BioBlog: Winter Mold: Forgotten But Not Gone

By Dr. Martin Hart, DC, NASM-CES, TFT/EFT, of Keystone Total Health, leading expert on Mold Toxicity, Complex Chronic Illnesses, Neuroplasticity and Brain Health

Hot, humid, dark, damp, smelly, musty; these are all things that we associate with mold. Many of us may believe that in the winter, when it gets cold, dry, and maybe even frozen, that things like mold will die and aren’t a problem. But this isn’t the case, especially not in modern homes and buildings. It’s even more important to realize that mold is not just an allergen or a smelly annoyance.

The truth is that mold and fungus pose major threats on three levels: as an allergen, as a toxin, and as an infection. It can lead to autoimmune conditions, Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), dementia, Irritable Bowel Syndrome, myocarditis (inflammation of the heart muscle), and even cancer. Symptoms vary greatly but often include frequent sinus infections, congestion, cough, brain fog, bloody noses, fatigue, digestive issues, weight gain, poor immune function, depression, disturbed sleep, hormone imbalances, and frequent urination.

If this sounds like you, here are some approaches you can take:

Test your environment for mold. If positive, then remove yourself from the exposure.
Slowly open detoxification channels to clear the mold toxins.
Lower inflammation and support the body’s terrain.
If infections are involved, support the body’s immune system.
Deal with specific issues caused by the mold (like brain function or hormones)
Build a mold tolerance so this doesn’t happen again!

Let me take a moment to explain each one of those steps a little bit better:

Test your environment for mold and remove yourself from the exposure.

To make informed decisions, we need to have the right information. That’s where testing comes into play. There are a few levels of testing that I often recommended. First, utilizing simple mold plate testing to see how much mold is growing in your home. The next level and more in-depth would be the ERMI test (Environmental Relative Moldiness Index). These tests will also help you know when it’s safe to return to your home or work.

Slowly open detoxification pathways and clear the mold toxins.

Mold toxins wreak havoc on all of the body systems. What is worse, is that the mold slows down our detoxification, amplifying those toxic effects. In Biological Medicine, we focus on the drainage pathways and supporting the terrain, this is vitally important to allow safe and natural clearance of the toxins. If done correctly, many people begin feeling quite a bit better during this stage.

Lower inflammation and support the body’s terrain.

Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) is a condition caused by mold and biotoxin illness. The immune system creates constant inflammation in response to mold exposure. Many foods, herbs, and homeopathics can help support the body’s anti-inflammatory processes and the organs that regulate it (the terrain).

Support the body’s immune system in clearing infections.

Mold suppresses your immune system and makes other infections worse. It’s common for people with Lyme Disease to include mold as a major factor. Many folks will also have various types of sinus infections that are affecting them. Supporting and rebuilding the immune system is a key step.

Deal with specific issues caused by the mold like brain function and hormones

After detoxifying the mold and clearing infections, it’s important to heal the damage. Often, we need to rebalance the hormones, repair the brain, reenergize the adrenals, and improve leaky gut.

Build a mold tolerance so this doesn’t happen again!

You don’t want to end up with a symptom flare each and every time you are exposed to mold. Hiding from mold is not a long-term solution either. At this stage, it’s important to teach your body and immune system to be able to tolerate mold better and process it out quickly so it doesn’t have a chance to hurt you.

Finally, don’t take mold lightly and don’t ignore your health, especially in the winter months when we tend to neglect healthy habits! Uncovering hidden factors that contribute to complex chronic illness is part of my job as a clinician. I find that mold is one of the biggest factors and it’s vital to clear it out, no matter the time of the year.

Join Dr. Martin Hart, board-certified chiropractor trained in kinesiology, homeopathy, functional medicine, and American Biological Medicine as he explains in detail the perils of mold toxicity and how to prevent it from gaining a foothold in your life when he presents at our BioBites event on Tuesday, December 6^th, at 12:00 ET. To register for this FREE event, visit bit.ly/dec6biobites.