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 & CIRS 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