The Global Indoor Health Network has compiled an excellent overview of the health implications of mold and other indoor air contaminants. The overview includes a number of reports and studies from experts in the field.
One report by Dr. Harriet Ammann, titled Is Indoor Mold Contamination a Threat to Health?, concludes:
Health effects from exposures to molds in indoor environments can result from allergy, infection, mucous membrane and sensory irritation and toxicity alone, or in combination.
The report also notes:
Mycotoxins are nearly all cytotoxic, disrupting various cellular structures such as membranes, and interfering with vital cellular processes such as protein, RNA and DNA synthesis.
Included is this summary of toxins and their targets:
• Vascular system (increased vascular fragility, hemorrhage into body tissues, or from lung, e.g., aflatoxin, satratoxin, roridins).
• Digestive system (diarrhea, vomiting, intestinal hemorrhage, liver effects, i.e., necrosis, fibrosis: aflatoxin; caustic effects on mucous membranes: T-2 toxin; anorexia: vomitoxin.
• Respiratory system: respiratory distress, bleeding from lungs e.g., trichothecenes.
• Nervous system, tremors, incoordination, depression, headache, e.g., tremorgens, trichothecenes.
• Cutaneous system: rash, burning sensation sloughing of skin, photosensitization, e.g., trichothecenes.
• Urinary system, nephrotoxicity, e.g. ochratoxin, citrinin.
• Reproductive system; infertility, changes in reproductive cycles, e.g. T-2 toxin, zearalenone.
• Immune system: changes or suppression: many mycotoxins.
A second report cited by Dr. Ruth Etzel, titled What the Primary Care Pediatrician Should Know about Syndromes Associated with Exposures to Mycotoxins, states:
Disease associated with exposure to mycotoxins is known as the “Great Masquerader” of the 21st century because of its complex natural history involving different tissues and resembling different diseases at each stage in its evolution. It can present with a variety of nonspecific clinical signs and symptoms such as rash, conjunctivitis, epistaxis, apnea, cough, wheezing, nausea, and vomiting. Some cases of vomiting illness, bone marrow failure, acute pulmonary hemorrhage, and recurrent apnea and/or “pneumonia” are associated with exposure to mycotoxins.
Familiarity with the symptoms of exposure to the major classes of mycotoxins enables the clinician to ask pertinent questions about possible fungal exposures and to remove the infant or child from the source of exposure, which could be contaminated food(s), clothing and furniture, or the indoor air of the home. Failure to prevent recurrent exposure often results in recurrent illness. A variety of other conditions, including hepatocellular and esophageal cancer and neural tube defects, are associated with consumption of foods contaminated with mycotoxins.
Awareness of the short- and long-term consequences of exposures to these natural toxins helps pediatricians to serve as better advocates for children and families.
Global Indoor Health Network's Health Effects page can be found by clicking here.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Gut Health
"All diseases begin in the gut." —Hippocrates
"The germ is nothing, the terrain is everything." —Louis Pasteur
The focus of our recovery continues to be the lining of the digestive tract. This necessitates the careful selection and intake of foods due to the complexity of the gut flora. The gut flora is designed to protect and fight against harmful pathogens. When too many pathogens are ingested, like those in a toxic mold exposure, the flora is often damaged. When the "bad gut bugs" outnumber the "good gut bugs," the digestive lining is weakened--which means the whole immune system is weakened, since nearly 70% of the immune system resides in the gut.
Leaky Gut Syndrome often arises as undigested proteins and other undesirable materials "leak" through the compromised gut lining and travel throughout the body. A myriad of symptoms can occur from LGS, such as food allergies, migraines, bloating, constipation, mood swings, and much more.
In an article titled Leaky Gut Syndrome: The Hidden Root Cause to Many Digestive Disorders, Dr. Scott Olson explains:
The gut is made up of millions of cells that allow only these small macronutrient molecules to pass into the blood. Usually, only broken down nutrients such as glucose and amino acids are let into the blood. Larger macronutrients, particularly larger proteins, tend to cause problems when they enter the blood stream. The body thinks that they are foreign invaders, causing the immune system to release white blood cells to attack the invaders. These white blood cells have chemicals within them that, when leaked, induce swelling and inflammation.
The cells of the gut are normally packed tightly together in order to allow only the broken down proteins into the blood. Inflammation causes these tightly packed cells to swell and loosen. Much like block walls that have lost their grout, spaces open between these cells and larger undigested proteins escape into the blood stream. This is leaky gut: undigested proteins and other unwanted material leaking through the intestinal wall directly into the blood.
The gut can become leaky when we eat foods we shouldn’t, are exposed to chemicals, have the wrong kind of bacteria in our guts, or are under stress. Any of these conditions can cause the gut to become inflamed.
As the article states, millions of cells line the digestive tract. Microbiologist Dr. Jeffrey Gordon of the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis says our digestive tracts are an entire "other planet." Furthermore, according to Dr. Gordon, "Our bodies carry ten times more microbial cells than human cells, and these microbes collectively contain at least a hundred times the number of genes in the human genome."
