By Jeffery Roy, RPA-C
Mold and its related mycotoxins can cause a variety of health issues due to the volatile toxic vapors the mold gives off. Mold toxicity is a serious condition that is often misdiagnosed or overlooked due to the multitude of ongoing symptoms it causes.
Mold toxicity is caused by the body’s inability to clear the toxins released by mold. Mold is very common and can be found in our homes, our work environment, and outdoors. The normal mechanism for the body to get rid of toxins is for them to be sent through the liver to bind to bile acids and then be excreted. Unfortunately, a significant portion of the population is unable to excrete these toxins effectively. This causes the toxins to build up within the body. Some of the more common symptoms of mold toxicity include fatigue, generalized weakness, muscle aches, headaches, sensitivity to light, cognitive impairment, metallic taste, excessive thirst, and dizziness.
If it is suspected that you have mold toxicity, your practitioner at IMofCNY would recommend doing Realtime mycotoxin urine testing. This test looks at five different toxins that are released by mold, which include ochratoxin, aflatoxin, gliotoxin, trichothecene, and zearalenone.
Once it is determined which mycotoxins are present, we can determine the best course of treatment. Part of the treatment is eliminating exposure through remediation and air purification, after appropriate testing of the home or office environment. We would then recommend patients go on a low mold diet. We also look at trying to decrease overall inflammation by starting nutraceuticals. The next part of the process is detoxification by using binders and other nutraceuticals that bind to help rid the body of the mycotoxins. Treatment of people with mold sensitivity is a slow process, as trying to move mold out too quickly can make the symptoms of the toxicity worse. Many patients with tick-borne disease are also dealing with mold toxicity, and it is important to start removing mold early on, often prior to starting treatment for the tick-borne disease.
If you suspect you may have mold toxicity and would like to further explore your symptoms, please reach out to our team at IMofCNY to schedule a consultation. We can also make recommendations for mold remediation if you have a known mold issue in your home.
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