I have had a lot of feedback on my last blog on toxic mold illness (CIRS), so I wanted to continue the discussion with more details on this disorder and what you can do to prevent or treat this illness in this and subsequent blogs.
I have been able to start seeing patients again, but had to remove the wet carpet in my waiting room to prevent mold growth. We had some minor leaks in the roof, as did many people, but no evidence of mold growth fortunately. I have a lot of patients that are scared about the future as there will be a lot of buildings with toxic mold due to Irma and water intrusion. Let me give you some facts and then discuss a plan to navigate the future.
Dr. Shoemaker has made some blogs and appearances discussing the implications of Harvey, Irma and now Maria on the health of our people. He believes we will have an epidemic of toxic buildings and people with illnesses that are not being diagnosed properly and not getting better. You can find out more on survivingmold.com.
Not all of you are at risk for developing Biotoxin Illness, or Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (the technical name for this disorder). It all has to do with genetics. 24% of the US population is genetically susceptible to sickness from toxic molds that grow inside a water damaged building (WDB). That means 76% of people are not susceptible and don’t get seriously ill from these organisms. That is why 100 people can be in a sick building and only 10 will be seriously sick. The rest are looking at them like they are crazy. Then the owners try to convince them that they are crazy. The doctors can’t find anything wrong, so they think you are crazy. Soon, you begin to think you are crazy, too.
The reason is the genetic defect on chromosome 6 in the area called HLA. This area controls our response to invasion from toxic organisms. You have an area there for viruses, strep, staph, and other organisms you encounter and can mount an immune response to them by identifying them with HLA as “bad” and making antibodies and other immune steps to kill them. This specific HLA genetic defect makes it impossible to identify these toxic mold organisms as “bad” and you never make antibodies to kill them. There are 7 major and a few other minor genetic types that are well studied and defined and easily tested for by major labs. As mentioned in the last blog, I am a 4-3-53, one of the worst types.
There are also HLA defects for the organism that causes Lyme Disease, borrelia. There is an epidemic of Lyme disease in the US, with 300,000 new cases reported annually. Some genetic types are called multi susceptible, because they can get sick from mold, borrelia and other Biotoxins like Brown Recluse spider bites, Ciguatera fish poisoning (from bad Mahi and other reef fish), and Pfisteria and other dinogflagellates (red tide). I am one of those multisusceptible types.
The result of these genetic defects is that the toxic mold organisms (or the Lyme organism) live in your body forever and make a potent neurotoxin that poisons the brain, specifically the Hypothalamus. There are five toxic mold organisms that we look at on testing that are particularly poisonous to human beings. They are Aspergillus penicilloides, Aspergillus versicolor, Chaetomium globosum, Wallemia sebi, and Stachybotrys chartarum. These are not outdoor molds that cause allergies. These are molds growing inside a water damaged building that can make us very sick.
This has happened because of the way we build buildings since the 1970’s energy crisis. They are very tight and do not breathe, being well insulated and sealed up. We have a separate environment controlled by a HVAC system (central air and heat). The paints used on our walls have had a fungicide in them for decades and have bred highly resistant organisms. Add a little water or high humidity to the environment, and these toxic organisms grow like wildfire, contaminating the structure. The HVAC system picks them up and spreads them all over the building, contaminating every room. The air handler becomes contaminated with these molds, especially when it has insufficient air return (common) or is not balanced properly (very common). The result: a sick building.
Many buildings in SW Florida are contaminated and sick. Schools, government buildings, healthcare facilities, businesses, restaurants, and homes are all involved. NIOSH says that 50% of buildings in America are WDB’s. It may be higher here now. If you have the genetics, then the risk of exposure is very high.
We will talk more about a specific severe genetic type that can be recognized by your body type and how to identify if you may be ill with this condition in my next blog. Consult my book, Prescription for Health, for more details. If you feel you may have this disorder, call my office or come to my free clinic if you have no insurance or finances.
God bless you,
Alan