If you’re anything like me, you believe in the basic hygienic science of clean air, clean water, and clean, nutritious food as a great starting point for optimal health. This trifecta of environmental health factors has always been the foundation of human health.

We all want clean air, food, and water, and to some degree we have it thanks to advances in wastewater treatment, low-emissions technologies, and healthy farming practices. Of course, in other ways, modern society has made our environment even more toxic with plastics, pesticides, food additives, and potentially harmful chemicals in everything from the homes we live in and the clothes we wear to the cleaning solutions, personal hygiene products, and cosmetics we use.

Photo about Protecting Your Family from Mold Exposure in Your Home

Most of us never notice the impact these potentially harmful substances have on our health and well-being. That’s because our bodies have built-in detoxification mechanisms designed to filter out and excrete these chemicals. Assuming these mechanisms are functioning properly, the toxic load does not exceed its capacity and we notice little, if any impact.

Why Toxic Mold Often Goes Undiagnosed and Misunderstood

One common environmental toxin that often overwhelms the body’s detox mechanisms is toxic mold. Such exposure is frequently dismissed as a potential cause of chronic illness.  However, many of the patients we treat here at PROVOKE Health first come to us reporting symptoms that are characteristic of mold toxicity.

These patients often tell us they have already consulted with numerous doctors and specialists, adding they have never received a clear diagnosis or effective treatment. At best, patients are diagnosed as having chronic fatigue syndrome, depression, or some other vague illness and are then prescribed medication that alleviates some of their symptoms to some degree. Usually, though, these patients struggle with chronic symptoms that disrupt their lives and are left without any insight as to what’s making them feel so poorly.

If you are concerned about toxic mold or are experiencing symptoms you suspect may be related to mold exposure, you have come to the right place. In this post, I present practical steps to have your home tested (and treated, if necessary) for toxic mold. and to recover from mold exposure that you suspect is making you or one of your family members ill.

First Steps: Mold Testing and Remediation

Let me start by saying that it’s unlikely your home is free of mold and mycotoxins (the harmful substances molds produce and release into the air).

A home is, in essence, a living organism. We are constantly bringing microorganisms such as mold into the home from the outdoors, and this is normal. The molds we are more concerned about are those that grow due to moisture or water damage.

If you are concerned about the possibility of mold in your home, I encourage you to have your home tested, even if nobody in your home is showing symptoms. As the old saying goes, “A stitch in time saves nine.” Mold toxins can build up in the body over time, and the earlier you identify and address the source, the less likely it will have a serious impact on your and your family’s health and well-being. For instance, peer-reviewed research shows that mold exposure can contribute to attention disorders¹. Since these conditions take time to develop, by the time you recognize the issue in yourself or your child, you may be focused on treatment and overlook the home environment as a potential cause

I leave the details about indoor mold detection, prevention, and remediation to the indoor environmental professionals at the International Society for Environmentally Acquired Illness (ISEAI), where you can search a directory of assessors and remediators in the United States. If you live in or near Tampa, here are links to a few local businesses that provide mold testing and remediation:

Diagnosing Mold Illness

Based on my experience treating patients who have been exposed to mold, many are unaware that mycotoxins from mold are either causing or, in large part, contributing to their ongoing chronic health problems or those of other family members.

On a daily basis my team and I consult with families who often have one person who is not feeling well. Common symptoms are fatigue, dermatitis, brain fog, irritable bowel, and severe bloating, which may be compounded with joint pain, headaches, and post exertional fatigue. These patients are usually taking multivitamins and eating fairly well, and they just can’t understand why they’re feeling so bad.

As I seek to understand their health history, I focus on the following:

  1. Taking an inventory of all the family members living in the home: I want to identify whether anyone else in the home is not feeling well or not functioning in an optimal state. For example, are children living in the home experiencing environmental or food allergies, ear infections, frequent colds, digestive problems, attention disorders, or difficulty sleeping? Is anyone else in the home experiencing brain fog or fatigue? Has anyone been diagnosed as having an autoimmune condition? If so, when did the symptoms start for each person?
  2. Understanding the timing of the symptoms or any new diagnosis: I am curious to see when the symptoms started and whether they correspond with a hospitalization or diagnosis. I also want to know whether the patient moved to a new living situation within one to two years of the symptoms starting. And yes, while it can take quite a while for the mold toxins to overwhelm the body, it can also occur right away depending on the severity of the mold exposure and one’s immune system.
  3. Reviewing the medical history: I want to know whether the individual(s) who are not feeling well had any medical conditions prior to the potential mold exposure. If so, I look for any exacerbations of symptoms or addition of new symptoms that would indicate mold exposure, and I evaluate the timing of those symptoms to try to identify the timing and the source of the exposure.
  4. Considering the possibility of previous or concurrent mold exposures: It’s common that the person in the home who has the most severe symptoms has had a previous mold exposure in another home or place of work. It is also possible that anyone with symptoms has more than one source of exposure — for example, at home and at work.
  5. Investigating any connection between specific location and severity of symptoms: For example, if one family member works from home and feels worse than everyone else who spends several hours a day outside the home (i.e., at school or work), then the home is a natural suspect as a primary source of the exposure. If exposure is limited to the home, I want to know who is closest to the source.

We have a 16-year-old patient who developed polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) and was told by doctors there was no known cause. After a full year of suffering and trying various medications, she sought our help. We were able to identify mold toxin exposure as the cause, and discovered the highest levels were in her bedroom.

