There are a number of clients I have had over the years that have been having and still continue to have pretty sever symptoms due to mold growth. As a mold inspector my job has always been to find mold in a residence or workplace if it is there. Then I help clients through the process of getting a remediation company to remove it and make sure it is all removed in the end. For many people it is not this simple and this post is for you, and to tell you that you are not crazy.
If you have been debilitated by mold there is a chance that you have a specific sensitivity or in some cases have a genetic mutation that prevents your body from eliminating mold from your system. Whether you have been tested and have high levels of Mycotoxins in your system or you just have a feeling, it is absolutely possible that mold is the cause and you are not alone at all. That being said, it appears to be much more complicated than just getting rid of the mold. When a client calls me and tells me they are having extreme symptoms, which are keeping them almost bed ridden, my first goal is to find out if there is mold in their residence.
In most cases if we find the mold and get rid of it, everything returns to normal. But if you are a case in which you have gone through this process and either found no mold or removed it and still have problems it is Mycotoxins not the mold growth itself that is the problem. Mycotoxins or Cytotoxins are contained in the cell wall of a mold spore but have also been found to become airborne molecules themselves. This is problematic because even if we filter out all the mold spores and get rid of the mold growth producing them then these Mycotoxins still remain because they are too small to filter and can stick to dust particles in the air. When you hear about families leaving their home and all their belongings behind this is usually what is happening.
In most cases and for most people if you remove the mold, problem solved, the symptoms gone. But if you are someone experiencing life-crippling symptoms due to these Mycotoxins you are not alone and there are resources to help you. Here are a few to help you through this. I don’t have the answers for how what to do in this situation but Dr. Shumaker and other doctors specifically studying this do. There are also forums and facebook groups that can help you get through this. If you are in this position and are dealing with some extreme long term symptoms and don’t know where else to turn, please feel free to contact me with any questions. I am happy to help.
https://www.survivingmold.com/ is a great resource with information about dealing with severe mold toxicity.
https://www.sciencealert.com/researchers-find-mould-toxins-can-easily-become-airborne-indoors