Could indoor mold exposure be causing your mysterious illness?
Mold sickness can be difficult to diagnose due to the variety of symptoms that can be experienced – sinus congestion, allergies, asthma, memory loss, brain fog, fatigue and immune dysfunction to name a few.
Many patients come to us after finding nothing but dead ends with conventional medicine or naturopathic medicine. They are disheartened and sick of being sick.
In Toronto, Enviromed’s team are among the few doctors who have received extra training in diagnosing and treating mold sickness.
What Is Mold Sickness?
Mold refers to the different types of fungi that grow in moist and humid environments both indoors and out. It is usually indoor mold that is the common cause.
Mold has “seeds” called spores, which travel through the air and settle in humid places, taking root in surfaces both indoors and outdoors. Indoor mold is most commonly found in bathrooms, basements, and kitchens. Once there is water damage sitting and left for a 24 hour period, mold is bound to grow and take hold.
Mold releases both spores and mycotoxins which can be inhaled, and it is these two things that are responsible for mold illness.
Spores can trigger an immune response for some individuals, while mycotoxins are toxic to all people – but especially to people who might be genetically predisposed to not clearing these toxins well.
symptoms of mold sickness
Regular exposure can cause allergy symptoms, such as:
- Wheezing/shortness of breath
- Watery eyes
- Runny nose
- Itchy eyes
- Redness of the eyes
People living with fibromyalgia often feel tired, and feel like their muscles are achy, even though they haven’t exercised. This pain makes it difficult to sleep, and can have a dramatic effect on a person’s quality of life.
And, serious neurological symptoms, such as:
- Joint pain and inflammation
- Memory problems, brain fog, trouble with focus and executive function
- Fatigue, and weakness
- Muscle cramping, aches, and pains
- Persistent nerve pain
- Numbness and tingling
- Migraines with increased light sensitivity
- Abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhea, appetite changes
- Frequent colds and flus
- Chronic/frequent sinusitis
It can also cause a chronic illness known as Mixed Mold Toxicosis.
If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms and have not been able to find relief for your symptoms, you may be suffering from an allergy or mold illness.
Why Is Mold Sickness So Hard To Diagnose?
Mold exposure can cause a number of symptoms that range from mild to severe, depending on the type of mold you’ve been exposed to, the extent of your allergy, or whether or not you have developed Mixed Mold Toxicosis.
While mold allergies are not uncommon (some studies suggest that they may affect up to 24% of the population) in some extreme cases people can develop severe reactions to mold exposure. This can lead to a chronic illness known as Mixed Mold Toxicosis, which can dramatically impact a person’s life.
Despite its impact, mold mycotoxin exposure and allergies can be difficult to pinpoint.
The biggest challenge with mold sickness is that often only one person in a home or workplace experiences symptoms. When you are the only person who is sick, many health professionals will not be looking at environmental factors as they aren’t trained to detect mold-related illnesses.
This is frustrating and confusing for the sick person. When their doctors can’t find any reason for the illness, they can start to feel like the sickness is all in their mind.
Treating Mold Sickness
The first step to treating symptoms related to mold exposure is speaking with a health professional that recognizes the symptoms associated with mold and then testing for it.
At Enviromed Clinic, we have years of experience diagnosing and treating allergies and illnesses related to mold exposure. Our environmental Naturopathic Doctors can detect the presence of certain kinds of molds in a person’s system by using urine and blood testing.
Treatments for mold-related illnesses include avoidance through environmental and dietary overhauls, supporting detoxification pathways to cleanse properly, natural medicine, and other regimens dependent on the patient.
Simply said, we work with you until you get well.