Are you wondering if you or a family member is suffering from a toxic mold exposure? Toxic mold and its related contaminants can wreak havoc with our immune system. Women often have different symptoms than men. The myriad of health problems may surprise you!
Symptoms of Mold Exposure
It is often assumed that mold only causes respiratory problems. However, symptoms are far more wide-ranging and varied. Our family’s experience is proof of this. We experienced minimal respiratory symptoms but a myriad of others, including vertigo, autoimmune disease, liver problems, cognitive issues, and more. (See our Timeline of Events.)
In the paper Mixed Mold Mycotoxicosis: Immunological Changes in Humans Following Exposure in Water-Damaged Buildings, the authors conclude that exposure leads to:
Multiple health problems involving the CNS (Central Nervous System) and the immune system, in addition to pulmonary effects and allergies. Mold exposure also initiates inflammatory processes. The authors propose the term ‘mixed mold mycotoxicosis’ for the multisystem illness observed in these patients.
Dr. Jack Thrasher, Dr. Michael Gray, and the other five authors based their findings on the treatment of 209 patients with “multiorgan-system symptoms resulting from exposure to molds in their homes, schools, or workplaces.”
Symptoms included:
Excessive fatigue
Headache
Nasal symptoms
Memory problems
“Spaciness”/disorientation
Sinus discomfort
Coughing
Watery eyes
Throat discomfort
Slurred speech
Lightheadedness
Dizziness
Weakness
Bloating
Weak voice
Coordination problems
Vision changes
Rash
Chest tightness
Wheezing
According to their findings, females had a greater frequency of the following symptoms:
Excessive fatigue
Headache
Memory problems
“Spaciness”/disorientation
Slurred speech
Lightheadedness
Weak voice
Spasms
Coordination problems
Vision changes
Rash
Cold intolerance
Heat intolerance
Chest discomfort
Excessive thirst
Swallowing problems
Skin flushing
Rapid pulse
Palpitations
Bruising
Swelling ankles
It’s common for one family member to exhibit symptoms while another does not. If one person is away from the environment for most of the day, it’s not unusual for the individual who stays home to experience more symptoms. Survey all members of the household using this list, and take note of the less obvious symptoms like digestive problems, mood swings, and vision disturbances.
Learn more about mold testing, medical treatment, and other issues pertaining to toxic mold in the post A Beginner’s Guide to Toxic Mold.
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HI Andrea! I had messaged you through facebook last week about hair care products. I see this list of symptoms and they overlap with so many other disease and illnesses. Only by God’s grace, did you and Chris discover the mold issue! I know you know that, just confirming it! 😉
I do believe that the road I am on is definately a co-infection of lyme disease. God is so good to show my husband and I things that the health professionals would never figure out. I am cleaning up my diet, finally! Still at home resting and writing when I can. I got to church yesterday the first time in a month and before that it was two months before I could get there.
I so appreciate all you are doing to tell your story. Would you have any insights or tips about getting my story out there and in hands of people that really need to know there is HOPE in a hopeless situation??
How did you get your book written??
Side note, lol,……we go back a long way! I remember you hosting the Moody women’s moring program years ago! I even called in a few times 😉 And you have a large family, I am the youngest of nine!!!
Thank you for getting this information out there!! All to God’s glory that others can learn from your horrific
I emailed you directly, Valorie.
Hello Andrea,
I live in Saskatoon, SK, Canada and we are about to renovate our bathroom. Due to having 5 kids splashing around near tub I have a soft spot in linoleum and on wall. Some say there may be mold underneath. I was told not to rip up linioleum by ourselves. The problem is do I hire a mold inspector or do I buy a mold test from the local chain store? Thank you for your help!
Lorna
You are wise to ask this question, Lorna! You don’t want to stir anything up. This post should help. If you have further questions you can email me – andrea@it-takes-time.com
http://it-takes-time.com/mold-microbes/beginners-guide-toxic-mold/
Andrea, my husband and I discovered black mold in our home which we recently purchased in March. We are in the process of having the “mold mediation” work done. My husband developed a bloody nose. Everyone is willing to accept this as a symptom. I have been vacillating between diarrhea and constipation since early May. Everyone is wanting me to attribute it to stress. I have also had watery eyes with blurred vision. Well, since I’m 65, this is supposed to be normal(?). What kind of testing was done to convince the medical profession you and your family were experiencing black mold symptoms? I’m also having a little difficulty navigating your website to find the helpful suggestions as to how I can change my food plan and practices to eliminate this.
All assistance is appreciated. Thanks.
