Understanding Mold Toxicity
Have you been struggling with seemingly unrelated symptoms that you can't find answers to? Have you been given a diagnosis, but know in your gut it's not right? Have you seen a dozen doctors and specialist but feel like they just don't understand you?
Maybe you are dealing with mold toxicity and don't know it.
When we hear about mold and health, the first thing that usually comes to mind is allergies. But mold illness is not an allergy; it's more serious than that.
It is estimated that about 25% of the population is genetically susceptible to mold toxicity, often referred to as biotoxin illness. Susceptible individuals are not able to detoxify biotoxins that certain molds release. These biotoxins, known as mycotoxins, cause is a cascade of inflammatory events that results in a multi-system, multi-symptom condition known as Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome, or CIRS. Since only certain individuals are affected, one person may experience symptoms while others do not.
Not knowing what's going on in your body can be scary, and not finding the help you need from traditional medical practices can be frustrating beyond belief! I'm here to help.
I've been through my own mold experience from start to finish. During that time, I felt trapped in a place that was threatening me every day and I felt stuck. Besides symptoms that caused pain and frustration, I felt angry and scared. I'd never heard the word mycotoxin before, nor did I understand the potential for mold to make people sick, but I frantically looked for answers and meaning.
My experience made me stronger, and it gave me knowledge and experience that I couldn't learn anywhere else but on the battle field of life. Now I'm here to walk with you down your road to recovery, so you don't have to walk in the dark.
Are you suffering from mold toxicity?
Most doctors don't think to question the indoor environment as the root cause of symptoms or illness. Unfortunately, however, mold toxicity is severely under-diagnosed.
According to Doctor Neal Nathan, one of the leading medical authorities on CIRS and mold illness:
According to Doctor Neal Nathan, one of the leading medical authorities on CIRS and mold illness:
"...Mold toxicity [is] the new replacement for the most under-appreciated, under-recognized illness that I can think of. As was the case with Lyme disease, most physicians are unaware of the symptoms and clinical course of mold toxicity, and once again medical arrogance rears its ugly head such that most patients with mold toxicity symptoms are summarily dismissed as being psychologically disturbed. The key here is that having a good grasp of the symptoms that delineate mold toxicity may help prevent years of suffering."
- Dr. Neil Nathan, MD
Symptoms of Mold Toxicity & CIRS
CIRS is oftentimes miss-diagnosed because of its complexity, the array of seemingly unrelated symptoms, and the lack of informed health professionals. Even though environmental illness is prevalent across the country, doctors receive only hours worth of training on environmental illnesses in general. Up until recently, CIRS was disregarded and often labeled as a psychiatric condition. Even individuals who are experiencing CIRS can sometimes wonder, "Am I crazy?" I did. But let me assure you, this condition is real and what you are experiencing is NOT "all in your head."
The truth is, CIRS can affect the brain, nervous system, digestive system, respiratory system, detoxification, and hormone and neurotransmitter balance. It's no wonder that symptoms seem unrelated, random, and hard to trace back to a particular cause.
Are you experience any of the following symptoms?
If you answered yes to two or more of these symptoms, you may be dealing with CIRS and other environmental issues.
The truth is, CIRS can affect the brain, nervous system, digestive system, respiratory system, detoxification, and hormone and neurotransmitter balance. It's no wonder that symptoms seem unrelated, random, and hard to trace back to a particular cause.
Are you experience any of the following symptoms?
- Cognitive impairment including short-term memory loss, trouble with finding words, confusion, brain fog, the inability to assimilate new information, and loss of fine motor skills
- Disorientation and/or vertigo
- Chronic fatigue, lethargy, and weakness
- Mood swings and personality changes
- Onset of anxiety, fear, and panic attacks
- Excessive thirst and frequent urination (chronic dehydration)
- Muscle aches, cramps, and ice-pick or lightening bolt pain
- Headaches
- Tinnitus
- Blurred vision and visual contrast impairment
- Sensitivity to bright lights
- Chronic sinus congestion
- Asthma-like symptoms
- Abdominal pain and diarrhea
- Kidney and liver conditions
- Unexplained weight changes, most commonly weight gain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Static shock
- Night sweats
- Impotence and menorrhagia
- Internal vibrations or tremors
- Multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS)
- Increased sensitivity to everything, including foods, light, and sound
If you answered yes to two or more of these symptoms, you may be dealing with CIRS and other environmental issues.
It doesn't end with mold
Mold toxicity falls under a much broader category of conditions, known collectively as environmental acquired illnesses. Many people with mold toxicity experience multiple environmental illness, such as:
So, when you're working with mold, you must also look for other co-infections and/or toxicities that are weakening the body and adding to the stress.
Unfortunately, it is harder and harder to stay healthy in our polluted world. Luckily though, the body wants to be healthy and will strive for homeostasis. I can help you bring balance to the body so it can repair and heal.
- Persistent Lyme disease and other infections caused by Bartonella, Babesia, Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Epstein-Barr virus, and co-infections
- Multiple chemical sensitivities (MSC)
- Electromagnetic hypersensitivity
- Glyphosate toxicity
- Heavy metal toxicity
- Parasites
So, when you're working with mold, you must also look for other co-infections and/or toxicities that are weakening the body and adding to the stress.
Unfortunately, it is harder and harder to stay healthy in our polluted world. Luckily though, the body wants to be healthy and will strive for homeostasis. I can help you bring balance to the body so it can repair and heal.
Help me get over this nightmare.
If you are experiencing CIRS, you might be feeling scared, angry, or hopeless. You may feel like there is a dark cloud hanging over your head. You don't know how you got here, and you're not sure how to make the sun come out again in your life.
These feelings are real, but there's good news. The sun can come out again. As a functional nutritionist, a wellness coach, and a building scientist, I can offer support and resources to help you get started down your road to recovery. You can find a lot of information on the web, and a lot of dis-information too. It's confusing, frustrating, and exhausting to look for answers and feel like you're running in circles. But finally, there's a chance to find everything in one place. |
You don't have to walk this path alone. I can help you find your way out of the dark.
Let's start a conversation.
It all starts with the home environment.
If you are diagnosed with CIRS from mold exposure, the very first step down your road to recovery is removing yourself from the moldy environment. This could mean cleaning up the home your in, or moving to a new home. Sometimes, it even requires parting with some personal property. It's not easy. But in some cases, it's absolutely the most important thing you can do.
Whether you need help turning your existing home into a safe place to live and heal or you're looking to relocated to a cleaner environment, I'm here to help you through each step of the way. Let's get in touch.
Whether you need help turning your existing home into a safe place to live and heal or you're looking to relocated to a cleaner environment, I'm here to help you through each step of the way. Let's get in touch.