Sick Building
Disclaimer. This web site is for research and educational purposes only. The information given in this site is not intended to replace a therapeutic practitioner relationship.
Sick buildings are usually a problem because of mould from water damage, unhealthy electromagnetic frequency levels, toxic pollutants, poor hygeine, inadequate ventilation or adverse lighting. Your health can be negatively affected by the building that you live or work in.
Our Modern Mould Attack
oMould contamination in buildings can potentially make you sick (Ref. 1-2, 4, 5 below). Check out where you live and work. Can you see any significant mould? Has there been a water leak? If so, was it fixed properly? Does the building get plenty of sunshine and fresh clean air? These provide natural mould prevention and treatment. Do you feel better when you are away from your home? Or away from work? Note: some people also have mould contamination of their car air conditioning filter and will not get better until this is rectified.
According to the USA mould expert Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker, some people are genetically more susceptible to mould biotoxins. They can get really sick with extreme fatigue, inability to walk, brain fog and depression to mention a few of the symptoms. In Australia testing for the HLA DR and DQ genes can be done through www.sonicgenetics.com.au. The DR and DQ genes can help determine your susceptibility to a number of different biotoxins including mould - see the page at Dr. Shoemaker's website: http://www.survivingmold.com/diagnosis/lab-tests
How do you know if your house is contaminated? There are companies and individuals in Australia that can organise professional checks and tests for your house. They are called 'Building Biologists'. See, for example, www.mycotox.com.au.
Regarding your body, I have read that there are some indirect inflammation/immune markers that can be done which can supply indirect evidence, though some of these may be indicative of something other than mould - for example the C4a inflammatory marker may be elevated in chronic lyme sufferers as well as those with chronic mould (Ref. 3). Nutripath testing lab in Melbourne has a mould blood urine test panel for those living in Australia. You can order this test privately, however it is not validated by NATA and is very expensive. I don't use it. Another possible screening test is the Visual Contrast Sensitivity (VCS) test. This test is a non-specific screening tool to evaluate possible neurotoxin exposure (Ref. 4). This test is something that I do in person in my office with patients of mine in whom I wish to try and exclude mould issues. You can do this test online as well. Mould biotoxins are known to sometimes effect the way our vision works so this can act as a screening test. However, in my opinion, the VCS test is not always positive for persons who have a chronic yeast infection of the sinuses. A report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health warned that this test has a low specificity for mould exposure, which means it should not be used as a sole method of diagnosis (Ref. 4). For nose swab advise, please see our sinus page.
On an international level, Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker has a really helpful web site. He has a very comprehensive program for recovery, that also takes into account other biotoxins such as from toxin producing nasal Staph. In broad terms, treatment of mould disorders involves three things: Getting away from the mould, getting the mould out of your home or work place and getting the biotoxins out of your body.
As I understand it, there is not a lot of research on the topic, but it appears that mycotoxins from exposure to mouldy building can get trapped in your body and just recirculate because when excreted into the gut by the liver they get reabsorbed. For removal of toxins from the body, the medication cholestyramine is recommended by Dr. Shoemaker. It is quite good in my experience, but some people need to get an aspartame-free version compounded. Questran brand has aspartame in it as a sweetener that apparently can react with some people (though I have never come across this). Sometimes other binders such as activated charcoal, diatomaceous earth, zeolite or bentonite clay will do a similar job to cholestyramine. However, in most cases the cholestyramine seems to be better at binding the mould toxins.
If you want to watch an informative patient-centred documentary on mould then get a copy of the DVD called "Moldy" put out by "Bulletproof" Media. There is also another DVD out too called "Back mold exposure" which I have not seen yet - see http://blackmoldexposure.com/
Informative overviews of the possible health issues related to damp or mouldy buildings is the report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Ref. 4) and the Review by J. Hope (Ref. 5)
Some of my personal clinical experience:
I have found that patients who have had chronic exposure to buildings with high mould spore levels are very likely to get yeast problems on or in their bodies. It seems that mould exposure reduces the immune system in a way that makes yeast grow better. The commonest place has been the gut. Other places have been the scalp, parotid salivary glands, nose and sinuses and skin on the face.
Mould exposures seems to commonly lead to irritability of the immune system making people become more sensitive to high levels of histamine in foods. They easily break out into rashes or migraines. This can last even after the mould exposure has subsided. The use of the enzyme DAO (Diamine Oxidase) often helps.
Mould exposure often leads to developing a sensitivity to gluten or dairy in the diet.
