CIRS, Biotoxin Illness, Mold Sensitivity Treatment

What is Mold Sensitivity?

Mold is a type of fungus that decomposes organic material, such as found in dust, dirt, wood, and paper. Mold exposure can cause a number of health problems. Mold sensitivity is referred to as chronic non-allergic response to mold exposure. CIRS or Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome is caused by exposure to mold and other biotoxin producers.

Mold is found in nature and is present both indoors and outdoors in great numbers. In order for mold to grow, it must have oxygen, a food source, moderate temperatures (between 40 and 100 degrees F) and most importantly moisture with humidity levels above 60%.

Causes of Mold Toxicity

Numerous factors can enhance your risk of developing a mold sensitivity. If you have a family history of allergies or asthma, you may be at an increased risk of developing the symptoms listed above. Taking an antihistamine may help alleviate some of those symptoms associated with mold toxicity.

Working or living in a place with high humidity can increase the risk of developing mold toxicity. Poor ventilation and damp areas can increase the risk of mold in your home or workplace. Installing ventilation fans and using a dehumidifier can help slow down the growth of mold spores.

Occupations such as carpentry, farming and winemaking can increase your exposure to mold. You can help lower your risk by utilizing proper ventilation procedures, taking a shower as soon as you finish your work and immediately laundering clothing to remove mold spores.

Treatment Options

• Detoxification – While the offending mold is being removed, you will want to start healing your body. Detoxification programs use a variety of herbs, supplements, and food choices to restore the body’s natural process of clearing toxic chemicals, whether artificial or biological, from the organs and tissues throughout the body. Detoxification has three steps:
  • Restoring the healthy function of the internal organs
  • Moving the offending agents from the tissues where the body has stored them
  • Transforming the toxins into a form whereby they can be eliminated from the body
• Acupuncture – Acupuncture is an East Asian approach to healing the body that is now an accepted medical treatment throughout the world. Thin sterile needles that are placed at particular locations on the body or ear can correct one’s nerve and electrical response system and alleviate pain, increase energy and improve immunity. This treatment can be very helpful for those suffering from headaches, fatigue, digestive disturbances, hormone imbalances, and allergies among the many symptoms of mold toxicity.
• Osteopathic Manual Therapy – Traditional osteopathic treatment is not just about loosening muscles and joints. The treatments also seek to restore the free flow of body liquids circulating in the blood, lymph, and spinal fluid. These fluids are where both healthy cells and chemicals move and where the toxic waste products and environmental toxins can get “stuck”. The osteopathic treatments can support moving toxins from the organs and tissue where they have been deposited.
• Diet and Lifestyle Changes – Recovering from a more long-term health problem such as CIRS/Biotoxin illness typically requires changes in diet, lifestyle, and emotional stress management to support a more vigorous recovery. Such programs are to be planned in consultation with your integrative medicine practitioner.