Mold Symptoms and Their Health Dangers

What is Mold

Mold is the term given to different types of fungi which reproduce by forming tiny spores, so small that they cannot be seen by the naked eye.  These spores travel through the air until they find a habitat which is moist and then they start to grow. That is when the various types of mold can become visible.

While certain molds are toxigenic, meaning they can produce toxins (specifically mycotoxins), the molds themselves are not toxic, or poisonous.

However, because more than 200 species of mold are toxin-producing, this means that they are potentially poisonous and the health dangers from them are many.

The molds which can cause health dangers are usually found indoors and can be white or greenish in color or, in the case of Stachybotrys atra, black which gives it the more commonly-used name, Black Mold.

Toxic Mold is Very Common

Molds are very common in buildings and homes where they thrive and spread in damp conditions. Indoor mold can often be found in attics, under carpets, behind drywall, in insulation, leather, fabrics, and foods.  Any time an area of a building has been exposed to a leak or dampness, it should be thoroughly checked for the presence of mold which presents as fuzzy, musty growths of differing colors.

If you notice bowed buckled floorboards, a new water stain on a wall, discolored carpet, or black or white specks on a surface it is time to investigate. Mold breaks down and destroys any material it grows on which can impinge on the safety of a building.

Mold is Hazardous to Your Health

The toxins produced by mold can be very harmful and the health dangers from mold are many and varied. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), all molds have the potential to cause ill health.

Mold is hazardous to health because inhabitants of moldy spaces may not be aware that it exists and are therefore unknowingly breathing in mold spores which accumulate in the body and in the brain, resulting in conditions such as allergies, headaches infections and respiratory conditions. If someone suddenly develops a runny nose, asthma, cough or sinus issues which don’t respond to conventional treatment, they would be wise to investigate their home or workplace for mold.

Exposure to mold and how affects the body, can differ from person to person. Symptoms depend, in part, on the types of mold present, the extent of exposure, general health and existing sensitivities or allergies.

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Symptoms of Mold

The signs and symptoms of mold toxicity are usually evident, but often difficult to pin on a direct cause. Depending on the severity of mold poisoning, symptoms may be falsely attributed to a long-term cold or seasonal allergies since the symptoms and immune response can be similar.

Common Black Mold Symptoms

The most toxic variety of mold is black mold. Black mold grows on materials that have a high cellulose content. Dark greenish-black mold found on wood, paper, gypsum board, dust, and lint are all common indicators that there is a lot of moisture or previous water damage.

• Respiratory irritation
• Chronic coughing and sneezing
• Irritation of the eyes
• Irritation of mucous membranes of the nose and throat
• Shortness of breath or cough
• Skin rashes
• Chronic Fatigue
• Bleeding of the lungs
• Nausea
• Vomiting

These are some of the more harmful effects of mold on the body.

Could it be Mold? Questions to Consider

The continual inhalation of the toxic mold spores reduces your body’s chances of fighting back and can make you feel unwell. Understanding mold poisoning symptoms requires an investigative mindset.

• Have you been feeling ill or unwell for a period of time that surpasses the timeline of a common cold?
• Have you sought medical help and been diagnosed with seasonal allergies, yet symptoms have not subsided?
• Have symptoms worsened since their onset and has it impacted your well-being?
• Can you smell mold in your home or do you have trouble breathing in certain areas?
• Are others in your home not feeling well, having headaches or respiratory issues?
• Do your symptoms come and go and frequently change? Day to day, week to week or even month to month?

If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you should not rule out mold poisoning or toxicity as a cause of your symptoms. Often, mainstream medical practitioners are not aware of the hazardous and all-too-common effects mold has on the body.

If you feel that you’ve been unwell for some time, even if symptoms feel minor and negligible, there is a chance that you could be a host for toxic mold spores. Depending on your genes and susceptibility to illness, your symptoms could range from mild to severe, but extended exposure to mold will worsen these effects.

Mold toxins are fatty in their molecular structure and they can travel around the body via the bloodstream and can easily cross the blood/brain barrier. The brain is made up of 60 per cent fatty content which makes it an ideal habitat for mold toxins and accumulation of which can lead to neurological conditions such as Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis.

What is Mold Sickness?

Mold affects multiple systems in the body. The fatty molecular structure of mold allows it to cross the blood-brain barrier, generating a flurry of unwanted symptoms. The immune response triggers a range of reactions as well, depending on genetic predisposition and other environmental toxins at play. Symptoms of mold sickness may vary, but the overall impact on your health is much the same. No matter whether or not you’re able to live a relatively functional live under the threat of mold sickness is irrelevant. Inhaling toxic mold spores over an extended period of time will eventually break down your body’s defenses, leading to a lower quality of life and potential life-threatening long-term conditions. Black mold sickness and other mold sickness requires immediate attention as soon as it is identified.

