Increased Risk For Mold Growth
Buildings with flat roofs or basements, or that are built on hillsides or in shaded areas are at increased risk for mold growth. HVAC systems are also a significant source of mold growth, especially when ducting is in a basement. In addition, water damage can come from a leaking roof, pipe, or appliance such as a dishwasher, refrigerator, or wash machine. Buildings that are poorly maintained are much more susceptible to mold growth. Government buildings and schools, as well as rental apartments and homes, tend to be poorly maintained.
There are also circumstances when water damage to a home or building is apparent. A patient shared a story of a wall caving in under the pressure of a paint roller because the sheetrock was so damp from water damage. Others have reported discovering mold growing on a wall after removing a bed or a picture . I have seen patients who were exposed to mold in their car and at their place of work.
Current and past mold exposure can cause illness. People can continue to have elevated mycotoxins from a past mold exposure long after leaving a moldy environment.
However, most of the time, my patients are unaware they have been exposed to mold until they get tested. Once diagnosed with mold illness, people may recall a house they lived in years prior to their health decline had a musty odor. How about the dorm the college student lived in where the air conditioning unit was on all the time? When did their health decline?
Removing Mold From Your Home
Resolve any issues causing mold growth, and throw away anything affected by mold or contributing to mold growth that you cant clean.
- Wear protective gear. As youre dealing with the moldy area, cover yourself with a mask, gloves, goggles, and rubber boots. If youre cleaning a lot of mold, you can also wear disposable clothing or a mold-resistant suit.
- Ventilate the room. Open all doors and windows to increase ventilation.
- Sort and discard. Remove any objects from the area that havent been touched by mold growth. Throw away any items that cant be cleaned.
- Replace moldy housing materials. Cut away and replace mold-damaged drywall, ceiling tiles, and carpet.
- Scrub and disinfect. Cover and scrub nonporous surfaces affected by mold with bleach, a fungicide, or detergent and water, then dry them. Dont mix cleaning products together.
- Address any water issues. Make sure any water problems are fixed and the area is dry before you renovate the room.
You cant prevent all mold, but you can reduce the amount in your home. Here are some dos and donts for managing mold and keeping it from growing indoors.
How We Treat Mold Exposure Or Toxicity At One Agora Integrative Health Clinic
Have you noticed changes in your health after having a water leak? Or perhaps you’re experiencing unexplained symptoms after moving into a new building or staying at a hotel? If this sounds like you, you may want to consider getting tested for mold exposure or CIRS.
Finding out youve been exposed to mold brings up a whole host of complications and questions. Its easy to get overwhelmed. At One Agora Integrative Health Clinic, were here to walk with you every step of the way. We take a holistic and thorough approach to treating mold exposure.
The first step is ordering the right tests to find out if mold is causing your specific symptoms. Well also help you find out if youve developed CIRS.
If so, well then work closely with you to get you on a proper treatment plan that will detoxify and reset your body. The goal here is to restore your nervous system and support your immune system.
We dont stop there. Youre only as healthy as your environment, so it doesnt do much good if we only treat you. This is why were committed to providing you the information and steps needed to rid your home of mold once and for all.
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The First Steps In Treating Mold Toxic Mold
The first step in treating mold illness is to completely eliminate on-going exposure to additional mycotoxins . Once toxin exposure has stopped, it is then necessary to assist the body to eliminate these harmful substances.
We employ modern diagnostic tests at Forum Health Greenville including a test that measures very small amounts of mycotoxins in the urine. With appropriate management, individuals can recover from mold illness and symptoms disappear.
Symptoms Of Mold Exposure
Most people are unaware exposure to mold can cause serious illness. Even worse, most physicians are not familiar with mold illness or the symptoms of mold exposure, so it is rarely considered as a diagnosis. If mold is suspected, a physician may test the patient for mold allergies or suggest they have allergies to some inhalant but mold illness is much more. Symptoms of mold exposure are very similar to Lyme disease, and it is not uncommon for these conditions to occur simultaneously.
