Recognizing the “Faces” and “Friends” of Mold
The and friends of mold are more numerous than a lifelong secret agent. Mold toxicity alone has a wide variety of symptoms. In addition to this, however, the numerous disruptive friends with whom mold associates, like heavy metals and chronic occult infections, make the diagnosis more difficult and the therapy more complicated. Diagnosing and treating mold toxicity requires an understanding of both the faces and the friends of mold toxicity.
Once you are familiar with the Faces and Friends of Mold, you should then also become familiar with the Imitators of Mold. These Imitators can mimic many of the same symptoms simultaneously with mold toxicity, even synergizing with mold toxicity, or continue the symptoms of mold toxicity after mold is long gone. In other words, they can act like friends or imitators at different time.
Mold Toxicity Syndrome Close Up …. The “FACES”
Underneath the faces of toxicity, we generally find chronic inflammatory processes or molecular mimicry for hormonal effects. From patient to patient, cytokine distortion, complement activation, and oxidative stress damage share varying responsibility for chronic inflammatory symptoms. Likewise, to varying degrees in different patients based on whether they stimulate or suppress, augment or degrade, or simply impersonate our hormones. We will focus on the inflammatory processes first before later returning to the hormonal effects.
wax and wane in response to invaders within our bodies. Under ideal circumstances these chemical messengers allow the immune system to coordinate a defense or an attack on microbes attempting to cross the “no trespassing” sign. They attract cells to the battleground. They gather resources for both attack and recovery from damage. When the battle finishes, they stand down the troops and turn off the alarms. Under the influence of chronic inflammatory stimulus, they become inadvertent aggressors against our bodies. For example, transforming growth factor beta-1 can begin as an inflammatory safeguard yet over the long term can contribute to autoimmune disease and tissue fibrosis. Other cytokines carry out a variety of negative effects.
Besides causing battleground damage, their signals and alarms set off downstream effects in other systems. The neurologic system reacts to these inflammatory signals with brain fog, random pains, and distorted perceptions like dizziness or ear ringing. The hormonal system swings wildly like a Southerner’s car on an icy road. These swings trigger infertility, irregular cycles, and mood swings. The immune system itself loses its bearings and simultaneously lets down its guard against other invaders while firing shots at its own tissues (autoimmunity). All in all, this haywire chronic inflammation spreads trouble throughout the body and the life of the patient.
Inflammation may result from complement proteins (an essential first line defense of the immune system) going into chronic activation mode. Chronic activation opens the door for ongoing inflammation and histamine release from mast cells. Other inflammatory messengers like Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1 may serve as a mediator as noted earlier. We can measure C4a, TGF Beta 1 and other markers to determine the presence and severity of CIRS.
Some mold toxins directly cause inflammatory damage through oxidative stress. Oxidative stress means that a structural or functional molecule (could be a protein, a fat, or a carbohydrate) has been oxidized. Rusting of iron is an example of oxidation. The addition of oxygen or a change in oxygen already present alters the structure of the molecule and its ability to carry out its intended function. With the presence of additional oxygen atoms, or the breaking of other chemical bonds, the entire shape of a hormone or other functional molecule can change ruining the molecule’s ability to carry out its work. Dysfunction and symptoms result when too many of these oxidative stress changes occur. Furthermore, the damage itself triggers further inflammation in response to the damaged tissue. Rather than the normal process of healing after inflammation, the inflammation self-perpetuates and continues indefinitely.
Between these inflammatory mechanisms and their secondary effects, the chronic inflammatory response syndrome perpetuates what Dr. Robert Naviaux has coined the cell danger response. Avoiding scientific jargon, this simply means that the basic systems at a cellular level remain stuck in an inflammatory state rather than returning to a reparative state. The damage from the inflammatory state builds upon itself. Think of a microphone pressed up to its own speaker. The cycle intensifies creating more an more damage while simultaneously preventing the body from healing as quickly.
As an update, these same mechanisms of inflammation appear to be present in Post-COVID syndrome patients. The primary differences are that Post-COVID appears to cause more elevations in Transforming Growth Factor Beta 1 than other biotoxins, but can be even worse in terms of symptoms than mold in some ways.
Please refer to the sections below for effects of inflammation in specific areas.
Mold and the Nervous System
Mold and Psychiatric Health
Mold and the Immune System
Mold and the Gastrointestinal System
Mold and the Hormonal System
Mold and the Energy Cycle
Mold and the Other Systems
Mold and Pain
Mold and Multiple Chemical Sensitivities
Mold and the Human Spirit