Thanks to an increased awareness of alternative healthcare and the underlying causes of chronic ailments, there are more resources now than ever before that you can use to research and identify signs of mold sickness. Dave Asprey of Bulletproof created a documentary addressing the prevalence and dangers mold toxicity in our environment. The subject has garnered a lot of attention since then, and more people are becoming aware of the dangers of mold.

Mold Illness/Mold Sickness (CIRS)

What is often referred to as mold illness or mold sickness is actually the condition chronic inflammatory response syndrome, or CIRS. The agents that cause this condition are a range of biotoxins that come from a number of sources. Fungi, mold spores, and VOCs are all examples of biotoxins that can cause CIRS and other chronic symptoms. Considering that much of the population has been exposed to a moderate-high level of biotoxins in their life, it is no surprise that nearly 25% of the population is prone to develop CIRS in their lifetime.

Most of the time, once people afflicted with CIRS are removed from their toxic environment, symptoms will subside and the body will begin the natural healing process. However, those who have been exposed to the biotoxins for an extended period of time or those who have a naturally susceptible immune system will have to seek medical assistance to rid their body of the toxic spores. Depending on the extend of the mold damage within your home, you may need to seek out a professional service to hunt down the source of the mold, disinfect the area, and clean the air using a filtration system.

Mold Often Misdiagnosed

Mold illness, mold sickness, or CIRS is often misdiagnosed. It’s not that doctors are oblivious to the dangers of mold, it’s the fact that they’re simply not looking for it.

With such a wide range of symptoms, CIRS and other illnesses from mold are simply misattributed to other conditions like allergies or fibromyalgia.

Treating mold illness symptoms with medicine made for other conditions does nothing to rid your body of the illness. Rather, the toxic mold within your home will continue to grow and spread while your condition slowly worsens over time. Furthermore, the medicine you are taking for an unrelated condition could interfere with and inhibit your immune system’s ability to fight the toxic spores.

The non-specific symptoms of CIRS include:

• Fatigue
• Memory & concentration problems
• Headaches
• Vertigo
• Hypersensitivity to light
• Cough
• Congestion
• Runny nose
• Shortness of Breath
• Nausea
• Cramping
• Diarrhea
• Muscle and joint pain
• Headache
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Memory Loss
• Visual Disturbances
• Immune System Disturbances
• GI Problems

Because the symptoms are nonspecific, they cannot be attributed specifically to CIRS or any other mold illness. Black mold illness may lead to the more severe spectrum of symptoms, but is still likely to be misdiagnosed.

Mold Can Cause Infection

The Mayo Clinic conducted research in the 90s that strongly suggests most chronic sinus infections are actually the result of fungi, not bacteria. Unfortunately, most sinus infections are immediately treated with antibiotics, which kill bacteria but do nothing for fungal spores. If patients have found relief from sinus infections after taking antibiotics, it is most likely due to the body ridding itself of the fungal infection, because antibiotics would have no effect on the spores. This mistreatment could prove to be problematic in the future, as antibiotics kill the good bacteria that flourishes in the gut. This good bacteria is necessary for a properly functioning immune system.

The Mayo Clinic proposed that 96% of the people afflicted with chronic sinusitis are actually experiencing symptoms due to the immune response to fungus. Mold infections in the lungs can lead to bronchitis and other respiratory infections if left untreated.  Mold infection symptoms are often attributed to other illnesses baring similar symptoms. But mold infection treatment requires that the patient be removed from the toxic environment so that their immune system can effectively push the toxic spores out of the body. If your immune system is suppressed in any way, either due to long-term exposure to such toxins or genetic predisposition, you may need to seek out alternative healthcare that works to rebuild your immune system from the inside out using a combination of effective natural treatments.

Diagnosing Mold Toxicity

Many conventional doctors do not look for mold in a patient’s body when they present with any kind of symptom, from a runny nose to joint pain to depression. Sadly, in the US, the dangers of mold and the symptoms it produces are largely overlooked.

At LifeWorks Wellness Center, we have considerable experience dealing with the issue of mold toxicity in patients. Any patient who complains of symptoms such as fatigue, brain fog, joint pain, headaches and more will have a functional evaluation to help to establish if mold is present in the body which could be causing a biotoxin illness. If further proof of mold is required a urine test may be ordered and often lab markers on blood work will indicate the presence of mold, too.

Natural Mold Treatment

Each patient is treated slightly differently depending on their health condition, degree of toxicity, symptoms, and which organs or systems are being affected.

Testing will be done as well to identify if mold is the culprit and to ensure a proper diagnosis.

Treatment may involve a number of powerful, natural therapies such as Ozone therapy, HOCATT, HBOT, IV therapy, and others. Ozone therapy is a particularly great antidote to mold and we offer many different administration methods, to suit your particular situation.

Additionally, if you’ve been suffering from such an infection for a while, you may require dietary modifications and/or nutritional supplements to improve and speed healing.