safe. In fact, mold sporesespecially those of mycotoxin-producing molds are often invisible to the human eyeapproximately 3-40 microns . Mold spores are so small that as many as 250,000 can fit on a pin head, and a person can breathe in as many as 750,000 spores in an hour. Mycotoxins provoke oxidative stress, neurological problems, DNA damage, and disease.
Option 2: Remediate Mold
Proper mold remediation includes several steps .
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Mycotoxins Damage Your Health
Mycotoxins are sneaky. While mold itself cant enter your bloodstream though it can hang around and colonize in spots like your nostrils and lungs mycotoxins can get into your bloodstream and circulate throughout your body.
These opportunistic toxins can hijack your immune system, making you more vulnerable to infections. If your immune system is already compromised , mycotoxins take advantage. If youre healthy, they can make you very sick.
Studies show that mycotoxins can:
- Cause lung inflammation that can make it harder to breathe
- Worsen allergy and asthma symptoms
Unfortunately, mold toxicity is frequently misdiagnosed. Because of its wide-ranging effects, its typically mistaken for other conditions including depression, multiple sclerosis, or autoimmune conditions. Plus, because mycotoxins are opportunistic, theyre often connected with debilitating diseases such as Lyme disease, IBS and fibromyalgia.
Your Genes Can Make You More Vulnerable
Around 25% of people are genetically predisposed to get sick from mold exposure. A simple test, called the HLA-DR, can tell you if youre in that more susceptible population.
If you are, it means your immune system cant easily identify and get rid of mycotoxins. That can allow them to build up in the body, causing harm wherever they end up. On top of that, because of that genetic twist, even relatively small exposures to mycotoxins can affect you.
Knowing What To Avoid
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How To Remove Mold From The Body Naturally
Mold spores are common in the air we breathe. However, an overabundance of these spores in our body can cause body aches, coughing, respiratory problems, mood swings, headaches, fatigue and sinus congestion. The toxins found in mold spores, mycotoxins, are toxic chemicals produced by fungi, including mold. When infected with mold, you must deal with it both inside and outside your body. Treating the mold outside your body is typically done with topical methods, while mold removal on the inside is best dealt with by performing a mycotoxin detox.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
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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Low Energy & Mitochondria Support
A common symptom of mold toxicity is low energy and fatigue. This may happen when the mycotoxins affect the mitochondria. Mitochondria is the part in our cells that produces energy.
To help regenerate and support your mitochondria:
Dr. Groups COQ10 & PQQ: Take 1 capsule twice daily for 3-6 weeks. Dr. Group formula combines three patented extracts clinically studied for their effect on the mitochondrial health.
- BioPQQ®. Shown to stimulate mitochondrial biogenesis, the cellular process that produces new mitochondria.
- Kaneka Q10®. Worlds purest, most thoroughly researched CoQ10 shown to protect the mitochondria from oxidative stress and tissue death.
- PrimaVie®. Organic purified shilajit shown to improve the bioavailability of CoQ10 and boost energy production in the mitochondria.
Diagnosis Of Mold Toxicity
The conventional medical community is slow to acknowledge that chronic mold-induced illness is common. However, many functional and foundational medicine practitioners have expertise in mold toxicity and CIRS.
A common and simple test for mold toxicity is a urine mycotoxin test. Excreting an elevated level of mycotoxins is a sign of mold illness. Still, if your body is holding onto these toxins, your level may be falsely low.
Some functional medicine doctors also check specific immune system and inflammatory markers via blood tests. Examples are C4a, TGF Beta-1, and MMP-9. Elevated levels of these markers dont prove you have mold illness, but they contribute to the evidence.
Urine mycotoxin and inflammatory markers are best considered in the context of other signs and symptoms of mold illness. These include the following five areas:
The more of these criteria you meet, the more likely it is you have mold-related toxicity. And if you meet all five criteria, its more likely your mold illness is advanced and longstanding.
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