Last Updated on 06/08/2021 by admin
Common Mould Toxicity symptoms
Symptoms of mould toxicity (also called toxic mould, mould illness, biotoxin illness) can vary from person to person. They are often vague – like joint pain, fatigue – so it’s easy to attribute them to other causes. Further, two people living in the same mouldy home may show very different symptoms, or one of the two may show no symptoms at all.
Even if you no longer live in mould, or even if you stayed in a mouldy home or flat for a short period of time, you could still be suffering from mould illness. Not everyone can detox mycotoxins effectively.
The most common symptoms, like sinus problems, have been well documented in individuals with mould exposure or mould allergies. However, some symptoms are due to long-term exposure or mycotoxins, and these can cause systemic health problems or conditions, such as CIRS.
Mould exposure symptoms can include:
- chronic sinus congestion
- coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath
- cognitive impairment like brain fog, confusion, poor memory
- anxiety, depression or low mood
- mood swings
- catch colds and flu often
- joint pain, muscle aches, cramps
- post-exertional malaise ( fatigue after exercising)
- numbness and tingling in the arms or legs
- odd tics, spasms or seizure-like events
- headaches
- insomnia, sleep disruptions
- skin & eye irritation, dry eyes
- multiple chemical sensitivities
- histamine intolerance
- abdominal pain, nausea, diarrhoea
- SIBO / IBS
- fatigue / chronic fatigue
- excessive thirst
- frequent urination, unusual bed-wetting in children
- impotence
- skin rashes
- sensitivity to bright light
- metallic taste in the mouth
- skin sensitivity to light touch
- menorrhagia
- disequilibrium and dizziness
- night sweats
- body temperature dysregulation
Is it mould toxicity?
With this long list of symptoms, you might decide you have mould illness and go down that rabbit hole. But wait. Could your symptoms be something other than mould illness, like a hormonal imbalance or a gut issue? Yes, 100%.
Below are additional criteria that may help you to work out whether you are dealing with mould toxicity.
- You have already changed your diet and lifestyle, and have worked on healing your gut, but your symptoms aren’t improving
- You have numerous symptoms from the list above and are (pretty) sure you’ve been living or working in a mouldy building
Mould toxicity testing
Unless you have proof there is mould in your environment, it can be difficult to know if mould and biotoxins are contributing to your poor health.
There is simple functional nutrition testing that identify mycotoxins and environmental toxicity exposure. A urine mycotoxin test looks for mycotoxin metabolites in the urine. However, some results may not completely correlate with current mould exposure or even match your symptoms. You may have colonised mould in the body which shows up from previous mould exposure. Results could also be influenced by mould in the diet, supplements or even lifestyle habits. This is why it’s always best to work with a mould-literate practitioner.
Mould Illness protocols
In any mould illness protocol, it’s important to start with opening up drainage and detoxification pathways. What goes in, must come out and mycotoxins can hinder that process by affecting the gall bladder, liver and gut health. Supporting methylation, drainage and energy (mitochondria) are the first steps. After that, focus can be put on anti-fungals if necessary and binders to mop up toxins. Finally, we look to restore balance in the digestive system, immune system and regain energy and vitality.
If you’re unsure where to start, you can begin by downloading my free step-by-step guide to mould toxicity.
Get in touch if you have any questions.
Jill x
