Mold Illness and CIRS

Mold Illness and Water Damaged Buildings

Did you know that exposure to moldy, water damaged buildings has the potential to make you really sick? Mold is part of nature, and serves an important role in recycling dead organic material into soil and nutrients for new things to grow. It needs a little moisture and food in the form of cellulose, starch or other organic matter to grow. The kinds of molds found outdoors can cause allergy symptoms, but rarely cause serious health issues for people. This is "spore illness" - mold spores are an allergen similar to dust or pollen.

Mold can also grow indoors on wet building materials. The kinds of mold that grow on water damaged building materials to be much more problematic for human health. Indoor molds have limited space and limited food. They are also often much more concentraed. When mold is under stress or in a competitive environment it produces chemicals called mycotoxins and VOC. These are tiny but VERY powerful toxins.

There is a short list of mold species that are known to be toxic to nearly everyone. The famous "toxic black mold" is a species called Stachybotrys chartarum and its mycotoxins are very, very strong. Most molds that grow in water damged buidlings make mycotoxins (there are many different kinds and they affect different body systems). About 20-25% of the population cannot clear these toxins fast enough, and they develop symptoms from this toxic exposure. This is "mycotoxin illness".

CIRS

CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) is a type of immune dysregulation caused by mycotoxins and a few different types of infections. Like mycotoxins illness affects many systems of the body, with the most obvious symptoms being in the immune and nervous system. The number of symptoms and the severity of symptoms can get worse the longer someone is exposed. Reactivity to foods, dust, pollen, chemicals, EMF, scents and more can worsen or show up out of nowhere. Symptoms of CIRS overlap with symptom of Mono, IBS, SIBO, Lyme, Chronic Fatigue, Fibromyalgia, MS, and often include psychological / psychiatric manifestations.

Vulnerability to CIRS can be genetic, or it can be due to a pre-existing "body burden" of toxins.

The majority of people aive today (anyone born after 1965) were born with some toxic chemicals in their body. The number of chemicals in our air, food, water, personal care products, clothing, toys, electronics, and buildings have increased exponentially since the 1960's. Every little bit adds up. For many people their moldy home or office is simply the final trigger.

Like other chronic, multi-system illnesses (like Lyme), CIRS is not commonly recognized by most of the healthcare profession, and most are taught that mold spores cause allergies and nothing else. Because 70-75% of people don't get sick in a moldy building, it can be very difficult to track the illness of one or two people to water damage in a building unless you are specifically looking for it.

Symptoms of CIRS and Mycotoxin Illness

• Fatigue (progressive and deep)

• Brain Inflammation

• Brain fog / Spaciness / Disorientation

• Anxiety

• Depression

• Headaches

• Memory problems

• Slurred speech

• Coordination problems / issues with balance

• Light headedness

• Dizziness

• Respiratory issues (chronic sinusitis, chronic cough, SOB, wheezing, sore throat)

• IBS or SIBO like symptoms (cramping, diarrhea, bloating)

• Fake UTI (urinary frequency, urgency, burning, but no infection)

• Unexplained weight gain or loss

• Joint pain

• Muscle pain

• Muscle weakness

• Muscle cramps, muscles feel wiped out with slightest effort

• Exercise intolerance

• Vision changes

• Rash

• Chest tightness

• Wheezing

• Weak voice

• Cold intolerance

• Heat intolerance

• Chest discomfort

• Excessive thirst

• Skin flushing

• Rapid pulse

• Heart palpitations

• Swollen ankles

• Increased bleeding times (easy, severe bruising, bleeding gums, nose bleeds)

• Immuno-suppression (more vulnerable to infections, and more likely for infections to become chronic)

• Increase in "static electricity" shocks (watches and electronics may be short lived or glitchy)

• Increased sensitivity to EMF, food sensitivities, other chemical exposures

Prevalence of Water Damaged Buildings

It is estimated that at least 50% of the buildings and homes in the US are water damaged enough to cause illness. I suspect that number is much, much higher in many places.

Things that make mold and water a more common issue:

Hot humid climates

The intersection between the hot, humid air and the cold AC ducts and coils means condensation. Even small mistakes in HVAC design or installation can lead to moisture issues.

Air handlers can collect dust if filters are not changed regularly. Dust buildup on the coils can lead to mold growth in a matter of days. HVAC ducts also collect dust if not cleaned every few years. If there is condensation in the ducts or there are any moisture problems in the air handler, mold can grow in the ducts. Dust + moisture = mold. If there is mold in the AC ducts, then every time the AC kicks on, mold spores are sprayed out with the flow of cold air, and distributed throughout the dwelling.

Catastrophic storms hitting new areas and being more intense

Hurricaines, mega-storms, floods, deep freezes - espeically in areas where they have not happened historically - means homes are not built to withstand these events.

Many homes near beaches are built out of concrete and cinder block - intended to withstand heavy rains and tropical storms. Many homes in the midwest are built from brick and are more heavily insulated - intened to withstand tornadoes and freezing winters. Many homes in the Pacific northest are built from Cedar which is naturally resistant to mold. Catastrophic weather events in areas that are not built for them means more homes get flooded, frozen and broken pipes, damage to roofs and windows, etc.

Modern Building Standards

Many modern homes (1990's onward) are built to last only about 20-30 years. Instead of stome, brick, wood, plaster and concrete, they are often built from plywood or manufactured wood, plastic (vinyl) and drywall. These homes are not only full of toxic materials, but they are designed with a "tight envelope" which means they don't breathe. This is great for energy efficiency, but it is terrible for indoor air quality. It is also terrible for letting things dry out if there is a water event (which there will be at some point). Particle board stays wet and grows mold MUCH faster than real wood. Brick doesn't grow mold at all. Drywall grows mold MUCH faster than plaster. Vinyl siding over plywood traps water and grows mold... you get the idea.

Lots of new or "flipped" homes

A booming real estate market often leads to "fast" builds and "fast remodels" where corners are cut, design is poor and the cheapest materials are used behind the scenes. Most apartments have some level of water damage, as do most "flipped" homes. But "cheap" isn't always the problem. Some of the most moldy homes I have seen were brand new multi-million dollar luxury homes. Newer building materials and practices are focused on developer profits. A lot of the building codes that use to keep us safe have been eliminated in the spirit of building more to alleviate the housing crisis.

What do to if you suspect mold in your home

If you suspect you have mold in your home, don't panic. There is a lot you can do to reduce exposure. Remediations can be a big deal but they don't always have to be. Check out my Mold Resources page for a quick overview of where to start learning, some DIY testing you can do and where to find help.

Finding well trained, "mold illness" literate inspectors and remediators can be a challenge, but it is worth doing the extra work to make sure that the mold is not only identified, but the cause is found and addressed. Working with a mold / CIRS literate practitioner is also important as detox, supplementation, neurological and immune repair can be complex and tricky.