- Category : Histamine Intolerance / MCAS, Immune System
Mold allergies and Mold biotoxins also known as mycotoxins can pose a serious risk factor for people who struggle with histamine intolerance/Mast Cell Activation Syndrome. Not only can acute mold exposure pose a problem but so can chronic mold exposure. Identify mold allergies or mold biotoxins could be the missing piece for you if struggle with histamine intolerance and MCAS symptoms.
While plenty of attention is put on foods high in histamine, keep in mind that Histamine Intolerance and MCAS are not caused solely by food, but rather a constellation and web of problems.
If you are someone who has eliminated high histamine foods in the hopes of getting your symptoms under control and you have been disappointed with the results or you suspect that there is something missing in your treatment, then I think you are really going to find today’s video interesting and helpful.
Mold Allergies and Mold Biotoxins Are More Common In People with Histamine Intolerance/MCAS Then You Think!
Today, we are going to spend some time uncovering histamine intolerance/MCAS and its connection to mold allergies and mold biotoxins (Mycotoxins). Again when we think about the histamine/MCAS bucket mold and mold allergies are two more things that could be filling up that bucket and driving many of your Histamine/MCAS symptoms.
If you are new to my YouTube channel, I want to welcome you! I’m Dr Hagmeyer and Im the clinic director here at DrHagmeyer.com- We help people from around the world find answers and solutions to some of the most challenging chronic health problems using Functional Medicine and personalized Nutrition.
(Be sure to watch the video for additional information and tips)
Today’s Video will Cover
- The difference between mold allergies and mold toxicity
- How Mold and Mold biotoxins Trigger Histamine Intolerance and MCAS Symptoms
- Some of hidden and unsuspected areas where you might be getting exposed to ongoing mold
- What to do if you suspect that mold and mold biotoxins are triggering your histamine intolerance/MCAS symptoms
Remember…. When It Comes to Histamine Intolerance and MCAS…..Think BIG picture.
Now….before we get started, one thing I want to say is that when you are dealing with a chronic problem like histamine intolerance/MCAS and mold biotoxins- Many patients find themselves frustrated, bouncing from one doctor to the next without improvement and sometimes getting worse. It’s so important to realize that when it comes to chronic health issues, we never find one problem filling up your bucket in isolation.
Mold, Mold Biotoxins And Their Relationship To Histamine Intolerance.
So, what’s the difference between mold allergy and mold toxicity. Mold allergies and mold toxicity are not the same illness -although they can overlap and they can both be problems for people with histamine intolerance and MCAS. Studies show that mold allergies can exacerbate histamine intolerance. When someone with histamine intolerance or MCAS has mold allergies they have an immune system that is overreacting to the mold spores that are inhaled.
Mold Allergy Symptoms and Histamine Intolerance/MCAS
When these mold spores are inhaled, you develop a very strong IgE reaction you will experience many of the typical allergy symptoms- things like…
- Runny nose and nasal congestion
- Watery, itchy, red eyes (allergic conjunctivitis)
- Sneezing
- Cough
- Itchy nose, roof of mouth or throat
- Swollen puffy eyes
- allergic shiners- blue-colored skin under the eyes
- Postnasal drip
But what if you have “other” symptoms that go way above and beyond the typical “allergy” symptoms? What if you also suffer with chronic debilitating fatigue, Chronic pain, Chronic Brain Fog? IBS? What if you have been diagnosed with MS or you were bit by a tick or brown recluse spider (years ago) and you never felt the same? What if you have been diagnosed with Chronic Lyme disease or Lyme with co-infections? What if…. when you look at the symptoms of histamine intolerance and Mast Cell Activation syndrome those symptoms look too familiar.
If that’s the case, I want you to start thinking about the possibility of Mold biotoxin illness. Like Chronic Lyme disease, many within the traditional medical community are quick to say Mold biotoxin illness doesn’t exist. But, for Functional Medicine practitioners like myself, we see this playing out in our offices with some of our sickest patients every single day.
Mold Biotoxin Symptoms and Histamine Intolerance/MCAS
In mold biotoxicity, a person is reacting to the toxins produced by the mold and this can lead to (CIRS) or chronic inflammatory response syndrome- this is widespread inflammation at it’s worst.
