What are mycotoxins?
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds that are produced by certain types of mold. The most common places to find mycotoxins are in water damaged buildings or your food.
Mycotoxins promote respiratory and neurological damage, DNA mutations, carcinogenesis and hormonal imbalances. They also can impair your immune system, liver, and kidney function.
Where are mycotoxins found?
According to a recent report from the Federal Facilities Council, a shocking 43 percent of buildings in the U.S. have current water damage and 85 percent have past water damage. This means that there is high likelihood that your home or work has at least some mold. And, don’t be fooled, new buildings can easily have mold too. This can result from a combination of poor ventilation, cheap materials such as drywall and MDF (the most common building materials used today) and quick building practices that don’t allow materials to dry before homes or offices are fully dried-in.
Approximately 25 percent of the world’s crops, including grains, nuts, wine, spices, and coffee are contaminated by mold and mycotoxins. Mycotoxin contamination of food is caused by poor growing and harvesting practices, improper food storage, and damp conditions during food transportation and processing.
What are the signs and symptoms
Mold symptoms may come on quickly if you move into a new home or work space, but, more commonly they develop over time.
Often you do not know that your space has a mold issue, and at first your body may be keeping it somewhat under control. But, over time, the level of toxins may be too overwhelming for your body to detoxify naturally and organ function is compromised, resulting in symptoms.
As mold can affect the cells, brain, gut, endocrine system, and immune system, the symptoms can be varied and may include:
- Sinus congestion
- Headaches
- Foggy thinking
- Poor recall
- Weight gain
- Muscle twitching
- Insomnia
- Skin rashes
- Fatigue
- Attention deficit
- Chronic digestive issues
- Irregular periods
- Anxiety
- Depression
Note that within one family in the same home, every person in the family could exhibit a different set of symptoms, and some may have none at all.
Why don’t more people know about this?
It is common for mold toxicity to take years to diagnose. Often times it is misdiagnosed, sometimes as an unknown autoimmune disorder or a psychological condition. There are several reasons for this.
- Medical doctors are not trained in detecting mold toxicity
- The symptoms are highly varied
- Many patients become highly sensitive and can get sicker with any treatment
- There are only a few labs that test for it (and they are usually not covered by insurance)
- Mold is invisible
The good news
The good news here is that mold toxicity is very treatable. The first and most important step is to identify the source of the mold and remove it. The second is to find a knowledgeable practitioner who can help test and treat you. Want to know more? Call or email us today for more information.
