Understanding and Treating Mould Toxicity, Mould Sensitivity and Bio-toxins
The symptoms of mould toxicity may be quite unusual, generally not well-recognised by healthcare professionals and may lead to a mistaken diagnosis of a psychological rather than a physically based problem.
Symptoms of mould toxicity:
- Fatigue, weakness, muscle aches and cramps,
- Headaches, unusual pains (Dr Neil Nathan refers to these as “ice pick” or “lightning bolt” pains ),
- Sensitivity to bright light, tearing of the eyes, blurred vision, sensitivity to light touch
- Cough, chest pain, shortness of breath, chronic sinus congestion
- Abdominal pain, nausea and diarrhea
- Cognitive impairment, appetite swings, weight gains, mood swings
- Joint pains, morning stiffness, frequent urination, excessive thirst
- Sensitivity to electrical shocks
- Menorrhagia (excessive vaginal bleeding)
- Temperature dysregulation, night sweats, metallic taste in the mouth
- Male impotency
- Numbness and tingling in unusual patterns which do not correspond to the usual nerve distribution pattern thus confusing neurologists
- Unusual ticks and spasms, balance issues and dizziness
- Sometimes there may be a diagnosis of ‘atypical’ MS, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s or “pseudo-seizures” (seizures which are diagnosed as not being epileptic in nature but instead being ‘psychological’ in their origin) but there is evidence to connect these pseudoseizures with mould toxicity in clinical cases
- Vibrating or pulsing sensations running up and down the spinal-cord
- Sometimes vision in dim light may be poor
- Many individuals who have mould toxicity are very chemically sensitive (i.e. sensitivity to perfumes, smells, deodorants, alcohol, petrol)
- Other more esoteric symptoms: one of my patients who is a most likeable gentleman tells me that if he drinks red wine he becomes extremely bad-tempered and irritable; his wife corroborates this and, not unexpectedly, wholeheartedly approves of his decision to completely stop drinking red wine!
- Sometimes patient experience great difficulty /’mega-hangover’ on the next day after having consumed just three or four glasses of wine or beer (this isn’t reported in the American textbooks but then maybe patients with persistent illnesses in the US don’t have any interest in alcohol – but we like our alcohol in Ireland!)
- Some individuals report feeling quite unwell if they spend time in a damp building e.g. visiting a friend who has an older, damp house – their intuition tells them “stay away from damp, mouldy places”.