For anyone that has dealt with mold knows that it is mostly found in fresh produce when it hasn’t been eaten. It is even there is a new damp spot in the house, and it’s left untreated. Mold is a type of fungus that is presented everywhere, including the air. It can actually cause someone highly sensitive to mold exposure to have chronic raspatory illnesses like asthma and bronchitis.

Studies show that the most common species of mold is Stachybotrys chartarum or black mold. This type of fungus thrives in warm, moist environments, including the basement, the bathroom, and the kitchen. It releases toxins in the air that is irritating or harmful to individuals with existing health conditions and becoming mycotoxin.

What is Mycotoxin?

A mycotoxin is a secondary metabolite being produced by organisms of the fungal kingdom. It can move in and out of cells in the body, causing inflammation when it is indigested. Researchers suggest that mycotoxin can link to serious health problems to people who live in contaminated buildings, and it can have long-term results. In most cases, mycotoxin can cause problems in the gut by consuming moldy food; causing leaky gut and destroying the gut microflora.

Here are some of the symptoms of mycotoxin:

• Aches and pains
• Mood changes
• Headaches
• Brain fog
• Asthma
• Watery, red eyes
• Runny or blocked nose
• Gut inflammation
• Sore throat

They are teratogenic, mutagenic, nephrotoxic, immunosuppressive, and carcinogenic. They can cause DNA damage, cancer, immune suppression, neurological issues, and a variety of adverse health effects on the human body. With mycotoxins, they have spores and pieces of hyphae that releases toxins into the air. They are tiny, but they are not easily detectable in the bloodstream since they can attach themselves to enzymes that are involved in insulin receptors. This results in dysfunction the in cells ability to intake and process glucose in the gut.

When mycotoxin is in the gut, it damages the intestinal barrier. It can cause malabsorption of food and disrupts the protein synthesis. When that happens, the individual’s autoimmunity will rise up, causing their bodies to go into overdrive to fight the problem.

Mycotoxin can actually grow in grains such as rice. The fungal mycotoxin has been known to cause liver damage since the contaminated food is being consumed by people, and it creates a rise in inflammation. When this happens, individuals start being sensitive to the contaminated foods that they are consuming. There is still more research to mycotoxin that is being produced to create a resistance to mycotoxin exposure.

Diagnosing Mycotoxin

Mycotoxin can’t be diagnosed by the symptoms themselves, doctors can perform one of these tests to determine the severity of mycotoxins in individuals.

• Blood test: Physicians can take a patient’s blood sample and send it to a testing lab to test. This is to see if there is a reaction of specific antibodies in the patient’s immune system. A blood test can even check the individual’s biotoxins in their blood to see if mycotoxin present.
• Skin prick test: Healthcare professionals can take tiny amounts of mold and use a small needle to apply it onto the patient’s skin. This is to determine if the individual is breaking out in bumps, a rash or hives, then they are allergic to any mold species.

Diagnosing mycotoxin is known by many names, but it is mostly called mast cell disorder. Even though they are different and have different manifestations, diagnosing them in the body is essential to help individuals to heal their ailments. With technology getting better, healthcare physicians can detect mycotoxins in the body much faster.

Treating Mycotoxin

There are many ways to treat mycotoxin. Options include:

• Avoiding the mold whenever possible.
• A nasal rinse to flush out the mold spores that are in the nose.
• Antihistamines to stop the itchiness, runny noses, and sneezing due to mold exposure.
• A short term remedy for congestion is using decongestant nasal spray.
• Montelukast is an oral medication to reduce the mucus in a patent’s airways to lower the symptoms for both mold allergies and asthma.
• Doctors can recommend patients an allergy shot to build up the patient’s immunity to mycotoxin if the exposure is long term.

How to check for mycotoxin?

When individuals are checking for mycotoxins in their environment, it is best to hire professionals to help identify and remove it. A lot of individuals can look for black clusters growing in warm, moist rooms and can search for the causes of mold growth like any leaks, old food, papers, or wood. People can throw away the items that are affected by mold or that are contributing to mold growth. They can also remove the things that are not affected by mold exposure.

Wearing a mold-resistant suit, mask, gloves, and boots can protect individuals as they are getting rid of mildew and mold from their environment. Even purchasing a HEPA air purifier can help get rid of the spores to ensure that no allergens will affect the body’s immune system. When individuals are removing the mold exposure out of the affected area, they can cover the non-affected surfaces with bleach or a fungicidal agent. Then let it dry to prevent the mold from reproducing on the same area it has infected.

Conclusion

Since researchers are still doing a test on mycotoxin, mold exposure is still all around the world and in many forms. It can even contaminate food and places where it can thrive and grow. Individuals can prevent it from locating the source and can take precautions when they are exposed to the spores. If the individual is exposed to mycotoxin, going to the doctors to get tested is the best route to go. The scope of our information is limited to chiropractic, musculoskeletal, and nervous health issues as well as functional medicine articles, topics, and discussions. We use functional health protocols to treat injuries or chronic disorders of the musculoskeletal system. To further discuss the subject matter above, please feel free to ask Dr. Alex Jimenez or contact us at 915-850-0900 .

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References

Borchers, Andrea T, et al. “Mold and Human Health: a Reality Check.” Clinical Reviews in Allergy & Immunology, U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28299723.

Došen, Ina, et al. “Stachybotrys Mycotoxins: from Culture Extracts to Dust Samples.” Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, Aug. 2016, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4939167/.

Gautier, C, et al. “Non-Allergenic Impact of Indoor Mold Exposure.” Revue Des Maladies Respiratoires, U.S. National Library of Medicine, June 2018, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29983225.

Hurraß, Julia, et al. “Medical Diagnostics for Indoor Mold Exposure.” International Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Apr. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27986496.

Jewell, Tim. “Black Mold Spores and More.” Black Mold Exposure, 1 June, 2018, www.healthline.com/health/black-mold-exposure.

Leonard, Jayne. “Black Mold Exposure: Symptoms, Treatment, and Prevention.” Medical News Today, MediLexicon International, 17 Sept. 2019, www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323419.php.

Pitt, John I, and J David Miller. “A Concise History of Mycotoxin Research.” Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 23 Aug. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27960261.

Sun, Xiang Dong, et al. “Mycotoxin Contamination of Rice in China.” Journal of Food Science, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Mar. 2017, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28135406.