Also it seems to lead to sensitivity in general - to chemicals, light, noise and pain. One reason it leads to other sensitivities is that it can initiate 'Mast Cell Activation Syndrome' (MCAS) in some patients. I have found the best treatments for MCAS are Palmitoylethanolamide and detoxification.
I have had a few patients where the mould problem was their car.
One patient did not get better until they figured out their washing machine was contaminated and got a new one.... "May God help us not to become obsessive about mould!"... Keep calm, there is some psychology involved here. For emergency moves, you can put your stuff in storage and then get it bit by bit as you have chance to assess and clean.
According to the USA mould expert Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker, some people are genetically more susceptible to mould biotoxins. They can get really sick with extreme fatigue, inability to walk, brain fog and depression to mention a few of the symptoms. In Australia testing for the HLA DR and DQ genes can be done through www.sonicgenetics.com.au. The DR and DQ genes can help determine your susceptibility to a number of different biotoxins including mould - see the page at Dr. Shoemaker's website: http://www.survivingmold.com/diagnosis/lab-tests
How do you know if your house is contaminated? There are companies and individuals in Australia that can organise professional checks and tests for your house. They are called 'Building Biologists'. See, for example, www.mycotox.com.au.
Regarding your body, I have read that there are some indirect inflammation/immune markers that can be done which can supply indirect evidence, though some of these may be indicative of something other than mould - for example the C4a inflammatory marker may be elevated in chronic lyme sufferers as well as those with chronic mould (Ref. 3). Nutripath testing lab in Melbourne has a mould blood urine test panel for those living in Australia. You can order this test privately, however it is not validated by NATA and is very expensive. I don't use it. Another possible screening test is the Visual Contrast Sensitivity (VCS) test. This test is a non-specific screening tool to evaluate possible neurotoxin exposure (Ref. 4). This test is something that I do in person in my office with patients of mine in whom I wish to try and exclude mould issues. You can do this test online as well. Mould biotoxins are known to sometimes effect the way our vision works so this can act as a screening test. However, in my opinion, the VCS test is not always positive for persons who have a chronic yeast infection of the sinuses. A report by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and
Health warned that this test has a low specificity for mould exposure, which means it should not be used as a sole method of diagnosis (Ref. 4). For nose swab advise, please see our sinus page.
On an international level, Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker has a really helpful web site. He has a very comprehensive program for recovery, that also takes into account other biotoxins such as from toxin producing nasal Staph. In broad terms, treatment of mould disorders involves three things: Getting away from the mould, getting the mould out of your home or work place and getting the biotoxins out of your body.
As I understand it, there is not a lot of research on the topic, but it appears that mycotoxins from exposure to mouldy building can get trapped in your body and just recirculate because when excreted into the gut by the liver they get reabsorbed. For removal of toxins from the body, the medication cholestyramine is recommended by Dr. Shoemaker. It is quite good in my experience, but some people need to get an aspartame-free version compounded. Questran brand has aspartame in it as a sweetener that apparently can react with some people (though I have never come across this). Sometimes other binders such as activated charcoal, diatomaceous earth, zeolite or bentonite clay will do a similar job to cholestyramine. However, in most cases the cholestyramine seems to be better at binding the mould toxins.
If you want to watch an informative patient-centred documentary on mould then get a copy of the DVD called "Moldy" put out by "Bulletproof" Media. There is also another DVD out too called "Back mold exposure" which I have not seen yet - see http://blackmoldexposure.com/
Informative overviews of the possible health issues related to damp or mouldy buildings is the report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (Ref. 4) and the Review by J. Hope (Ref. 5)
Some of my personal clinical experience:
I have found that patients who have had chronic exposure to buildings with high mould spore levels are very likely to get yeast problems on or in their bodies. It seems that mould exposure reduces the immune system in a way that makes yeast grow better. The commonest place has been the gut. Other places have been the scalp, parotid salivary glands, nose and sinuses and skin on the face.
Mould exposures seems to commonly lead to irritability of the immune system making people become more sensitive to high levels of histamine in foods. They easily break out into rashes or migraines. This can last even after the mould exposure has subsided. The use of the enzyme DAO (Diamine Oxidase) often helps.
Mould exposure often leads to developing a sensitivity to gluten or dairy in the diet.
Also it seems to lead to sensitivity in general - to chemicals, light, noise and pain. One reason it leads to other sensitivities is that it can initiate 'Mast Cell Activation Syndrome' (MCAS) in some patients. I have found the best treatments for MCAS are Palmitoylethanolamide and detoxification.
I have had a few patients where the mould problem was their car.
