10 Warning Signs of Mold Toxicity
It is estimated that some 10 Million people have some form of mold toxicity, which is an epidemic for Americans facing this issue. Today you’ll learn about 10 warning signs of mold toxicity.
Chronic mold was a hidden issue that I personally suffered from in my own health journey. I was constantly getting sick, especially nauseated out of nowhere every few months, and had no idea why this was happening to me until I went to a functional medicine doctor to get tested. This is when I was able to identify that one of the major causes of my progressive illness was chronic mold overgrowth.
My signs and symptoms may be very different than yours (I've provided a list of symptoms to look for below) as each person is bio-individual. Through functional medicine testing, I was able to identify this and get back on track.
Note - As mycotoxin expert Dr. Neil Nathanson states in his book, this is a newly emerging field of medicine that still has much controversy around it. I have sourced much of the information in this article from Dr. Neil Nathan's teachings through a recent webinar he gave through the School of Applied Functional Medicine, as well as his book updated in 2022. This article is not medical advice. You should always seek the help of a professional physician for treatment.
What is Mold Toxicity?
Mycotoxins, as defined by the WHO, are toxic compounds that are naturally produced by certain types of molds. Mold toxicity is the inability to process mold, therefore it becomes toxic to the body.
Biotoxins are toxins released into the body as some microbes are killed by the immune system. These biotoxins tend to hang around and can be very hard to clear from the body. About 25% of the population are unable to make the antibody to these toxins in order to clear them from the body. If the exposure to the biotoxin is high enough, anyone could get sick from it.
Chronic inflammatory syndrome or CIRS is where the person experiences an array of symptoms triggered by exposure to biotoxins. These biotoxins are typically mold. The most common places mold tends to hang around are the sinus cavity and the gut.
What Kind of Mold is Toxic?
Not all molds are toxic, however, quite a few are. Some of the most common include Penicillium, Fusarium, Aspergillus, Walemia, Alternaria, and Stachybotrys (black mold) which can be toxic to our health, especially if your body is not properly detoxing.
How does Mold Affect Your Immune System?
Mold can make any other health issue you might be dealing with worse. If you have an Autoimmune disease or Lyme disease, you want to think about mold as a potential underlying issue.
How Can You be Affected by Mold?
From the Foods You Eat
Foods like peanuts/ peanut butter, some grains (like rice and corn) depending on how they have been stored, processed meats, dried fruits, some alcohol, and coffee.
In Your Home
Did you know that in the United States more than 50% of homes in America have mold inside them. While mold may be in food, most of mold toxicity we see in people comes from water damaged buildings. If you have any musty smells coming from parts of your home, this is the first sign you'll want to check for mold growth.
Signs You Might Have Mold TOXICITY
The list of symptoms below when experienced together can be a sign of mold toxicity.
Cognitive impairment - ie. brain fog
Headaches
Joint pain, muscle aches, or morning stiffness
Extreme fatigue or weakness
Allergies and asthma getting worse
Chronic sinus congestion
Increased Sensitivity to eveyrhting, including light or blurred vision
Tinnitus/ringing in the ears
Numbness or tingling
Lightening-like electric feeling throughout the body
Nausea or vomiting
Vertigo or dizziness
Digestive issues, like IBS
Short-term memory issues or memory loss
Mold Diagnoses
There are many strong associations between chronic illness health conditions and mycotoxins. Ask your functional medicine doctor to check for mold illness if you have been diagnosed with any of the following, as mold could be a key aspect in:
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome - A recent study showed 93% of participants with CFS had elevated mold toxin in their urine.
Fibromyalgia
Asthma/chronic sinus issues
Atypical Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s
How does mold affect your health?
The effects of mold can be crippling to your health. In many of the above dis-ease states, if we do not address mold, we cannot get well. Period.
How Can You Treat Mold Toxicity?
Remove the Sources of Mold
Even the smallest amounts of mold could be affecting your health. Remove foods commonly known to have mold. And if you’re living in a space where you suspect indoor mold, test your home for mold.
Before testing, make sure you regularly clean spaces in your home you can easily access to clean that may be harboring mold spores. Mold spores can't necessarily be seen by the naked eye and could be causing mold to multiply. You want to first, before trying to treat your mold toxicity, always remove all sources. This is very important in order to have the ability to heal without re-exposure.
Use An Air Filter
First, check your air conditioning and heating filtration and make sure these are frequently being changed so your air can be properly filtered. You can also add an air filter to your home in order to improve the quality of air to reduce toxic air that may be lingering causing additional health issues.
Get Tested + Partner With a Professional
There are several labs that can be run for mycotoxins, which can be run through a trusted functional medicine practitioner. These tests come in the form of urine (for ochratoxin, aflatoxins, trichothecenes, gliotoxin and zeatalenon) and blood tests (for c4a, TGF beta-1 and MSH, VIP, VEGF, MMP-9 and leptins, which Dr. Nathanson accounts to giving a snapshot of how your body has been impacted by mold toxicity).
You can also get genetically tested to see if you have certain genes like MTHFR or HLA, for example, which can also affect detoxification. 23 and Me is a genetic testing site where you can test yourself for these markers, DIY.
Make Sure Your Detox Pathways Are All Sytems Go
You have all detox pathways are open to remove toxins, you need to ensure these are all open (even before you sweat!) so that you can actually clear toxins from your body. This includes addressing any bowel issues, especially constipation. If you are constipated and trying to detox, you will just end up recirculating these toxins which can cause even more of an issue.
Sweat It Out
Our skin is our biggest detoxification organ. Sitting in the sauna, doing a cardio session where you sweat, or taking a hot bath can help with detoxing mycotoxins.
Use a Binder
Adding a binder to the mix helps the process of detoxifying mold overgrowth, especially when sweating. Different binders work with different molds so be sure to test with a practicioner to know which you are dealing with before adding a binder. Examples of binders are charcoal, bentonite clay, cholestyramine, chlorella, and even probiotic yeast like saccharomyces boulardi. Some people are very sensative to detoxification so you want to be sure that when working with a professional to go low and slow to ensure you don’t have too many toxins circulating that you cannot process causing ‘die-off’symptoms.