Someone can test positive for mold allergies and experience mold toxicity at the same time. However, in mold toxicity, systemic immune dysregulation, and subsequent inflammation are the underlying features that drive symptoms.
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Treating Mold Allergies Or Exposure
Allergy shots and oral medications, including over-the-counter antihistamines, may be recommended or prescribed to treat mold toxicity. Detoxifying the body from the effects of mold toxicity is best performed with a multi-pronged approach.
Holistic medicine is also useful in treating mold poisoning, particularly by employing therapies that harness the bodys natural healing processes. These natural processes can help to trigger antioxidants and act in combatting toxicity.
Mold May Contribute To Other Diseases
Mold illness mimics many other chronic illnesses and in fact may contribute to many other diseases such as chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, hormonal disorders, anxiety, depression, sleep disorder, autoimmune disease, irritable bowel syndrome. The list of other diseases and symptoms may mimic other environmental illnesses including chronic persistent Lyme disease and other persisting infections. Patients with mold illness may have other environmental toxicants at the same time! This is often seen.
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List Of Medical Doctors That Treat Mold Related Illness In Texas
by Emily Rachal | Dec 21, 2020 | Find A Doctor |
This list is a compilation of medical professionals, found in Texas, all of which have been contacted by MAM, to ensure that they do work with mold exposure recovery and offer the necessary mold lab testing. This is an evolving list. If you are a medical doctor and do not see your name on this list, and would like to be added, please email MAM.
Toxic Mold Can Cause Both Mold Allergies And Mold Illnesses
The providers at Serenity Health Care Center always take any threat of toxic mold seriously. We believe in being proactive when it comes to diagnosing and treating mold allergies and illnesses, instead of waiting until symptoms become dangerous and severe. Our providers see patients who are searching for answers for toxic mold illness from Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Minnesota and all across the US.
The term toxic mold is used to describe any mold that creates a mold issue or illness. No molds are actually toxic instead, they produce mycotoxins, which can create health hazards.
Mold spores often cause mold allergies that produce a variety of symptoms.
- Sneezing, runny nose and/or congestion
- Itchy nose, mouth, lips and/or eyes
Toxic mold can also cause mold illnesses, which are often missed by members of the conventional medical community. Our Waukesha natural health care center providers are experts at recognizing the symptoms that may indicate a mold illness.
- Respiratory problems
- Unexplained muscle pain, twitching, numbness or tingling
- Symptoms of depression
Some people may experience symptoms such as headaches, weight gain, dizziness or excessive thirst.
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Is Cirs Or Mold Illness A Real Disease
When we talk about mold illness we are refering to a biotoxin illness called chronic inflammatory response syndrome or CIRS. According to Mold Illness: Surviving and Thriving, CIRS is incredibly common in todays American society. In 2011, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health published their opinions that suggested as many as 50% of US buildings were water-damaged which puts about 160 million people at risk for the development of CIRS. CIRS is one of the most compelling reasons for the explosion of chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, and depression in the US.
The air in water-damaged buildings or WDBs are contaminated by a chemical stew of molds, bacteria, and associated chemicals. Inhaling this contaminated air can activate the innate immune system which causes severe inflammation throughout the body. CIRS is a multi-system and multi-symptom disease. It is caused by generalized inflammation triggered by an immune system that is out of control.
DIAGNOSTIC STEPS
TREATMENT STEPS
The protocol used by Dr. Shoemaker is straight forward but there are a series of steps to be taken, each in its proper order, in order to heal.
Dr. Shoemaker has a pyramid-shaped visual on how to effectively recover from mold illness. The protocol is complicated, but with a well-trained physician, like Dr. Dean Mitchell, and a mold remediation company to identify mold in your home and getting it remediated can make a world of difference in your health.
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
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Toxic Mold Doctors A Comprehensive List
. This post may contain affiliate links.
