The recent floods in my local area of Northern NSW and also around Australia, means that many people could likely develop mould allergy or mould illness.
With mould often going unseen and unnoticed, many do not realise that this fungus is actually the cause of their sickness. Whilst not everyone that encounters mould will become sick, certain people do tend to be more mould sensitive.
Children are often at higher risk as their immune systems are not yet completely developed and they tend to put their hands in their mouth often, transferring mould to their body. Those who are immune compromised, have allergies or asthma, may also be more susceptible.
Mould Allergy is often seen after a water event, such as a flood, water leak or house fire. Here, the person responds just as they would with another allergy, such as hay fever. These could be runny nose, watery eyes, cough, hives etc. This type of mould exposure brings symptoms fast, as mast cells ramp up, but then is over once the immune system deals with the mould toxins.
Mould Illness, however, can also be called Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) and involves many more body systems. It often comes and goes, with people tending to feel "off" most of the time. 'Symptom clusters’ and health history are used to help diagnose this condition, as many of these symptoms are relatable to different diagnosis’s.
Some Mould Illness Symptoms include:
Fatigue
Brain Fog
Runny nose, watery eyes
Mood Swings
Air Hunger
Joint pain, muscle aches
Vertigo
Ice pick pain
Skin Rash
Skin Tingling
Sinusitis
Headaches
Nose Bleeds
Gastrointestinal changes
Mould illness is different in each individual but it basically comes down to inflammation and an immune system gone haywire.
Mould Illness is predominately caused by the poisons produced by mould spores named, mycotoxins.
Mycotoxins are not only found after water events but also in food such as nuts, cheeses and grains.
Naturopathic Treatment for Mould Illness involves:
Treating the Symptoms
Determining and Removing the source(s) of Mould
Improving Detoxification
Introducing Potent Antioxidants
Restoring Immune Health
Restoring Nutrient Deficiencies
Diet and Lifestyle Modifications
If you have ‘strange' symptoms that you just can’t get on top of AND don’t know why you are ‘always sick’, a thorough consultation may be needed to rule out, or ‘rule in’, mould illness.