10/12/2024
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Mold Allergy or Mold Toxicity?
What? You may not know BUT you need to know the difference. But how do you even get mold toxicity?
The main way is through environmental exposure. This could be from living in a moldy house, working in a moldy building, or even attending a moldy school.
Why are buildings so moldy these days? Well, partly because building codes changed in the 1970s.
During that time, efforts were made to make buildings more energy-efficient. To accomplish this, buildings were constructed to be more air-tight.
The changes were great for reducing energy use and energy cost. However, with all the cracks and crevices sealed, condensation and moisture were also sealed in the walls and in the home.
This increased the tendency for mold to grow.
Other potential contributing factors or sources of mold exposure include:
* Living in a humid area (the coast, the South… anywhere besides the desert)
* Leaking pipes (even very slow leaks of a drop a minute or so)
* Air conditioning units (especially window units and evaporative cooling aka “swamp coolers”)
* Humidifiers attached to furnaces
* Water exposure in a car (windows left down)
And children are much more susceptible to mold toxicity. We’ve seen a big uptick in the past 20 years in young kids with mold toxin issues.
Now, people also ask me about mold toxins in foods.
It’s not as common to get mold poisoning from food, particularly in Western countries.
A few hundred years ago, mold poisoning through food was more common.
In the 1500s and 1600s, a fungus called ergot was found in rye. When people ate the contaminated rye, they would have brain symptoms like hallucinations, convulsions, and irrational behavior.
In fact, some people got charged with being witches –simply from the effects of mold poisoning.
Our foods are now tested thoroughly for mold. However, it’s possible that something could occasionally slip through testing. Additionally, if you’re really mold-sensitive, you could react to certain foods that have trace amounts of mold.
Some of the foods to look out for include:
* peanuts
* coffee
* grains
* nuts
* beer and wine
* hard cheeses
But in general, Western foods are going to be pretty safe.
Keep in mind that if you are traveling to less developed countries, you’ll have to be much more careful. Their mycotoxin food testing is not going to be as accurate or consistent.
Mold toxicity:
Mold Toxins are behind most of these symptoms I see:
* “ice pick” or “lightning bolt” pains
* supplement sensitivities
* food sensitivities like salicylate intolerance
* dry eyes or blurred vision
* difficulty regulating body temperature (too hot or too cold)
* a higher number of static shocks
* muscle cramps from electrolyte disturbances
* digestive issues
* joint pain
* cognitive issues, including mood swings
* numbness and tingling
* inability to detox
* weakened immune system
* catching every infection
* slow or difficulty healing
Have you ever walked into a momdy store or room and immediately started having reactions that you thought were a Mold Allergy?
When you entered those moldy environments, did you have symptoms similar to an asthma attack? Like shortness of breath or chest tightness?
Or maybe you got burning, itchy, or watery eyes, sneezing, or a runny nose?
You might have a Mold Allergy if you’ve had any reactions to mold.
Common reactions include:
* Nasal congestion
* Stuffy nose
* Runny nose
* Postnasal drip
* Sneezing
* Wheezing
* Coughing
* Asthma symptoms
* Chest tightness
* Shortness of breath
* Headaches
* Skin rashes/ Itchy skin
* Hives
* Watery eyes
Either way Allergy Breakthrough Center can help. We assess for a mold allergy and also see if there’s mold in the body!
Call for your free 10 minute phone consultation with Dr. Christine Garvey, DC while there are a few spots are still remaining !
https://allergybreakthroughcenter.com/contact-us/