- headache
- extreme fatigue
- dizziness
- weakness
- nausea
- disorientation
- memory problems
- slowed reaction time
- peripheral neuropathy
- sensory neuropathy
- personality/mood changes
- respiratory problems such as wheezing and asthma
- rashes, hives
- burning sensations in the nose and mouth
- gastrointestinal disorders like leaky gut, IBS, IBD and SIBO
If you continue to struggle with any of these conditions and you did not respond to Lyme treatment or you still have many unresolved symptoms, you could be suffering with a chronic inflammatory response caused or triggered by toxic mold.
Why Low Histamine Diets Don’t work For Most People
Heres why low histamine diets don’t work…..For most people.
After 20 years in practice working with patients with ALL kinds of chronic health problems- a low histamine diet is simply not enough. You could be doing a great job at following the diet and all the restrictions but low histamine diet is only one piece of the puzzle! Remember Histamine intolerance has many causes. If you only address diet and you ignore all the other reasons you histamine/MCAS bucket is full and overflowing, you too will be disappointed. Don’t beat yourself! It’s important to understand the Big Picture and consider all of the triggers behind the symptoms. This varies from one person to the next. For this reason, you should work with someone who has this experience and can piece this together for you. Don’t try to piece this together one blog, one podcast one Facebook post at a time.
The Big Picture…What’s Triggering the Release Of Excess Histamine?
We have the Mold toxins that trigger the Mast Cells to release a variety of inflammatory chemicals. These inflammatory chemicals may be histamine, cytokines, interleukins, and prostaglandins- but the end result within our body is massive immune-inflammatory reaction.
What Do You Do If You Have or Suspect A Problem With Mold?
#1 Get your House Tested– If you suspect that your surrounding environment has mold present, tests like the (ERMI) or the Environmental Relative Moldiness Index can confirm it. You will need to contact an experienced mold inspector- The ERMI test was developed by the EPA as a means of determining the relative “moldiness” of a home compared to a group of reference homes that do not have mold.
#2 Improve air quality– Even if you get your house or work environment tested, get yourself an air filtration unit with HEPA filter. (HEPA) filter are capable of removing ultrafine particles (less than 0.1 microns) like mold, dust, pet dander, VOCs, and even viruses from the air.
#3-Keep a clean house! Minimize dust in the house, If you can, get rid of carpet and anything that holds dust- make sure you are using a vacuum that also uses HEPA filter technology. These ultrafine particles represent 90 percent of all airborne pollution that you breathe in are the ultrafine particles. Be mindful of air conditioning units, leaking pipes behind drywall, humidity is not your friend. Mold loves humidity, moisture and darkness.
#4 Get Tested- There are a couple of different kinds of tests that can be incredibly helpful. Some testing looks for the presence of mold, some tests will assess the immune systems reaction to mold, some test for mold allergies and some are genetic based that look at the HLA- susceptible haplotype. Its estimated that 25% or 1 in 4 people have genetic predisposition to biotoxin-related illness based on the HLA-susceptible haplotype. Contact our office for help with mold allergy testing.
For people suffering with histamine intolerance/MCAS/mold biotoxin illness, very often a combination of testing is need for the most accurate picture and the most comprehensive treatment. Keep in mind, that the longer the mold stays in your body, the more toxins it produces and the more inflammation you will deal with.
Alright….So… there you go! hope you found todays video helpful, If you need help putting this puzzle together be sure to contact our office. Until next time! I’m Dr Hagmeyer Take care!
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- How to Get Started on a Low Histamine Diet-Part II
- Supplements to help support Histamine Intolerances
- Histamine Intolerance and Gut Health SIBO and Leaky Gut
- Best Tips To address Histamine Intolerance When you have SIBO
- Emotional Stress and Adrenal Fatigue- Another Trigger causing Your Histamine intolerance/MCAS symptoms
- DAO deficiency- The enzyme that breaks down Histamine- How to Activate this enzyme when you have Histamine Intolerance/MCAS
- Dr Hagmeyer’s Youtube Channel and Playlist for Histamine Intolerance/MCAS
- Histamine and MCAS Quiz- Assess your Risk for Histamine intolerance and MCAS
Need Help Putting This All Together?
If you need help trying to figure out the different Histamine/MCAS puzzle pieces in your particular case lets talk! You can schedule a Free 15 minute phone consult after you complete a short health questionnaire. This Health questionnaire will help me understand more about your concerns and how we can best help you.
