If "mold illness" is new to you, here's what you need to know
This little-known leading cause of chronic and mystery symptoms is no doubt affecting someone you love
I would bet money that you know someone who is suffering unknowingly because of mold exposure. That person is probably not receiving proper treatment to help them feel better. That someone might even be you.
Mold sensitivity and toxicity is a fairly common cause of a wide variety of physical and psychiatric symptoms. And it’s not yet recognized by the mainstream medical community. Even the CDC page on mold lists allergy, asthma, and immuno-compromised conditions but fails to acknowledge of the vast number of illnesses caused by toxic mold. So, people end up suffering needlessly for years.
Please please please keep reading so you can gain a basic understanding of 1) what mold sensitivity is and 2) what to do about it, so that you can potentially point someone who is sick toward the care that could help them heal.
What kind of mold are we talking about?
With mold illness, we’re talking about the toxic molds (and other microbes) that grow within the unique ecosystem of a water-damaged building, ending up in the dust and air we breathe into our lungs.
We’re not talking about the mold and mycotoxins found in foods (although those can harm the body as well).
I’m also not talking about mold allergy, which is a different immune response entirely.
What I’m referring to is a condition called Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), also known as biotoxin illness, mold illness, or sick-building syndrome (SBS)—yes, this is a real thing.
CIRS happens when exposure to biological toxins causes a multi-system chronic illness—aka, ongoing symptoms occurring in more than one body system. Although the CIRS diagnosis evades conventional medical assessment, is a common root-cause culprit of chronic fatigue, depression, anxiety and OCD, asthma, digestive disease, dementia, and a plethora of other conditions and symptoms.
What causes CIRS?
When a genetically-susceptible person is exposed to mold and experiences a triggering or traumatic event, this perfect storm initiates the cascade of chronic inflammation, causing myriad downstream symptoms and sickness.
You may not realize it (because mold is often invisible), but a large fraction of buildings in the United States are considered water-damaged; the chances that you’ve been exposed to toxic mold are extremely high. According to the EPA’s BASE Study on one-hundred randomly-selected buildings, 85% had a history of water damage, with ongoing problems in 45% of the one-hundred buildings.
While mold isn’t healthy for anyone, it’s especially dangerous to those who are genetically susceptible to this exaggerated immune response.
Most of us have been exposed to toxic mold. But it is estimated that roughly a quarter of the US population possesses a specific set of genes in the HLA (human leukocyte antigen) family that renders them susceptible to a chronic inflammatory immune response in the presence of water-damaged buildings and other biotoxins.1
The toxic molds (and other microbes) that grow in a water-damaged building are considered biotoxins—where “bio” means life and “toxin” is a poisonous substance. The individuals who are genetically susceptible to CIRS aren’t able to efficiently detoxify these biotoxins out of the body. So the elevated inflammatory response continues indefinitely, dysregulating sometimes every system within the body.
How do you know if you’re at risk for mold illness?
It is estimated that over 90% of individuals with CIRS possess the genetic susceptibility related to their HLA genes. I use LabCorp’s HLA blood test to determine whether a patient is in this category. But some individuals have CIRS without the specific HLA genes, so the absence of these genes does not rule out the condition.
How do you know if you have CIRS?
Diagnosis of CIRS requires a complex comprehensive medical assessment. But if you nod your head yes to one or more of the following statements (or if this list brings to mind someone else in your life), mold may be at the root of the symptoms, and if I were you/them, I would pursue medical assessment:
Your symptoms appeared or worsened after moving to a new home or building. Everything got worse after a life transition that prompted you to spend a significant amount of time in a building that was new to you.
Your symptoms resolved or improved after moving out of a specific home or building.
There is history of water damage, evidence of water damage, or microbial growth in a building in which you spend a significant amount of time.
Your doctors can’t figure out what’s causing your multiple symptoms. They say “your labs are normal.” Your symptoms aren’t improving with standard treatments.
You have multiple physical and/or psychiatric symptoms, and your doctor eventually refers you to a psychiatrist. They may even imply that it’s all “in your head.”
What to do if you have CIRS
The first necessary step to healing from mold illness is to remove the mold exposure. I’ve yet to watch a patient feel better before they make their way to safe, low-mold environments. Getting out of mold is the most critical step. You are unlikely to heal unless you do this first.
Why did I say “low-mold” instead of “mold-free?” Because mold is literally everywhere. It’s impossible to eliminate all exposures, because molds are a natural part of a healthy ecosystem—from the fungi decomposing dead plant matter out in nature to the candida yeast living within our bodies. While it’s near impossible to entirely eliminate our exposure to molds within our environments, it’s crucial to avoid spending time in sick buildings that are growing the toxic types of molds and microbes.
Many individuals will feel significantly better by simply avoiding exposure. But many will need further treatment with detoxofication support, binders, renourishment, gut healing, nervous system and immune system regulation, and various other approaches to support the body’s return to homeostasis and a calming of the chronic inflammation.
I recommend seeking individualized care from a licensed professional who is familiar with CIRS diagnosis and treatment.
Now that you know, spread the word
Millions of Americans are suffering from the side effects of mold sensitivity and toxicity and have no idea that mold is at the root of their physical and psychological symptoms. Whenever you have a friend, coworker, or random acquaintance mention mystery illness or unresolving symptoms, tell them what you’ve learned about mold and insist they find a mold-literate practitioner to rule it out as a root cause.
Thank you for reading and doing your part in raising awareness about the epidemic of sick buildings and the rising levels of toxicity contributing to the world’s burden of chronic disease. Through the butterfly effect, change happens one person at a time.
Feel free to reach out if you’re looking for guidance related to mold illness and holistic, trauma-informed healing. Join my list below so you catch what I share next.
1 Shoemaker, Ritchie: “Linkage disequilibrium in alleles of HLA DR: differential association with susceptibility to chronic illness following exposure to biologically produced biotoxins.” May 19, 2003.