One patient did not get better until they figured out their washing machine was contaminated and got a new one.... "May God help us not to become obsessive about mould!"... Keep calm, there is some psychology involved here. For emergency moves, you can put your stuff in storage and then get it bit by bit as you have chance to assess and clean.
Mould References
Reference 1: Shoemaker RC et al., Structural brain abnormalities in patients with inflammatory illness acquired following exposure to water-damaged buildings: a volumetric MRI study using NeuroQuant®. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2014 Sep-Oct;45:18-26.
Reference 2: Brewer JH et. al., Chronic Illness Associated with Mold and Mycotoxins: Is Naso-Sinus Fungal Biofilm the Culprit?, Toxins (Basel). 2014 Jan; 6(1): 66–80.
Reference 3: Stricker RB et al., Complement split products c3a and c4a in chronic lyme disease, Scand J Immunol. 2009 Jan;69(1):64-9.
Reference 4: NIOSH [2010]. Health hazard evaluation report: comparison of mold exposures, work-related symptoms, and visual contrast sensitivity between employees at a severely water-damaged school and employees at a school without significant water damage, New Orleans, LA. Thomas G, Burton NC, Mueller C, Page E. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH HETA No. 2005-0135-3116.
Reference 5: Hope, J. A review of the mechanism of injury and treatment approaches for illness resulting from exposure to water-damaged buildings, mold, and mycotoxins. ScientificWorldJournal. 2013 Apr 18;2013:767482
Reference 1: Shoemaker RC et al., Structural brain abnormalities in patients with inflammatory illness acquired following exposure to water-damaged buildings: a volumetric MRI study using NeuroQuant®. Neurotoxicol Teratol. 2014 Sep-Oct;45:18-26.
Reference 2: Brewer JH et. al., Chronic Illness Associated with Mold and Mycotoxins: Is Naso-Sinus Fungal Biofilm the Culprit?, Toxins (Basel). 2014 Jan; 6(1): 66–80.
Reference 3: Stricker RB et al., Complement split products c3a and c4a in chronic lyme disease, Scand J Immunol. 2009 Jan;69(1):64-9.
Reference 4: NIOSH [2010]. Health hazard evaluation report: comparison of mold exposures, work-related symptoms, and visual contrast sensitivity between employees at a severely water-damaged school and employees at a school without significant water damage, New Orleans, LA. Thomas G, Burton NC, Mueller C, Page E. Cincinnati, OH: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, NIOSH HETA No. 2005-0135-3116.
Reference 5: Hope, J. A review of the mechanism of injury and treatment approaches for illness resulting from exposure to water-damaged buildings, mold, and mycotoxins. ScientificWorldJournal. 2013 Apr 18;2013:767482
Chemical Pollution
I had one young lady who suddenly got sick feeling fatigued, nauseated, dizzy and panicky. It seemed a mystery. It was finally solved when one day they noticed a smell of gas in their house. On investigation they found that in their rental property their gas heater had 'never been serviced' (according to the plumber) and had cracks in it. It had started leaking odourless, colourless carbon monoxide. The young lady's bedroom was close to the heater. They were very fortunate that on this one occasion some detectable gas was mixed with the carbon monoxide. The young lady's health is vastly improved after solving the mystery. She just has some loose ends to tidy up from the effects on her.
EMF Sensitivity
There is still a lot to learn about the effects of ElectroMagnetic Frequency (or ElectroMagnetic Radiation - EMR) exposure on humans. Such exposure can anecdotally make stealth bug infections more virulent (see Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt's online comments on this). High levels of EMF's can, in my opinion, in some people cause headaches, sleep disturbance or fatigue. If you have any concerns, I would recommend purchasing a good quality EMF meter (the one I bought was called a Trifield 100XE).
"EMR Australia" is a company that specialises in EMR remediation.
Useful articles on EMF's and artificial lighting:
Manzetti S, Johansson O, Radiation and Health, ACNEM Journal Vol. 30, No. 3, Dec. 2011, p. 19.
Benke K, et al., Spectral Content of Artificial Lighting and Effects on Health, ACNEM Journal Vol. 30, No. 3, Dec. 2011, p. 13-15.
"EMR Australia" is a company that specialises in EMR remediation.
Useful articles on EMF's and artificial lighting:
Manzetti S, Johansson O, Radiation and Health, ACNEM Journal Vol. 30, No. 3, Dec. 2011, p. 19.
Benke K, et al., Spectral Content of Artificial Lighting and Effects on Health, ACNEM Journal Vol. 30, No. 3, Dec. 2011, p. 13-15.
Images and content © D. Bird 2021