According to Gordon's study (featured in this National Geographic article), the good microbes help out by fermenting our food and producing vitamins for us, as well as breaking down toxic chemicals. The breakdown of toxic chemicals occurs through a process called "bioremediation."
This is why proper understanding of environmental medicine and food selection is critical. If we continually breathe in contaminants and ingest chemical-ridden foods, we open the door to serious health issues. The intake of sugar inherently leads to trouble, since fungal pathogens feed on sugar. This is why most anti-fungal diets suggest the reduction or elimination of grains, fruits, and sugars.
If foods are allowed to sit, undigested, in the digestive tract, pathogens are free to multiply. So as we reduce our intake of the "bad guys," we must also increase our intake of "good" yeasts and bacteria. This is where probiotic foods and probiotic supplements become our greatest allies. Sauerkraut, beet kvass, gingered carrots, and a host of other fermented vegetables are produced through an age-old process called lacto-fermentation. The Weston A. Price Foundation has an excellent introductory article here.
There are numerous probiotic supplements. Here are three websites I've found to be helpful:
Custom Probiotics
GI ProHealth
The Finchley Clinic (in the UK)
It makes sense to focus on the gut when trying to heal from a chronic illness. It also makes sense that recovery takes time, is unique to each individual, and often requires a radical change in lifestyle.
Something I'm learning to embrace, one batch of sauerkraut at a time.
"The germ is nothing, the terrain is everything." —Louis Pasteur
The focus of our recovery continues to be the lining of the digestive tract. This necessitates the careful selection and intake of foods due to the complexity of the gut flora. The gut flora is designed to protect and fight against harmful pathogens. When too many pathogens are ingested, like those in a toxic mold exposure, the flora is often damaged. When the "bad gut bugs" outnumber the "good gut bugs," the digestive lining is weakened--which means the whole immune system is weakened, since nearly 70% of the immune system resides in the gut.
Leaky Gut Syndrome often arises as undigested proteins and other undesirable materials "leak" through the compromised gut lining and travel throughout the body. A myriad of symptoms can occur from LGS, such as food allergies, migraines, bloating, constipation, mood swings, and much more.
In an article titled Leaky Gut Syndrome: The Hidden Root Cause to Many Digestive Disorders, Dr. Scott Olson explains:
The gut is made up of millions of cells that allow only these small macronutrient molecules to pass into the blood. Usually, only broken down nutrients such as glucose and amino acids are let into the blood. Larger macronutrients, particularly larger proteins, tend to cause problems when they enter the blood stream. The body thinks that they are foreign invaders, causing the immune system to release white blood cells to attack the invaders. These white blood cells have chemicals within them that, when leaked, induce swelling and inflammation.
The cells of the gut are normally packed tightly together in order to allow only the broken down proteins into the blood. Inflammation causes these tightly packed cells to swell and loosen. Much like block walls that have lost their grout, spaces open between these cells and larger undigested proteins escape into the blood stream. This is leaky gut: undigested proteins and other unwanted material leaking through the intestinal wall directly into the blood.
The gut can become leaky when we eat foods we shouldn’t, are exposed to chemicals, have the wrong kind of bacteria in our guts, or are under stress. Any of these conditions can cause the gut to become inflamed.
As the article states, millions of cells line the digestive tract. Microbiologist Dr. Jeffrey Gordon of the School of Medicine at Washington University in St. Louis says our digestive tracts are an entire "other planet." Furthermore, according to Dr. Gordon, "Our bodies carry ten times more microbial cells than human cells, and these microbes collectively contain at least a hundred times the number of genes in the human genome."
According to Gordon's study (featured in this National Geographic article), the good microbes help out by fermenting our food and producing vitamins for us, as well as breaking down toxic chemicals. The breakdown of toxic chemicals occurs through a process called "bioremediation."
This is why proper understanding of environmental medicine and food selection is critical. If we continually breathe in contaminants and ingest chemical-ridden foods, we open the door to serious health issues. The intake of sugar inherently leads to trouble, since fungal pathogens feed on sugar. This is why most anti-fungal diets suggest the reduction or elimination of grains, fruits, and sugars.
If foods are allowed to sit, undigested, in the digestive tract, pathogens are free to multiply. So as we reduce our intake of the "bad guys," we must also increase our intake of "good" yeasts and bacteria. This is where probiotic foods and probiotic supplements become our greatest allies. Sauerkraut, beet kvass, gingered carrots, and a host of other fermented vegetables are produced through an age-old process called lacto-fermentation. The Weston A. Price Foundation has an excellent introductory article here.
There are numerous probiotic supplements. Here are three websites I've found to be helpful:
Custom Probiotics
GI ProHealth
The Finchley Clinic (in the UK)
It makes sense to focus on the gut when trying to heal from a chronic illness. It also makes sense that recovery takes time, is unique to each individual, and often requires a radical change in lifestyle.
