is your home making you sick?

As the world continues to change and advance in various areas of knowledge, so too do the fields of medicine and environmental studies. Now more than ever before are these two domains being drawn closer together by uncovering the significant direct causal relationship between environmental toxins and their hazardous effects on human health. 

Similar to COVID Long Haulers (aka Post-COVID Syndrome), the rising number of chronically ill people with a laundry list of symptoms doctors can't diagnose or explain has prompted researchers in the medical community to dig further into what is causing this wide range of mysterious symptoms that seem to present somewhat differently in each patient.  Patients cannot understand how they went from healthy and thriving to unhealthy and surviving over a short period of time, almost overnight.  

Only a few of the commonly reported symptoms include: 

- Brain Fog

- Chronic Fatigue

- Nerve pain (also referred to as ice pick pain)

- Post exertional malaise (aka exercise intolerance)

- Shortness of breath

- Anxiety

- Depression

- Irritability and/or rage

- Headaches

- Sleep disturbances or insomnia

- Joint pain and muscle aches

- Disorientation and confusion

- Chronic sinus infections

- Gut and digestive issues

- Food intolerances

- Chronic pain

- Chronic stress

- Dizziness

- Hormone imbalance

- Wheezing or Coughing

- Itchy, red or watery eyes

- Skin rashes

- Temperature dysregulation 

...and the list of symptoms goes on.

A widespread number of chronically ill people end up being treated for diagnoses such as Leaky Gut, SIBO, Heavy Metals, Candida, Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS), Fibromyalgia and Lyme Disease. Mostly this is because these patients have been examined by multiple specialists who can't figure out what's wrong and ultimately end up under the care of a functional medicine doctor or naturopath. Patients are often prescribed an overwhelming regimen that includes a strict diet and a plethora of supplements, antifungals, antibiotics, and anti-inflammatories--enough to cover an entire kitchen countertop like a cancer patient--costing huge sums of money over time. Many patients report some level of symptom relief when taking antibiotics and/or antifungals leading them to believe they're on the right track with their given diagnosis. 

That is...until patients don't get better and they're back to square one again. It's no surprise patients initially report therapeutic benefit from antibiotics and antifungals given these medicines interact with the body's immune system. Having a dysregulated immune system isn't normally on a patient or doctor's radar but certainly explains why patients experience short lived initial relief from symptoms with these medicines. Ah ha! Now we're on to something (going back to my statement above about the likeness to COVID Long Haulers).

Newer studies using human genomics to study patients in this chronically ill class have uncovered specific genes being abnormally turned on and off caused by a triggering event, most notably a long term exposure to an INDOOR ENVIRONMENTAL TOXIN or an infection such as COVID-19.  

An estimated 10% to 24% of the population are genetically predisposed to being susceptible to mold related toxins. This is the same population being referenced in the media as the people who mysteriously do not recover from COVID-19.

Oftentimes, fighting off a bacterial or viral infection or experiencing a highly stressful event can suddenly derail a healthy person leaving them with chronically debilitating symptoms. For those living in a home with mold or bacterial growth, the immune system becomes highly sensitive and reacts negatively to the toxins circulating in the home environment. Another term more commonly used for this negative reaction is called a cytokine storm, which is systemic inflammation that causes people to feel miserable. Yet another more loosely used term is "brain on fire", indicating the brain (along with the rest of the body) is inflamed and no longer functioning as well. The basis of Alzheimer's is an inflamed brain. We take for granted all the operations our brain is responsible for and don't often think of our brain as being inflamed like we do other organs or parts of the body. 

To my dismay, this phenomenon of genetic triggering is not very well publicized and deserves more attention. Genetically predisposed people who fall chronically ill appear to have a "tipping point" characterized by a history of normal recovery from infections, antibiotics, environmental exposures, etc, until the time comes where that next infection (or other trigger) results in not fully recovering. The "bucket" eventually "tips over" triggering certain genes to abnormally turn on and off, basically malfunctioning. That one additional infection of many prior infections happened to be the one to tip the bucket leaving the immune system in complete disarray. All of a sudden the person can't think as clearly as they did before, can't tolerate foods as well, are fatigued and more easily winded...and their immune system starts reacting to indoor mold toxins that were never a problem before.

