What About Tiny Mold Toxins Aka Mycotoxins
As mentioned above, though the Stachybotrys spores may be sticky and not easily airborne, there are other airborne contaminants to worry about: tiny fragments of mold and special toxins called mycotoxins. These contaminants may cause illness in those who are exposed, with mycotoxins being the most concerning.
You can think about mycotoxins as the molds defense: they are used for protection from environmental threats. Mycotoxins are minute organic compounds as small as 0.03 microns. These tiny molecules can stick to particles already floating through the air. Studies have found Stachybotrys mycotoxins on mold fragments that have broken off from a mold colony after it has been disturbed . This can be harmfulairborne particles less than 1.0 microns are easily breathed into the respiratory system, where they can cause irritation and potential allergic reactions. If this occurs, mycotoxins could accumulate onto local tissue and ultimately enter the bloodstream. The study by Brasel cited above showed that trichothecenes could be measured in the blood of people exposed to an indoor environment that had Stachybotrys.
Stachybotrys creates a class of mycotoxins referred to as trichothecenes. Trichothecenes have been widely studied and have been proven to be detrimental to the health of humans, animals and plants. In fact, trichothecenes have been investigated for the purpose of biological warfare needless to say, they are not something to which you want to be exposed.
Is There A Test To Determine If I Have Been Exposed To Mold
Some physicians have recommended testing for mold-specific antibodies. Thepresence of antibodies only indicates that you have been exposed to a substanceat some time. It does not tell you when you were exposed, where the exposuretook place, or how much of the mold you were exposed to. Having a positive testfor mold-specific antibodies alone is generally considered insufficient toprove that health effects reported by individuals in moisture-damaged buildingsare caused by exposure to mold.
Natural Mold Detox Methods
1. Activated Charcoal
Activated charcoal is a great method to gently rid your body of any toxins or poisons.
Additionally, it is a mycotoxin detoxifier and helps to reduce excessive inflammatory responses.
2. Probiotics
Many recent studies have shown that probiotics are effective at attacking mycotoxins and safely removing them from your system.
Probiotics help to support bile flow, improve your gut health, and protect against inflammation.
Read Also: How To Clean Mold From Leather Jacket
Question 3 Of : How Do You Treat Mold Exposure Naturally
How To Prevent Mold
Controlling moisture is the key to preventing mold from growing in your home. The following tips will help stop mold from becoming a problem:
- Keep the humidity in your house below 50%. Using an air conditioner or dehumidifier can help with this.
- Make sure your house is clean, dry, and well-ventilated.
- Fix any water leaks immediately.
- Use ventilation fans in your kitchen and bathrooms.
- Don’t put carpet in rooms that are likely to become wet such as the basement, kitchen, or bathrooms.
- Make sure wet floor mats are dried quickly.
Show Sources
Recommended Reading: How To Remove Mold From Shower Grout
What Happens If You Are Exposed To Black Mold For A Long Time
The most common black mold symptoms and health effects are associated with a respiratory response. Chronic coughing and sneezing, irritation to the eyes, mucus membranes of the nose and throat, rashes, chronic fatigue and persistent headaches can all be symptomatic of black mold exposure or black mold poisoning.
Dont Miss: How To Get Mildew Out Of Vinyl Boat Seats
What Does Mold Poisoning Feel Like Symptoms & Treatments
Mold is a fungi that we havent thought worth exploring too many times unless we actually experience what it can do to our health. Weve underestimated what it can do and how it will do it. In order to stop that from happening, this article is a wakeup call for everyone who has mold in their house and wants it gone. Its not always easy to tell if mold exposure is getting you unwell.
Mold poisoning has diverse effects on different peoples bodies. Some people suffer from migraines and headaches on a regular basis, as well as shortness of breath, brain fog, exhaustion, and depression. Because symptoms range from person to person, mold exposure may not be immediately linked to them. Many people who are sickened by mold have a difficult time getting a good diagnosis and inquiry.
Also Check: When Is Mold Remediation Required
You May Like: How To Mold Leather Holster
How To Remove Mold
If your home smells strongly of mold, its likely that your home is contaminated with mold. Mold is usually found in basements, and particularly in places with a moist environment, such as bathrooms, kitchens, and crawlspaces. It thrives in dark, damp areas, and can cause health issues including coughing, respiratory issues, and irritation. If you suspect that you or someone in your home is sick with a cold or flu, you should stay in the house and limit your exposure to mold. You can keep the home safe and healthy by having a professional mold removal expert come to your home. The experts at The Restoration Guys are trained to safely remove mold from homes, helping to keep you and your family healthy.
