How to Detox Your Body from Mold Poisoning: Symptoms, Testing, and Treatment

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Mold is not just something that happens in abandoned or unkempt buildings. It is much more common than you think and there’s a good chance you’ve already been exposed.

“We estimate that 22 percent of the population is vulnerable to [black mold exposure],” says Dr. Andrew Heyman is a geneticist and mold researcher. “Forty million people and at least half of all buildings in the U.S. have a mold problem.”

This means it’s not rare or occasional. It’s actually commonplace and probable and can happen even if you keep your home impeccably clean. Statistically speaking, you have likely been in a building with mold at some point in your life. Even more staggering, there’s a 50/50 chance you’re living with mold every day.

The good news is that mold is easier to detect, remove, treat, and detox than ever before. We’ve provided an in-depth look at mold poisoning, detection, prevention, and how to detox your body from mold.

What is Mold Poisoning?

Mold poisoning can wreak havoc on any and every system in your body. But just because you’ve been exposed to mold doesn’t mean you automatically have mold poisoning or need to know how to detox your body from mold. There is a big difference between mold allergy and mold poisoning.

Mold Allergy: Most common is a mold allergy which is exposure to spores that create an allergic reaction in your sinuses and lungs like congestion or coughing. Likely this is going to be accredited to a common cold or a seasonal allergy. This doesn’t require a detox, but just a removal of the mold source.

Mold Poisoning: When the mold sticks around, the spores can actually produce a poison that causes more serious symptoms. Because mold can enter the body through the lungs, skin, or digestive tract, there are several warning signs to be aware of and a mold detox may be necessary.

Symptoms of Mold Poisoning

There are literally hundreds of different toxins created so it’s hard to pinpoint symptoms, and these symptoms are often mistaken for something else before the mold is found.

Ann Shippe, is a functional medicine doctor in Austin, Texas who specializes in treating mold toxicity and other sources of toxin overload. In order to pinpoint mold as the problem, you often need a doctor trained in toxicity. If you have too many of these symptoms, please keep on reading below to learn how to detox your body from mold. The symptoms she sees most often in patients are vast and include the following:

What Does Mold Poisoning Feel Like?

Most experts agree that if you have at least 6-10 symptoms it’s worth checking into mold as a possibility and consider a detox. Mold poisoning is difficult to detect because the symptoms can often be credited to another source. Most commonly, mold poisoning often feels like Lyme disease and chronic fatigue syndrome. As you see multiple symptoms showing up together, it’s a good idea to test and see if mold might be the issue and learn how to detox your body from mold.

Signs Mold May Be In Your Home

If you notice several symptoms of mold poisoning, start by checking for a mold source in your home. Start with common mold hideouts including the bathtub or shower caulking, wood window sills, under the bathroom or kitchen sink or in toilet tanks. Even if these areas are clean, mold can often grow behind walls so it’s sometimes impossible to see. In this case, the only way to be sure whether or not you’re exposed to mold is to conduct a mold test.

My master bath over the years developed mold. Since my hot showers and lack of ventilation built up, I had to scrape my ceiling and use the mold removal protocol below to help prevent future mold as well. Unfortunately, I learned the hard way that I breathed in some of the mold and through this process I learned the natural solution of how to detox your body from mold.

How to Test for Mold

A formal test is the best way to determine whether or not you have mold in your home. These tests do not test for mold in your body, that is a separate test. But it’s a good idea to test your environment first and do your own detox next.

There are two types of home mold tests:

• Mold Culture Test: This is a petri dish and a swab that you can actually do yourself. Simply expose the dish to the air, or swab a specific area in your home. Cover it and let it sit for 48 hours. Check the dish for growth. If there are new spores, particularly black growth, you have a mold problem. Little to no growth is a clean test. Most mold culture tests can be done on your own and are less than $10. This is a great way to find out if mold is present in your home, but it won’t tell you what kind of mold or where it’s originating from. This DIY Home Test comes with the added benefit of lab analysis. Once you have collected the samples in your home, you mail them to the lab address provided and an experienced Lab technician will process and analyze your samples. An illustrated data report with information relating to your mold levels and types is sent directly to your email inbox. This gives you the convenience and low cost of DIY with the expertise of lab analysis.
• ERMI Test: This is a professional mold test (Environmental Relative Moldiness Index). It will tell you everything you need to know about mold in your home. This test spells out exactly what kind of mold you have, where it is located (where it is not), what kind of mold it is and what the toxicity levels are. This test is usually a few hundred dollars to conduct but is worth it if you’re worried about an extensive mold problem.

