How to Get Rid Of Mold from the Body

What is mold?

Mold is a type of fungus that grows on moist surfaces in warm, damp environments. Mold is common and present everywhere, both indoors and outdoors.

Mold infestation is common in damp buildings. Studies show that about 10%-50% of homes and places of business in many parts of the world have water leakage and signs of dampness, causing mold growth and infestation. Certain types of mold that grow indoors cause mold-related illnesses in people.

Types of mold

More than 100,000 species of mold have been identified by scientists, and about 80 of them are harmful to humans.

Scientists usually categorize mold species in three ways:

Allergenic: They aggravate mild allergies but are unlikely to cause illness.

Pathogenic: They cause infection in people with compromised immune systems.

Toxigenic: These molds are toxic to people who encounter them.

Common toxic molds

Toxic molds that are commonly found indoors include:

Alternaria
Aspergillus
Chaetomium
Cladosporium
Fusarium
Mucor
Penicillium
Rhizopus
Wallemia

Toxins produced by molds

Some molds growing indoors produce toxic agents called mycotoxins. Mycotoxins can cause severe health problems and many different symptoms. They most commonly affect people with mold allergies and respiratory conditions like asthma. One can get exposed to mycotoxins through inhalation, ingestion, or direct skin contact.

How does mold reproduce?

Mold reproduces by releasing mold spores into the air. Mold spores can enter indoors through doors, windows, vents, heating and air conditioning systems, etc. Mold spores can also latch on to pets, clothing, shoes, bags, and other articles and come indoors. Once the spores settle in damp, warm, and humid environments, they grow. Mold needs water to grow and thrives in humid bathrooms, leaky roofs, and overwatered plants, or near other water sources.

Common places where mold can be found indoors

Indoor places that are perfect breeding grounds for mold spores include:

Attics
Flooded basements
Bathrooms
Carpets
Crawlspaces
Near heating and cooling appliances
Shower area
Leaky roof

How does mold colonize in the body?

Mold spores can enter the body either when they are inhaled or swallowed and begin to form colonies inside the body. Mold grows well in warm, wet areas and tends to linger in the respiratory tract, where there’s plenty of wet mucus for it to thrive and colonize. Mold produces poisonous biotoxins in the body that cause long-term problems, leading to chronic respiratory illnesses like infections and bronchitis.

Mold causes an imbalance of the immune system, predisposing to a plethora of health problems and conditions. Mold toxicity can trigger other illnesses, pathogens, and autoimmunity.

How does mold affect your health?

If a person has a weakened or compromised immune system or has a preexisting respiratory condition, mold can worsen underlying conditions, and they have a higher chance of experiencing mold-related health conditions, including:

Allergies: 3%-10% of people have high sensitivity to mold, showing signs of an allergic reaction such as itchy skin and a watery nose and eyes when exposed to mold.
Asthma: Exposure to mold could cause asthma attacks.
Brain health: Although no scientific studies have found a direct link, emerging research points to a potential link between toxic mold and behavioral symptoms.
Chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS): CIRS is caused by long exposure to mold toxins. People suffering from allergies, asthma, respiratory issues, or a weakened immune system have a higher risk of developing CIRS.
Eczema: Mold may cause eczema or atopic dermatitis by interfering with the skin barrier.
Pneumonia: In rare cases, exposure to certain molds, often Aspergillus, can cause mold-induced pneumonia.

It is essential to get rid of detox mold from the body to start feeling well.

Symptoms of mold toxicity

Mold toxicity is caused by prolonged exposure to mold and dampness on the body, causing chronic health conditions. Mold toxicity can cause the body to experience an inflammatory reaction that leads to a number of symptoms.

Mold illness is often misdiagnosed because the symptoms mimic or overlap with those of other conditions such as asthma, the common cold, allergies, influenza, and hay fever. People with mold allergies and mold-related illnesses often have no idea that mold is causing the harm.