Diagnosing Specific Medical Conditions Related to Mold Toxicity

In the course of performing the five steps above, we can start to identify and correct health problems in their tracks where previous healthcare providers have been unable to come up with solutions or provide an understanding of the patient’s condition.

Here is a list of some of the symptoms and conditions that we have successfully resolved upon diagnosing mycotoxin exposure and then properly treating the patient for toxicity and other microbial effects:

  • Esophagitis
  • Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome-myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS-ME)
  • Irritable bowel syndrome-mixed (IBS-M) — alternating constipation and diarrhea
  • Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth-small intestinal fungal overgrowth (SIBO-SIFO)
  • Candida yeast overgrowth
  • Dementia
  • Sinusitis
  • Migraines
  • Multiple sclerosis (MS)
  • Vertigo
  • Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)
  • Attention disorders
  • Sleep disturbances
  • Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS)
  • Lichen sclerosus
  • Dermatitis
  • Chronic food sensitivities
  • Loss of resilience (increased susceptibility to chronic colds, bronchitis, pneumonia, and other infections)

Testing and Treatment for Mold Toxicity

After we identify symptoms and past or current exposure to mycotoxins, we take the following steps to clarify the diagnosis and create a plan of care:

  1. Order tests to identify the presence of specific mold(s)/toxin(s):
    • MyMycoLab Mycotoxin Antibody Test — a blood test that checks for 14 different mycotoxins for both IgG and IgE antibodies
    • RealTime Total Mycotoxin Panel — a urine test that detects 16 of the most toxigenic mycotoxins
    • Mosaic Labs Microbial Organic Acid Test (MOAT) — a urine test that checks for overgrowth of harmful bacteria and yeasts (including candida), beneficial bacterial, and signs of metabolic disturbances
  2. Check labs: Here, we’re looking for loss of iron and other minerals and vitamins, hormone imbalances, cortisol levels, and inflammatory markers.
  3. Run any diagnostics needed based on our initial exam: These may include thyroid sonogram, abdominal studies, brain MRI, etc., all based on our jointly held and current concerns.
  4. Treatment: We may use peptides, for example, to restore resilience and improve healing in the digestive tract, immune system, nervous system, and endocrine function based on each patient’s unique lab results and concerns.
  5. Provide dietary guidelines for healing from mycotoxin exposure: Many people develop food allergies as a result of hyperstimulation of the immune system and breakdown of digestive barrier when exposed to mycotoxins. Diet depends on each patient’s unique presentation and current lifestyle. It is often necessary to remove inflammatory foods including sugar, dairy, and gluten. By itself the diet helps but does not resolve all symptoms.
  6. Use antifungals, prescription or natural, based on testing results and presenting symptoms.
  7. Employ detoxification supplements and protocols to support cleansing the body of mycotoxins: Please do not start here on your own without proper supervision. This is not always the correct first step as is often reported online. The body may need to show signs of healing first before going into a full detox. If detox is done too soon or too aggressively, it may exacerbate symptoms.

If you have been diagnosed with any of the conditions described in this post or are experiencing any undiagnosed symptoms, consider the possibility that mold exposure may be the underlying cause.

Have your home tested by a reputable professional and consult with a medical provider who is knowledgeable and experienced in diagnosing and treating mold illness. There is no reason to continue to suffer; effective treatment protocols are available. You simply need to find a treatment provider who understands mold toxicity and knows how to diagnose and treat it.

For additional support, consult with a functional medicine or integrative healthcare professional like myself or our Medical Director, Dr. Karalynne Blochberger, MD. Click here to schedule a free 10-minute consultation with us.

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References:

  1. Crago BR, Gray MR, Nelson LA, et al. Psychological, neuropsychological, and electrocortical effects of mixed mold exposure. Archives of Environmental Health. 2003 Aug;58(8):452-463. DOI: 10.3200/aeoh.58.8.452-463. PMID: 15259424.

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Disclaimer: The information in this blog post about protecting yourself and your family from mold exposure in your home, is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect current medical thinking or practices. No information contained in this blog post should be construed as medical advice from Dr. Matthew Lewis, Functional Healthcare Group, PLLC, or PROVOKE Health, nor is this blog post intended to be a substitute for medical counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this blog post should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, this blog post without seeking the appropriate medical advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a licensed medical professional in the recipient’s state, country or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.

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About the Author: Dr. Matt Lewis, D.C., DACBN, CFMP® specializes in diagnosing and treating the underlying causes of the symptoms related to chronic and unexplained illness through nutrition, lifestyle, chiropractic, and other natural approaches to whole-health healing at PROVOKE Health in Tampa, Fla. Dr. Lewis has 20 years of experience practicing nutritional and holistic medicine. He earned his B.S. in Biology from Shenandoah University, his Doctorate in Chiropractic from Life University, his Diplomate status in Clinical Nutrition from the American Clinical Board of Nutrition, his CFMP from Functional Medicine University, and his certification as a Digestive Health Specialist (DHS) through the Food Enzyme Institute. Dr. Lewis’ passion for health and wellness stems from his own personal experience. With a family history of autoimmune conditions and diabetes, and his own lab tests showing his genetic susceptibility to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (autoimmune thyroid), Dr. Lewis has learned how to restore his own health and vigor to prevent the onset of these and other illnesses and live an incredibly active life. Through this process, he acquired a deeper understanding of health and wellness, which he now offers his patients in Tampa and elsewhere.

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Dr. Matt
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