How to Test Your Body for Mold

Once you can determine whether mold is present in your environment, it’s time to determine whether mold is present in your body and consider detox methods. This can be a little bit more difficult unless you know exactly what you’re looking for.

Step 1: Identify Symptoms – Using the symptoms listed above, write down those you have experienced and when (as best you can remember). Sometimes writing down symptoms in order of a timeline can be helpful. These symptoms may present themselves in the detox process but will lesson as the detox is successful.

Step 2: A VCS Test – This is an at-home DIY test that can be done on any computer. It simply measures how well you see between small black and white lines. If you pass this test, you likely do not have a mold problem in your body. If you fail, it’s time to get tested for Mycotoxins and gain more information on how to detox your body from mold.

Step 3: Mycotoxin Test – This is a urine test that measures the mycotoxin accumulation in your body. This is a tricky step because even if you have high levels of mycotoxin, it doesn’t necessarily mean it’s coming from the mold. However, mycotoxins are often the culprit of fatigue, even if it doesn’t come from mold. The combination of this test and the ERMI home test is the best indicator of problems in your home and your body. With this information, you can move forward with a detox.

Step 4: GENIE Test – Some people are actually genetically predisposed to mold susceptibility. Experts say as much as 24% of the population has a predisposition to mold illness. If you are genetically predisposed to hold on to these toxins, you’re more likely to get mold poisoning because your body is not releasing toxins as it normally would. In these individuals, even small amounts of mold are more harmful to the body and it is critical to understand how to detox your body from mold. If you are not releasing toxins naturally, you may need to detox on a regular basis.

There are additional blood and illness panels that can be administered by a physician, but they can be expensive, and you should talk to your doctor before moving forward with further advanced testing. If you feel that you fit the bill, then it is time to talk about how to detox your body from mold and start a detox regimen.

How to Treat Black Mold Poisoning:

The first step to treating mold poisoning is to remove yourself from the toxic environment. It’s important to completely eliminate the source of mold. This often includes getting rid of home furnishings, furniture, and sometimes even clothing. Once you have changed your environment to eliminate exposure, it’s time to turn the focus inward to detox your body.

Taking supplements can help support your immune system and help the detox process while rebuilding your gut and reducing inflammation.

Start with one supplement and take if for three days, before adding in the next. This detox process is slower and allows you to test for reactions along the way. Take each supplement for 90 days to complete your healing process.

1. 1. • Biocidin – This will break up biofilm and start killing the mycotoxins caused by the mold.  Take 1 drop per day in the AM and work up to 5 drops 3x/day. Continue for three days before moving on.
      • Mimosa Pudica – Next, it’s time to use Mimosa Pudica to break up biofilm and kill more mycotoxins. Take 2 mid-morning and 2 before dinner. Continue this and the Biocidin for three days before moving on.

   

   1. 1. • Activated charcoal – This will binds to mycotoxins and remove them from your system. Take 5 capsules upon rising and 5 before bed for 3 days, then a 2-week break and repeat.

      

      1. • Biotox – Biotox is another agent that binds to mycotoxins and removes them from your system – take 1 upon rising, 1 at lunch, and 1 at bedtime. Continue for three days to check for any reactions before moving on to the next step of detox.

      

      • Lipoic Acid – At this point, you should be taking your Biocidin drops, Mimosa Pudica and Biotox (activated charcoal is on a two-week break). If you are unfortunate enough to have slow methylation and detoxification, then taking Lipoic Acid can help open detox pathways to increase release. Take 1 with breakfast and 1 with dinner. Continue for three days to check for any reactions before moving on.

   

   1. • Liposomal Glutathione – Now it’s time to support antioxidant production with Liposomal Glutathione. Take 2 pumps between lunch and dinner. Continue for three days to check for any reactions before adding in the last supplement.

   

   1. • Zeolite – Lastly, we want to add in Zeolite to help with the overall detoxification of toxins in the body and blood. Take 5 sprays 3x/day away from any other supplements.