Mold illness is an emerging area and not all patients may benefit from the same treatments. With so many medical practitioners claiming to know how to treat mold patients, it is hard to know who to choose.
I have personally been under the care of 4 different mold doctors at various times. They all took me to various stages of healing. Currently, I am my own mold doctor. I have taken all of the pieces of the puzzle my practitioners have provided me with and figured out what really works well for me. You can learn more about my approach in How To Detox From Mold Exposure.
In an effort to help as many victims of mold exposure as possible, I have compiled a list of medical practitioners who understand mold illness and offer treatment options for it. These are organized by state.
The mold doctors listed here use a wide range of treatment modalities, many of which may not be appropriate for all situations. The information on this page is provided only to give patients a starting point with regard to doing their own due diligence in terms of learning about and interviewing practitioners that might be appropriate for their situations.
Please understand that the listing of physicians and other medical practitioners on this page does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by me.
Why Is Cirs / Mold Illness Misdiagnosed
Most patients with CIRS are misdiagnosed as having depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, among other illnesses. CIRS activates the innate immune system which makes a proper diagnosis difficult since common parameters of inflammation are generally negative upon laboratory evaluation. There is a genetic component that can be tested to help correctly identify mold illness.
Mold illness causes inflammation that causes a silent fire in your body many call it a brain on fire. The reason some people get CIRS inflammation is because their bodies are not able to properly process mold toxins. Genetically susceptible people have a problem with the production of protective antibodies.
Unfortunately, the symptoms consistent with biotoxin illness are similar to symptoms of other major illnesses and many doctors are unfamiliar with how to correctly test and diagnosis mold illness.
If you think you suffer from mold illness, give our office a call today to schedule a consultation with Dr. Dean Mitchell.
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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.
Finding Help: What Kind Of Doctor Treats Mold Toxicity
Mold toxicity can cause serious health issues and is considered to be an environmental disease. It can be a complex situation, and as such, there are different types of doctors and specialists that are often involved in ones treatment. Mold sickness occurs when a person is exposed to mold and mold spores. Initial symptoms are often mistaken for other diseases or simple allergies, so getting an accurate diagnosis can be challenging.
People suffering from what they believe to be mold sickness sometimes struggle when it comes to trying to figure out what kind of doctor treats mold toxicity. Many times, it ends up being not just a single doctor, but several types of doctors. Every persons situation can be a bit different, and there is usually no one size fits all approach to getting mold toxicity diagnosed, and then treated.
During the diagnosis and treatment of mold toxicity, a person is likely to interact with a team of different doctors and specialists. These include toxicologists, pathologists, immunologists, and frequently homeopathic and naturopathic doctors. People react differently to mold toxicity, and symptoms can vary widely. It is important to choose doctors who specialize in environmental exposure and the treatment of mold sickness.
The important part is seeking help. Finding a mold specialist, or a team of specialists, is the first step towards getting relief and becoming healthy again.
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Clearing The Way For Fertility
After several months on the road, Jenn returned home and we were able to implement weekly infrared sauna sessions to further support her bodys detoxification. We are still working to support her bodys ability to eliminate the mycotoxins and Jenn is feeling better every day. Her dedication, consistency, and most importantly, her optimism is allowing her body to truly heal for the first time in years. She is still looking forward to getting pregnant in the future and is confident she will have a healthy pregnancy, and most importantly, a healthy baby, thanks to our ability to get to the root of her symptoms.
Allergy Testing For Mold Toxicity In North Texas
If you are experiencing a sudden or growing reaction of the sniffles, mild rashes, or trouble concentrating, you may be experiencing the effects of mold toxicity. Because these symptoms can indicate many different health conditions, it is imperative that you see a doctor who specializes in lung conditions in order to receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
If you would like to schedule an appointment with a lung specialist, contact our friendly team today by calling us at 594-9993 or by filling out our online appointment request form now. We look forward to helping you get to the bottom of what you are experiencing so you can breathe easily again.
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About Toxic Mold Exposure
