What is Mold Illness?

What is Mold Illness?

There have been lots of names for this illness over the years, Let start with some basic ideas: this illness is not an allergy. It is an inflammation within the body which is caused by an immune system that has gone haywire. The term “mold illness” is a subcategory of biotoxin illness called Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). The proper definition of CIRS is: ‘An acute and chronic, systemic inflammatory response syndrome acquired following exposure to the interior environment of a water-damaged building’ CIRS was originally defined by Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker when, in the late 1990’s he discovered a connection between a mysterious illness that some of his patients were experiencing and a toxin produced by a fish-killing dinoflagellate called Pfiesteria. Since then, Dr. Shoemaker has linked a similar kind of illness to toxins from a wide variety of microorganisms and chemicals. In addition, certain bacteria (possibly including Borrelia, Babesia, and other organisms transmitted by tick bites) can also secrete biotoxin-like compounds that can have adverse health effects. For those who are susceptible, CIRS could develop from exposure to any one of these biotoxins.

Symptoms of Mold Toxicity

Mold symptoms are often misdiagnosed, and largely overlap with many tick borne symptoms. A thorough assessment of exposure history, along with objective lab data combine to make the diagnosis.

• Breathing: Difficult, Tightness in chest, Asthma

• Diagnosis: Chronic Fatigue, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity, Fibromyalgia, Lyme Disease, Lupus, MS, Auto-Immune

• Emotions: irritable, anger

• Extremities: Tingling Hands and Feet

• Eyes: Blindness, Pains, Wear sunglasses, Light Sensitivity, Bloodshot eyes, loss of vision, Detached retina

• Fatigue: Chronic Fatigue (some estimate cause of up to 1/3 of chronic fatigue), post exertional fatigue

• Mental: Confusion, Absent mindedness, losing things, brain fog, ADD/ADHD, learning disabilities, anxiety, depression

• Mold sensitivity: Exposure to Damp house, Mold in air ducts, Red Tide, React to mold

• Nasal: Congestion, Nasal soreness, sinusitis. A study by the Mayo clinic found that 96 percent of all sinusitis is fungal!

• Pain: pain in temples, sudden headaches, sudden, sharp, icepick like

• Sensitivity: Car fumes, Smoke, Pets, Feathers, Detergents, Toothpaste, Chlorine, Plastic cups

• Skin: Rashes, Alopecia

• Stomach: Cramps, nausea, Diarrhea

• Taste: Metallic

• Thirst: Dryness, Excessive thirst, excessive urination

• Weight Gain: Sudden, inability to lose weight despite stringent dieting and exercise