   

If you don’t have any adverse reactions, continue this detox regimen for 90 days. It may seem like a lot for 90 days, but mold is a very stubborn problem that should be addressed smart but aggressively.

How to Clean Mold from Your Home

If you notice mold in a confined area of your home, you can often clean it out yourself and eliminate the source. Be thorough in all areas and when in doubt, throw it out.

• Toss out all moldy items like clothing, linens, sheets, drapes, pillows, books, papers, and blankets. This is not an easy step, but it’s often the only way to eliminate the problem. For special items, you can have them professionally dry-cleaned to remove the mold.
• Clean all hard surfaces with mold-killing products. Bleach is not an effective mold cleaner and can actually encourage the growth of more mold. Instead, use one of the following:
  • Cleaning Vinegar: Cleaning vinegar is the most effective, and is stronger than basic kitchen vinegar. You can use it at full strength in a spray bottle or dilute it with water.
  • Moldex is an industrial-grade cleaner that has been designed for household cleaning. It’s approved for hospital use and is formatted as a fungicide to kill mold and mildew.

When you clean, you’ll want to use a P100 respirator goggles, gloves, and a full-body suit for larger infestations to protect yourself from inhaling spores. If you have extensive mold in your home, you may want to enlist the help of a home mold expert. Particularly if mold is in your walls or structural areas of the home, it will require extensive renovation and professional cleaning.

How to Prevent Mold

Dealing with mold is a serious situation and the best way to protect yourself is to prevent the problem initially. Mold is only an indoor problem, because that is where it can accumulate to dangerous levels. Here are a few steps to take to prevent mold in your home:

• Don’t let your home become hot and humid. Keep your AC on, even when you’re away from home to at least 78 degrees.
• If you have any water damage, be sure it is repaired immediately.
• Re-caulk bathrooms, kitchens, windows, and roofs as needed.
• Use a HEPA filter to remove particles from the air.

Consider using an air sanitizer that eliminates allergens, odors, mold, and germs to aid in your detox process.

Our recommendations:

Levoit Air Purifier for Large or Small Rooms

The Levoit Air Purifiers have a True HEPA filter to detox particles from the air that contribute to mold toxicity. Mold illness can also include biotoxins from Fungi, Bacteria, Actinomycetes, Mycobacteria, Endotoxins, and Inflammations, which can be filtered by this air purifier.

The Levoit filter is an Amazon’s Choice product with almost 200 ratings at 4.5 stars and it’s clear to see why. The cylindrical design makes it easy to take in air from all sides and filter more air in less time.

There are two sizes available so you can choose the one that works best for you. The smaller model (pictured above) is perfect for a single room up to 161 square feet. Perfect for the master or your children’s room. Get more information and buy now on Amazon.com.

Both have a sleep mode so that the noise does not disrupt your beauty sleep which is important because you will be needing it during your detox!

The larger model of the two can purify up to 538 square feet. I would highly recommend this for your living room area or your office that you have that gut feeling that something bad is hiding behind the walls.

Many users have also used it to eliminate smoke smell and claim it has eliminated odors, reduced asthma and improved the air in their homes. It’s not a cheap product, but well worth the investment in your family and your health.

It’s clear that the Levois Air Purifier is an easy choice to make a huge difference in your air quality. Get further details and buy now on Amazon.com.

Medify Air MA-40

This Medical grade filtration system is great for areas up to 1300 square feet, especially if you know you have mold present. Get more information and buy now on Amazon.com because this one is definitely an investment in your health.

The clear color-coded reading tells you exactly how pure your air is by actually sensing the particles in the air. In just one hour, the Medify Air can clean a room over 1000 square feet and remove 99.97% of particles using a medical great true HEPA.

Over 70 percent of 300 ratings give this purifier 5 stars and many reviews claim improvement in allergies and dust in just a few days of use. It does produce sound, similar to a fan, but there are 2 levels you can use to turn it down if necessary. Or if you are like me, the dull sound of a fan is a nice white noise that can help you concentrate better as well!

The overwhelming popularity and positive reviews make this an easy choice for reliable air filtration to purify and detox the air you’re breathing. Get further details and buy now on Amazon.com.

Take Control of Your Mold

Mold exposure can feel like you’re suddenly being attacked by your environment. No one wants to feel like a victim in their own home. Take control of your environment and your health with valuable tools for how to detox your body from mold and protect your home and your health.