How To Start Feeling Better: Mold Illness Recovery

I’ve heard the refrain from many patients. “I’ve been to several excellent doctors and none can figure out why my symptoms aren’t going away.” Chronic mold-related illness may be at the core of the issue. Identifying mold as the culprit is extremely important for recovery. Many times, treating the body without identifying mold as the issue could make the problem worse. Mold illness recovery may be an important aspect of your health journey. But how do you know if you might have a mold problem? And what do you do about it if you have a mold-related illness? Read on to learn more.

Signs of Mold Illness

The symptoms of mold illness vary between people. The infographic below shows the different areas that symptoms can arise. Cognitive issues, mood problems, pain, sensitivity to light, sounds, chemicals, visual changes, respiratory problems, digestive issues, and other areas.

Mold illness arises less from the mold itself but from the body’s reaction to the mold. Mold produces biotoxins and biofilm that interfere with the body’s ability to clear toxins. Biofilms are created by certain organisms, including mold, yeast, and bacteria. This enables the individual organisms to act together, preventing the body from effectively attacking the invader. Many patients will react to treatment protocols as a result. For example, pyroluria may be a result of mold or other biofilm producers. The body can ’t absorb vitamin B6, a key component of pyrrole treatment causing stomach upset.

The second thing that makes mold different is that mold produces toxins. For many people the problem isn’t fighting the mold. Rather, the biotoxins overwhelm the body. This is significant because it changes the treatment protocol. Instead of trying to breakdown the biofilm and kill the organism, we have to clear the biotoxins. Biotoxins can’t be killed because they aren’t alive! But our immune system overacts in response, creating high levels of inflammatory cytokines. This creates the symptoms in most people.

Mold Illness Recovery

Clearing the biofilm and/or the biotoxins is key to treatment. But so is limiting exposure. I’ve lived in Portland, Oregon and the North Shore of Oahu. Both places get a lot of rain, leading to moldy environments. But dry climates can attract mold too. Tucson, Arizona has a lot of mold in the houses, according to several of my colleagues there. It has to do with building codes not prepping for the rain. I bring this up because living in a drier climate doesn’t make you safe from mold.

Many patients don’t realize that mold rests behind a wall in the bathroom or in a closet. It only takes one leak to cause an issue. These organisms can release an array of toxins into the air. For example, microbial volatile organic compounds (VOCs) can give a room that familiar musty smell. But these agents can release a variety of molecules, including endotoxins, spores, and inflammagens. Any of these can be in the air, (detectable by scent or not), and potentially create problems in the body. To treat the problem, the mold or toxins may need to be removed from your environment. In extreme cases, patients have needed to move houses. Several of mine moved because of finding mold in their homes.

Problems can hit almost anywhere in the body. But it is important to remember though you may have symptoms in multiple areas, it doesn’t mean mold toxicity is the problem. Other causes lead to this constellation of symptoms. Seeking professional help can be useful in determining the problem. I offer comprehensive testing and evaluation to help determine what may be happening to you. Most of the time, the problem can be solved with natural remedies and supplements. Schedule today to learn if mold related illness affects you.