Some common symptoms of mold illness or toxicity include:

Bloating
Brain fog
Breathing trouble
Difficulty in concentration
Dry skin or rash
Edema
Fatigue
Hay-fever like symptoms: sneezing, runny nose, and nasal congestion
Headaches
Inability to hold urine
Inflammation and/or pain in joints
Insomnia
Itchy skin, skin irritation, and redness
Itchy, sore, or scratchy throat
Itchy, watery, and red eyes
Memory loss
Mood swings
Respiratory disorders such as coughing, wheezing, asthma attacks, chest pain, and tightness
Sinus issues
Sneezing
Stuffy, runny, or itchy nose
Throat hoarseness
Unexplained weakness
Visual changes
Weight gain

How do I get rid of mold from the body?

Once a person is experiencing the symptoms of mold toxicity or has been diagnosed with mold toxicity or toxin illness, mold needs to be eliminated from the body at the earliest before it damages the respiratory system and immune system of the person.

Treatment for mold toxicity involves two principal steps. The primary step involves removing mold from the living spaces and then removing the mold from the body.

The doctor may use an integrated approach to eliminate the mold from the body. Treatment may involve a combination of medical treatment, detox treatment, salt therapy, and natural remedies to remove mold toxins from the body.

Removal of mold in living spaces

It’s challenging to heal people from mold if they live in water-damaged, mold-infested living spaces. Continuous exposure would cause the mold spores to be breathed into the body through the nasal cavity, making it harder for the body to get rid of them. The primary way to heal the body from mold toxicity is to eliminate the source of mold indoors. Any traces of mold in living spaces need to be scrubbed with a mixture of bleach and water and then dried out with fans for about 24-48 hours to ventilate and dry the area. It is essential to remove the mold or move out of the moldy house!

Medical treatments

When a person has a severe reaction to mycotoxins, the doctor might recommend one or more of the following treatments according to their needs:

Antifungal medications
Allergy shots: The doctor might recommend allergy shots to reduce the symptoms of mold allergies.
Antihistamine: This could help reduce mild allergic symptoms and discomfort from mold exposure.
Antioxidants: Antioxidants help to oxidize mold toxins and free radicals.
Nasal spray: Because mold colonizes the nasal cavity, nasal spray is used to remove a number of pathogens and reduce inflammation in the sinuses.

Salt therapy

Salt therapy, also known as halotherapy, is an alternative treatment method that involves breathing salty air to address many respiratory symptoms caused by exposure to some molds.

Detox treatment

Detox or detoxification is a popular biological process for removing toxins or unhealthy substances from the body. The body is equipped with a highly effective detox system and natural drainage pathways that involve the skin, digestive system, liver, kidneys, and lungs to eliminate toxic substances when infected. While detoxing, it is necessary to stay hydrated and avoid constipation.

Mold detox from the body can be performed in the following ways:

Detoxing with binders
Detoxing with a diet
Detoxing with glutathione and supplements
Detoxing through sweat
Detoxing from stress

Detoxing with binders

The detox treatment involving binders helps to fully remove the colonized mold in the body. Mold binders attract and bind toxins, move them through the gastrointestinal tract, and eliminate them from the body.

Before starting any binder detox treatment, it is essential to open the body’s natural drainage pathways to ensure that the toxins can leave the body easily. Once the body’s drainage pathways are open, the binder treatment can be used to fully remove the colonized mold from the body.

Some of the common binders that are used to help remove mold from the body include:

Activated charcoal: Activated charcoal is often used by the medical community to get smoothly and easily rid of poisons and toxic substances from patients’ bodies. Activated charcoal is a binder that can bind to many things, including mold toxins, vitamins, minerals, and other medications. Hence, if activated charcoal is used as a binder, it is carefully administered, the person’s nutrition is monitored, and supplements may be given. Because of its mechanism, activated charcoal is used only in acute situations.
Bentonite clay: Bentonite clay comes from volcano ash and binds with mold toxins, heavy metals, and other harmful materials and eliminates them from the body. The clay safely and effectively removes the mycotoxins from the body without inhibiting micronutrient absorption. Bentonite clay also has antibacterial and antiviral properties and provides the body with several minerals, such as magnesium, potassium, iron, calcium, and sodium.
Chlorella: Chlorella is an alga that binds to mold toxins and heavy metals in the digestive tract and helps to eliminate them from the body. Chlorella is a popular binder, as it does not remove minerals and nutrients from the body and hence does not lead to nutritional deficiencies with long-term use. Chlorella also helps to naturally boost immunity.
Pectin: Pectin sweeps mold toxins present in the gastrointestinal tract and binds with heavy metals. Pectin is inexpensive and can be used with other binders. Pectin is found in various fruits, such as citrus, apples, and plums. It is dehydrated and available as a fiber supplement. Occasionally, pectin may cause gastrointestinal issues like abdominal cramps, gas, and diarrhea.
Zeolite: Zeolite is a powder that contains several natural minerals and can bind with mold toxins and heavy metals, drawing them out of the body. There are 49 forms of zeolite, and it is often combined with other binders to eliminate toxins.

