Mold poisoning can be a dangerous thing. Sometimes you can’t see it or smell it but if it is already present in your house maybe it is the reason why you are feeling sick. And if you visit your doctor and ask for help, you probably would not get it because medicine does not consider mold exposure as danger.

Symptoms:

Headache

Memory problems, trouble with focus and executive function, brain fog

Sinus problems, shortness of breath, cough, air hunger, asthma-like symptoms

Night sweats or other problems connected to temperature regulation.Weakness, fatigue, and post-exercise malaise

Persistent nerve pain

Red eyes, and/or blurred vision, light sensitivity

Tremors

Joint pain without inflammatory arthritis, muscle cramping, aches and pains, persistent nerve pain, “ice pick” pain

Numbness and tingling

Nausea, abdominal pain, diarrhea, appetite changes

Vertigo

Metallic taste

Weakness, fatigue, and post-exercise malaise

Weight gain regardless of the sufficient effort (weight loss resistance)

Excessive thirst

Static “shocks”

Increased urination

Naturally one can see how easily they will be confused with other types of health issues. But for three decades, mold has been studied and has been found to have very nasty effects on one’s health.
Mold is a combo of various types of fungi. They grow in filaments, then reproduce, creating tiny spores. These spores sprout and fly away, thus they can’t be spotted by the human eye, making mold exposure difficult to initially identify.

But we do know what mold likes: warm, damp, and humid places. Places with poor ventilation, floods and water leaks, mold may appear in. Even if the water leak is dried up it may still be present.

In the bathroom or the shower (even in the showerhead), rooms with subpar ventilation are areas where mold likes to hang out. Furniture, books, pets, shoes, paper, carpet, and even in the air circulating around are even more mold hangouts. HVAC filters are recommended to be changed every three months.

Buildings that have water damage to them can create a very complex combo of contaminants that end up present in the air, and the dust. Mycotoxins are toxic ingredients which mold can form. They remain on spores and fragments of this mold gets released into the air.

Sinuses are found to be the result of persistent mold illness. This illness isn’t caused by a single toxin but rather the building that is water-damaged or the area that has water damage.

Half the buildings people live in are water damaged and this causes mold and mold illness for those that are more prone. Reducing or dealing with this exposure is vital, especially since so many people work inside or spend time inside.

Biotoxin illness is what mold toxicity is classified under. Its also called Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), which is defined by Ritchie Shoemaker, MD, as “an acute and chronic, systemic inflammatory response acquired following exposure to the interior environment of a water-damaged building with resident toxigenic organisms, including, but not limited to fungi, bacteria, actinomycetes, and mycobacterium as well as inflammagens… “

Here’s something shocking which Dr. Shoemaker points out: “24 percent of people cannot make adequate antibody responses, and they’re the ones that comprise over 95 percent of people who have an illness from water-damaged buildings.”
So it turns out, according to Shoemaker, that 24% of the population is genetically susceptible to mold toxicity! The gene responsible for this is an immune response gene (HLA-DR), and these people will have increased risk.

Two percent more of those who are extra prone will have a “sicker quicker” gene variation. But, even if you are not prone at all, you can still very much suffer from mold exposure.

So if you believe you have been exposed to mold, and are experiencing the symptoms of such, then this is what you should do:

-Research everything about mold illness.
-Test mold presence in the home. You can have a test done or find a professional which can pinpoint mold. An ERMI test costs $325 and can be done by yourself. But if positive, then seek a professional.
-Work with a clinician who can examine and determine how susceptible you are to mold exposure and the related illness that can occur.

So if you have been sick, and cannot figure out why, look into mold exposure. Find out if it is in your home or office, as it could be the reason for your illness.