The genes responsible for recognizing harmful toxins as foreign and removing them from the body no longer recognize them as foreign. So, rather than excreting the toxins like a normal human would through urine and feces, these toxins are recirculating throughout the body contributing to systemic inflammation--an immune system gone awry. 

The KEY QUESTION is, how do we quiet down the out-of-control immune system so patients can lower the inflammation and start to feel better again? 

The logical answer is to REMOVE whatever is triggering the immune system reaction in the first place and allow the body enough time to normalize it's genetic expression. 

Genetic testing can now link the actual genes triggered by mycotoxins, biotoxins and endotoxins, Using genetic expression as a guide, doctors and researchers can see the particular genes abnormally turned on/off from environmental exposure and, more importantly, can also see them normalize upon retesting after complete removal from the exposure. Correcting this genetic expression goes hand-in-hand with correcting the immune system back to a normal state. As a result, patients are alleviated from their chronic symptoms. Fascinating!

INDOOR TOXIC MOLD

What was historically thought to be a problem mainly centered around asthmatics, allergy sufferers, and immunosuppressive diseases has now grown to include a much wider array of people suffering from various symptoms.

For decades, we've known toxic mold causes health issues when certain conditions are met to breed growth.  Regardless if a home is new or old, mold doesn't discriminate.  Where there is water and moisture not properly remediated in a timely fashion, there is usually mold.

What medicine is now beginning to learn is there is A LOT MORE TO THE STORY THAN MOLD ALONE!

This new scientific connection has begun to take a deeper look into Mycotoxins, Endotoxins, and Biotoxins.

Studying the gene expression of these patients using a combination of genomics, transcriptomics, metabolomics and proteomics has further solidified the fascinating connection between mycotoxins, endotoxins and biotoxins and the root cause or contributor of this chronic inflammatory response. These tiny toxic (gaseous-like) particles play a major role in triggering healthy human bodies to become unhealthy, almost overnight.

What causes harmful indoor mycotoxins, endotoxins and biotoxins to grow?  

WATER DAMAGE.  

Any prior history of water damage or ongoing moisture not properly remediated results in growth of not only toxic molds (mycotoxins) but toxic bacteria (endotoxins and biotoxins) as well! We're learning that bacteria grows equally as much, if not more, than toxic mold and is equally as harmful. Many people only test their homes for mold not realizing species of bacteria such as Actinomycetes is what the immune system is reacting to. 

Thankfully with this new knowledge and testing, increasingly more patients are finally experiencing relief from their symptoms by removing exposure to harmful toxins triggering the immune system--giving the body time to appropriately heal and correct the genetic expression.

What is the first step if an individual suspects mold?

Although swab testing and air samples of visible mold remain the most common tests used by mold professionals, these tests are not considered the gold standard test for possible mold-related health conditions by the medical community.  Swab and air sample tests still serve their purpose for keeping the general population safe from the hazardous effects of toxic mold but are not designed to test for anything beyond a limited population of mold spores.

Oftentimes we find no visible signs of mold growth and the traditional mold tests come back normal or there is visible mold that has been remediated and the individual still feels sick.

Swabbing visible mold and air sampling are no longer a viable solution for a particular subset of the population who fall ill to their home.  

Given the 10% to 24% genetic predisposition, it's not uncommon for only some family members living in a home to become unwell and develop symptoms while the rest remain well and healthy.  

For this reason, in addition to the traditional testing, we have added the mold tests recommended by physicians to serve those who are suffering from these toxins. Feel free to visit our website for a list of all tests (www.ProgressiveMoldOhio.com).  

Finally, answers!  We give credit where credit is due; to the scientists and researchers who have dedicated their careers to solving this mystery illness referred to as Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). By narrowing down the particular genes that turn on and off abnormally and matching them with these environmental toxins, science has prevailed in proving once the exposure/toxin is removed, patients are able to recover and get well again.

With a passion and mission for keeping humans safe from the harmful effects of environmental toxins, Progressive Mold takes professional mold testing to the next level offering more advanced testing in addition to the traditional testing.

There's no better gratification than helping others recover their health while witnessing family members reacting in joy to have their loved ones back.

If you suspect your home is making you sick or your physician has recommended any of the gold standard, EPA-approved tests such as ERMI or HERTSMI, submit a request above or give us a call.

For more information about our company and the tests and services we offer, please visit us at www.ProgressiveMoldOhio.com