COULD MOLD BE THE ROOT CAUSE OF YOUR MYSTERY ILLNESS?

What do Long-COVID, allergies, chronic fatigue, brain fog, asthma, food intolerances, and hives have to do with each other? All of these symptoms and more are related to environmental exposure to water-damaged buildings (WDB). When water and humidity penetrate building materials and building contents, it causes several different microorganisms to flourish, including molds and biotoxin-producing bacteria. And remember, the words “mold”, “fungus”, “mildew”, and “yeast” all refer to the same type of microorganisms, many of which also produce toxins. These toxins can be inhaled or ingested, having profound effects on the brain, immune system, liver, kidneys, and even reproductive hormones. Did you know some fungi are even carcinogenic? 

The US EPA estimates that 50% of buildings have water damage significant enough to produce health effects through three main pathways. These include: 

1. Allergies of all sorts, including sinus issues, asthma, hives and food intolerances.

2. Mold toxins, also called mycotoxins, produce measurable effects on the brain & nervous system, liver, kidneys, and immune system, as well as oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is not mental/emotional stress. It is a chemical stress that causes wear and tear on the body that can trigger inflammation and hormonal imbalances. 

3. MARCONS bacterial colonization of the nose. This type of staphylococcus bacteria is resistant to many types of antibiotics and can “set up shop” in your nose and sinuses, evading the immune system and triggering body-wide Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). This term, coined by Ritchie Shoemaker, MD, describes a group of common symptoms that can include illnesses caused by tick-borne diseases, chronic viral and other infections, as well as biotoxins from other sources. 

Most people are not aware that their homes, schools or work-places harbor these microorganisms and their toxins. By the time we can smell or see the damage, exposure may have overwhelmed the body’s defenses for these invisible threats to health. Other than occasionally doing allergy testing, the American medical system rarely suspects or treats these very common exposures. And yet, testing can demonstrate whether these substances or bacteria are present in the body, and even the type of damage they may be causing. Common laboratory testing can include looking for markers of immune damage often caused by these exposures, but these tests are rarely ordered by physicians who do not suspect these root causes. Specialized laboratory testing can measure levels of mycotoxins in blood or urine, and unique nasal swab cultures can grow the MARCONS bacteria. Your Functional Medicine provider is trained to look for these sources when symptoms are a mystery to other practitioners. When symptoms persist after COVID or other viruses, when multiple intolerances to foods/perfumes/medications/supplements points to Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), or when chronic fatigue is accompanied by wide-spread body pain, brain fog, unexplained weight gain, and myriad symptoms in almost every organ system, ask a Functional Medicine doctor about mold testing. 

What can we do if we suspect water-damaged building exposure—more commonly called “mold illness”—is at the root of many of a person’s complex symptoms? The first step is to stop exposure. This means examining and testing homes and other buildings, then eliminating sources of exposure. All biotoxin experts agree that exposure must stop in order to get well. The inconvenient truth is that we cannot shovel out the damage from biotoxins faster than our bodies accumulate them through breathing and eating. Here is a link to a podcast where you can learn more about this technical topic of how to test buildings. https://theemfguy.com/072/

Once exposure has stopped, then we can begin treatment to detoxify, remove harmful bacteria, and support the immune system to heal. This multi-step process utilizes various targeted antibiotics/antifungals, healing a leaky gut to prevent toxin reabsorption, and binders to grab toxins and remove them from the system. In order to most accurately treat your unique set of conditions associated with these environmental exposures, we often need to do specialized testing to diagnose and monitor treatment progress. Because people with these conditions are often highly sensitive, or in a depleted state, we often have to use the treatments slowly and in a layered method to avoid overwhelming the system and allow you to heal. 

Mind-body therapies have been found to greatly accelerate and improve the healing process. My patients who incorporate these clearly respond to physical treatments more easily. Especially limbic system retraining and vagal nerve exercises are an important whole-person approach to treatment. In my own experience of this, I discovered many beliefs and ideas which no longer served me. They had “outlived their expiration date.” Just as food can get spoiled and moldy, so can our minds. Using the mind to help signal the body how to heal is often more valuable than just spraying bleach on mold. Treating mold-related illnesses is rarely a DIY project. Expert consultation with physicians trained to spot and treat this, building biologists, and other allied health specialists is usually necessary. If you suspect this root cause of your symptoms, don’t delay. Active response to this serious threat to health is the key to overcoming these “mystery illnesses.”