To be honest, I stopped putting any energy to convincing anyone – including the medical profession. Keep trusting your instincts on this, Petra. Environment definitely matters when it comes to our health and the fact that these symptoms showed up after moving in certainly validates your assessment of this. I would certainly recommend a dust sample to see what may remain in term of toxicity. As far as diet. This post should help:
http://it-takes-time.com/2015/08/toxic-mold-treatment.html
Feel free to email me directly!
andrea@it-takes-time.com
I call.health inspector and he said unless is not bursting. From wall there is no mold now. Have maggots coming from baseboards.and still cannot get help still getting sick and my wife just passed away because of lung infection dont now what to do
Trust your gut on this. Something isn’t right with this home clearly. You can relocate until you determine your next step. Testing is usually your first option but when there is a strong sense that something is not right, you can listen to that and stay with family or friends until you figure this out.
Hi my mom is having some of these symptoms but hers include tremendous weight loss. We’re trying to get her tested but no hospitals will help. We need help asap.
I’m sorry to hear this, Wanda. This post should help answer some of your questions. Good job making this connection. http://it-takes-time.com/mold-microbes/beginners-guide-toxic-mold/
Hi Andrea
We are in the process of getting our home tested as we cant see visible mold but can smell musty smells and I have become really sick. The testing revealed a few areas of high moisture under the floorboards but the walls all appeared dry. I have many of the symptoms you mentioned in your post along with large hearing losses. I cannot see hearing loss as a symptom. Have you come across this. I should have the results back tomorrow so I hope they help tell us something. The other strange thing is both my eldest children have developed bad acne despite a great diet and exercise. I noticed you said your son suffered from this. How does mold exposure cause acne?
I am so sorry for all you and your family went through. You sound an amazing family.
Mold exposure can lead to multiple symptoms. I wouldn’t rule anything out as related to water damage in the home. I’ll be happy to look over any results with you. You can email me at: andrea@it-takes-time.com
I’m curious, is it true that it can cause brusing?
Toxic mold is very disrupting to the body. Bruising can be a signal to us that something is wrong internally, so the two can definitely be related.
Please help me I been exposed to mold in my home…. I need to detox..can you help me?
Your first step is a clean environment. There are suggestions for testing and treatment in this post.
http://it-takes-time.com/mold-microbes/beginners-guide-toxic-mold/
Good job making this connection.
Hi Andrea,
Thank you so much for this article. It has been insightfulZ I thought very early on that my hair loss (first big symptom that terrified me) could be from toxic exposure. It was the one thing that didn’t get looked at in the list of common hairloss symptoms. 2 months prior (June in the midwest = hot and humid) my legs were extremely bruised. In August hair started falling out, excessive thirst, cold extremities, weight loss. Few months later digestive issues, and my Amish doctor believes I have candida problems (which I know can eventually stem from toxic mold exposure). I am terrified. Have a mold remediation company scheduled to come next week. I feel like this makes the most sense. Thoughts? Advice? I’m already on a clean diet and taking multiple supplements to help in the meantime. I haven’t experienced any usual mold symptoms like coughing, wheezing, asthma, watery eyes, etc. Just all the more strange ones…
Before remediation, it is a good idea to test this home. The more you can solve yourself the better in terms of whether or not this home is causing your problems. This post talks about ERMI testing which may be a better first step:
https://it-takes-time.com/2013/10/17/how-to-test-for-toxic-mold/
This post talks about choosing a mold remediation company. There are specific things to look for before hiring them.
https://it-takes-time.com/2015/06/05/how-to-choose-a-mold-remediation-company/
Good job making this connection! You can email me directly at andrea@it-takes-time.com
Hello Andrea. I can’t begin to express how grateful and relieved I am after coming across your story. I have literally worried myself sick since April trying to understand so many different and random symptoms I’ve been having, diagnosis I’ve received and how to make sense of it all. I wasn’t sure how but my gut wouldn’t leave me alone about figuring out how it’s all connected. I just know it has to be and I’ve pointed the finger at so many possibilities not even considering MOLD. It’s been right in my face the whole time! I have kind of been depressed and so drained from trying to figure out what’s going on with myself that I pretty much forced myself to believe I was confused because i was over thinking and overwhelming myself and I stopped seeking answers. I have 2 boys ages 7 and 9 and the oldest has Asthma that is triggered primarily by allergies. It wasn’t until they started getting sick so often that I knew I needed to refocus and figure this out. Tonight almost in tears I asked God in prayer to please just help me understand so I can fix it. About an hour later I ended up on your story and I knew it was nothing short of an answered prayer. So, thank you for sharing your story and just know your goal to help others by doing so has been reached. I’d like to maybe ask you a couple things in relation to my experience if possible? Can I write you on FB or do you have an email that’s better? Thanks so much for your time! Contact me at my email below when you have time.
Sorry to hear this, but very glad you’ve made this connection. Definitely email me at andrea@it-takes-time.com