Watery Or Irritated Eyes
When allergens are present, the body releases histamines as part of its immune response. This histamine release is what causes the eyes to water excessively when exposed to toxins from mold.
This reaction from histamine may be the bodys way of flushing out allergens and toxins. It can serve as a warning to you that your environment may contain dangerous black mold.
Don’t Miss: How Can You Get Rid Of Mold
Summary Of Health Problems
Many types of indoor mold, not just black mold, may cause health problems in some individuals.
Long-term exposure to high levels of mold in the home, however,
People who are most at risk of the symptoms of mold exposure are:
- infants and children
- people with allergies or asthma
- people with weakened immune systems
The main health risks related to mold exposure are allergies and irritation, which typically cause respiratory symptoms.
People with weakened immune systems may also have a risk of fungal infection.
Detox Mold From Your Body
Home > Blog > Biotoxin Illness | September 4, 2020
Mold is a fungus that grows in damp environments. It can be found indoors and outdoors. When certain types of mold begin to grow inside your home, you may develop mold related illness. Most people have heard of black mold however, there are many other types of toxic molds found indoors, including Aspergillus, Chaetomium, Cladosporium, Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillium, Rhizopus, and Wallemia. Molds produce two different types of toxins mycotoxins and microbial volatile organic compounds. Both of these types of mold toxins can be inhaled or swallowed. When this occurs, mold can begin to form colonies inside the body. Mold induced toxicity is very misunderstood. Mold produces poisons that can cause long-term problems. CIRS or Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome is caused by exposure to mold and other biotoxin producers. You are at increased risk if you are suffering with allergies, asthma, respiratory issues or with a weakened immune system. It is essential to detox mold from the body to start feeling better.
Recommended Reading: How To Kill Mold And Mildew In Carpet
What Are The Symptoms Of Mold Inhalation
Walking into a room where the mold spore count is high could have a significant effect on your response system. For those who have an allergic reaction to mold spores, the response is more immediate. These individuals may experience watery or itchy eyes, a runny nose, redness around the eyes, shortness of breath, or wheezing. Persistent exposure can create a nagging cough, asthma, or frequent sinusitis. As these symptoms sound much like the common cold or seasonal allergies, it can often be hard to narrow down the culprit as mold exposure.
As symptoms and severity are different for every person, it is difficult to say how long the symptoms will persist. Generally, the length of exposure, the type of mold that an individual has been exposed to, and the bodys natural health and detox process impact how long a person may struggle with a mold illness. Natural detoxing can see symptoms subside in a few days, particularly if the source of mold is eliminated or the individual leaves the environment where the mold is present.
Can Mold Exposure Be Lethal
If you are wondering, can you die from breathing in mold?, you are likely not alone. Mold exposure can be frightening.
It is important to know, however, that most mold exposure is rarely deadly.
Exposure to molds, even some toxic molds, is unlikely to be life-threatening.
Although exposure can present adverse health effects, it is most likely not lethal.
Suspecting Mold in your Home?
Call for a Risk Free estimate from a Licensed Mold Remediation Specialist in your area.
We Can Help Get rid of the Mold & Prevent it from returning.
You May Like: What Kind Of Sickness Can Mold Cause
Can Mold Poisoning Go Away By Itself
Chances are that your symptoms from mold exposure will not simply go away without additional treatment.
This is especially the case if you continue to stay in mold-ridden environments.
The good news is that mold-related illnesses will oftentimes resolve with simple treatments.
While there can be lasting effects, the sooner you treat your sickness and symptoms the sooner you will begin to feel like yourself, again.
How Long Does It Take For Mold To Get Out Of Your System
Again, the answer to this question is highly dependent on several factors: your level of exposure, health history, environment, type of mold, and degree of sensitivity.
Some individuals get better just weeks after removing the source of mold and immersing themselves in clean, mold-free environments.
Other people have reported it took over a year to fully recover.
A good way to gauge how long you will be battling mold in your system is how much mold has built up. The more mold that is in your body, the longer it will take to remove.
Read Also: Who Can Inspect For Mold
What Is Black Mold
Stachybotrys chartarum is a common black mold. It can also be a greenish color. It grows on cotton, wood, and paper products. It sometimes produces toxic chemicals that are found in its airborne spores and fungus fragments.
These are called mycotoxins and are dangerous if they’re eaten. There’s no link to inhaled Stachybotrys chartarum mycotoxins and deadly diseases. But there are risks for people with allergies, asthma, and other hypersensitivities.