Detoxing with diet

What one eats and drinks affects one’s health. When the immune system is compromised because of mold-related issues, it is essential to avoid certain foods. A low-mold diet focuses on building a healthy food foundation to eliminate mold from the body.

The dos and don’ts of a low-mold diet include:

Avoid sugar: Sugar promotes mold growth, which could make mold symptoms worse.
Avoid packaged and ultra-processed foods: These foods contain sugars, simple carbs, and additives that can increase mold growth in the body.
Avoid foods containing mold and yeast: Some foods, such as cheese and alcoholic beverages, are processed with mold and yeast and should be avoided. All foods are susceptible to unwanted mold growth, especially cereals, bread, nuts, dried fruit, grains, packaged and smoked meats, edible fungi, and fermented foods. It is best to avoid mold-contaminated foods.
Enjoy food in moderation: Balance the diet with gluten-free grains, starchy vegetables, legumes, and low-sugar fruits.
Include probiotics: Probiotics directly target and bind to mycotoxins, removing them safely from the body. Probiotics are present in many fermented foods and are a natural way to detox the body from toxic mold. Probiotics are also available as capsules and liquids.

Detoxing with glutathione and other supplements

Glutathione is made up of three types of amino acids and is considered the best of all antioxidants. Glutathione helps to oxidize mold toxins and free radicals and helps other antioxidants work better. The body synthesizes glutathione in the liver, which is found in every cell in the body. Low levels of glutathione have been linked to many medical conditions. Other than glutathione, the antioxidants quercetin and N-acetylcysteine also support mold detox.

Detoxing through sweat

The skin is the largest organ in the body, and sweating can help detox by:

Improving the body’s anti-inflammatory reaction
Helping to cleanse bacteria, detoxing heavy metals, and eliminating harmful chemicals from the body
Maintaining body temperature

Activities that help induce excessive sweating include:

Cycling
Dancing
Gardening
Golfing
Hiking
Playing games such as tennis, football, baseball, soccer, etc.
Swimming
Walking

Detoxing from stress

Mold-related illnesses can be devastating and cause stress. The following de-stressing activities would help a person heal quickly:

Engaging in favorite activities and hobbies
Exercise releases mood-boosting chemicals called endorphins
Meditation can calm the mind
Slow, deep breathing avoids stressful thoughts
Taking a break

How do I heal the body after a mold detox?

After eliminating the mold toxins from the body, it is necessary to restore the damage that might have been caused by the mycotoxins. Consuming certain foods can help boost the immune system back to normal and restore the gut microbiome after being exposed to mold and mycotoxins.

Collagen: Mycotoxins reduce overall collagen production, especially type II collagen. Collagen is required by the body as it’s the foundation for skin, connective tissues, bones, joints, muscles, etc. A collagen supplement can help heal the parts of the body that have been damaged by mycotoxins.

Probiotics: Other than the removal of mycotoxins from the body, probiotics can help restore the gut microbiota and heal the damage that was caused to the gut lining.

Prevention of mold toxicity

Mold may cause health problems in some people but may not affect others. Children and adults with compromised immune systems and those suffering from chronic respiratory issues, including asthma and recurrent bronchitis, may be particularly vulnerable to mold and experience symptoms of mold toxicity.

Eliminating leaks, dampness, and humidity may prevent mold growth, which may help prevent mold-related illness in children and adults.

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