There is no evidence that black mold causes symptoms such as fatigue, memory loss, an inability to focus, or a headache. These symptoms have been referred to as “toxic mold syndrome” but are largely due to media hype. Yet some people are allergic to mold. It should always be removed from your home.
How Much Of A Priority Should I Make Cleansing My Home Of Mold
Theres no need to panic about small amounts of mold. Of course, if you recently had a flood or water damage, its worth contacting a mold inspector. Or, if youre in a high-risk immune category or have allergy and asthma symptoms that might be related to mold, you should definitely address it, Dr. Parikh says. Regular home inspections should be able to detect mold, though.
To prevent mold growth in your house to begin with, the ideal scenario is to use central air conditioning with a certified allergy and asthma-friendly filter, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
If you dont have access to A/C, try to use a dehumidifier, especially when its hazy and humid outside. When youre showering, turn on an exhaust fan or crack a window so mold doesnt appear over time. Cleaning the bathroom, kitchen, and laundry room regularly with an anti-mildew cleaner is your best bet to zap mold in its tracks.
Recommended Reading: Can Mold Make You Dizzy
Why Mold Causes Problems
Molds alone dont usually cause many health problems. Its when they land on damp surfaces and reproduce that you feel their nasty health effects.
Mold spores produce allergens substances that can cause you to have allergic reactions resulting in hay-fever-like symptoms: itchy, red eyes, runny nose and asthma. If these persist, you can develop respiratory infections. Its rare, but exposure to mold spores can eventually cause organ damage, cognitive difficulties and even death.
Whats more, mold spores can irritate your lungs even if youre not allergic to mold. When introduced to your body, spores irritate your airways in your nose, mouth and throat, Dr. Ibrahim says. They can also cause burning and bleeding if they become lodged in your mucus membranes, such as in your sinuses and lungs.
The Different Black Mold Tests
The first thing to do is verify that you have black mold. Symptoms of mold exposure are almost identical to other fatigue issues, like Lyme disease and chronic fatigue syndrome. And because mold can grow behind walls as a result of burst pipes or water damage, its often hard to pinpoint where mold is in your home.
If you can see black mold in the caulking around your bathtub or below your kitchen sink, for example and you have no reason to suspect its elsewhere in your house, you may be okay skipping a formal test. Otherwise, you have a few different options when it comes to testing for mold in your home:
- Mold culture test. This test includes a petri dish with a swab. You expose the petri dish to either the air or, through the swab, a specific area in your home, and then you cover it and let it sit for 48 hours. If you get lots of growth in the petri dish , you have a mold problem. If you get little to no growth, youre okay. Mold culture tests are fast and cheap . A mold culture test is a good option if you suspect mold in your workplace or school. The downside is that the test wont tell you where mold is only if mold is present. Heres a good mold culture test.
- ERMI test. Environmental relative moldiness index testing will tell you with much more specificity what mold is in your home and how big of a problem it is. ERMI tests will run you $200-$300.
Read Also: How Can You Tell Black Mold
Black Mold Symptoms: What Happens When Youre Exposed
Dr. Lauren Tessier is a naturopathic physician practicing in Waterbury, VT, and New York, NY. She specializes in treating mold-related, biotoxin and other complicating illnesses and is CIRS-certified. Learn more about her practice Life After Mold by visiting www.lifeaftermold.com. You can also find her on , and .
Stachybotrys chartarum, more commonly known as black mold, was first identified in Prague in 1837. A Czech mycologist discovered the mold growing on an indoor wall of a home. Despite an early discovery, the term black mold only became part of the normal lexicon of the average homeowner in the 1990s, when the nightly news brought the phrase black mold into homes across America. Though black mold is considered harmful, the details are still in question. This article is meant to help inform those who are worried about being exposed to black mold. Visit our store to purchase an air purifier for mold.
Treatment For Headaches And Migraines
See your doctor if you begin having problems that you havent had before, or if you begin having them more often than you have in the past or if they seem to be getting worse. Over-the-counter medications like Tylenol or ibuprofen might help temporarily, though those kinds of medications usually arent strong enough to take care of a migraine. Your doctor can prescribe stronger medications if necessary, but if you continue to be exposed to mold, youll probably continue to have mold sickness symptoms and they may even get worse over time.
Strong prescription medications are often required to relieve a migraine, which carry the risk of serious side effects. Sometimes injections of pain medication are required. Other medications can be used to prevent migraine symptoms if they occur frequently, but that means taking prescription medications daily, which also carries the risk of side effects. And unfortunately, if you are experiencing migraine symptoms due to exposure to mold, preventative medications may not help much if you continue to be exposed to mold.
Recommended Reading: How To Test For Mold In Hvac System