Something I'm learning to embrace, one batch of sauerkraut at a time.
Monday, October 25, 2010
Mold in Florida Schools
A Florida newspaper is running a three-part series on the subject of mold in schools. The series stems from a review of environmental studies, school district reports, and thousands of maintenance work orders over the past three years. The key findings include:
• A never-ending battle against mold — some of it the most potentially dangerous, toxin-producing varieties — infesting classrooms, cafeterias, locker rooms, media centers and even nurses' quarters.
• Repeated complaints that cited students and teachers suffering from stinging eyes, breathing distress and other symptoms thought to be related to poor indoor air quality.
• Persistently leaky buildings and faulty air-conditioning systems, which let in the moisture that mold needs to thrive.
• Some schools making matters worse by shutting off the air-conditioning to save money during weekends and summers in one of the hottest, most humid states in the country.
• Different approaches to the problem from school district to school district with inconsistent record keeping. In some cases, maintenance workers were allowed to paint over water-damaged areas instead of removing them as recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Parents who are often kept in the dark about the problem.
According to the first article, published October 17 in the Orlando Sentinel:
For nine months a year, 2.6 million students and hundreds of thousands of teachers and other employees spend at least six hours a day in Florida's public schools. Yet there are no state laws governing how schools should monitor, detect and handle mold buildup and other indoor air-quality issues.
The article includes the story of one middle school social studies teacher who left his job after six years. Jessy Hamilton says he battled mold and respiratory infections the entire time he taught at Walker Middle School.
The gray-black fungi first appeared in his portable classroom after the hurricanes of 2004. At one point, the entire ceiling was covered in mold, yet he had to hold classes there for eight weeks before his class could move into the media center temporarily, he said.
When Hamilton returned to the portable, the mold seemed to be gone. But it reappeared. Again and again.
"They would look at it and say, 'Ah, it is not as bad as it was,'" said Hamilton, who was eventually moved to another classroom, which he said also had mold. "They painted over it, which dumbfounds me to this day."
To read the article in its entirety, click here.
• A never-ending battle against mold — some of it the most potentially dangerous, toxin-producing varieties — infesting classrooms, cafeterias, locker rooms, media centers and even nurses' quarters.
• Repeated complaints that cited students and teachers suffering from stinging eyes, breathing distress and other symptoms thought to be related to poor indoor air quality.
• Persistently leaky buildings and faulty air-conditioning systems, which let in the moisture that mold needs to thrive.
• Some schools making matters worse by shutting off the air-conditioning to save money during weekends and summers in one of the hottest, most humid states in the country.
• Different approaches to the problem from school district to school district with inconsistent record keeping. In some cases, maintenance workers were allowed to paint over water-damaged areas instead of removing them as recommended by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
• Parents who are often kept in the dark about the problem.
According to the first article, published October 17 in the Orlando Sentinel:
For nine months a year, 2.6 million students and hundreds of thousands of teachers and other employees spend at least six hours a day in Florida's public schools. Yet there are no state laws governing how schools should monitor, detect and handle mold buildup and other indoor air-quality issues.
The article includes the story of one middle school social studies teacher who left his job after six years. Jessy Hamilton says he battled mold and respiratory infections the entire time he taught at Walker Middle School.
The gray-black fungi first appeared in his portable classroom after the hurricanes of 2004. At one point, the entire ceiling was covered in mold, yet he had to hold classes there for eight weeks before his class could move into the media center temporarily, he said.
When Hamilton returned to the portable, the mold seemed to be gone. But it reappeared. Again and again.
"They would look at it and say, 'Ah, it is not as bad as it was,'" said Hamilton, who was eventually moved to another classroom, which he said also had mold. "They painted over it, which dumbfounds me to this day."
To read the article in its entirety, click here.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Two-Year Reflection
Two years ago, on October 4, the kids and I went for a hike on the Santa Fe Trail. Chris was out of town, our older kids were living in apartments, and I was pondering a disturbing discussion. I had just talked with a toxicologist, who suggested we vacate our home.
I was shocked.
After all, we had completed two mold remediations. We replaced virtually everything in the home. Surely we were going to put our painful past behind us and move forward with our lives.
A deep anxiety came over me as we walked. My brain was fogged, my tongue had turned black on top, and I felt alone with an overwhelming sense that the toxicologist was right. The kids were innocently riding their bikes…oblivious to the heaviness of my soul.
Two weeks ago, on October 4, the kids and I hiked a trail at Saguaro National Park. My brain was not fogged, my joints no longer ached, there was no more black tongue, but my soul remained heavy.
Life has not gotten easier because we left. In some ways it’s much harder. Post-traumatic stress, chemical sensitivity, ongoing food intolerances, and fragile immune systems dominate our lives.
It makes me think of the Israelites and their journey out of slavery. I’m sure they expected life to get better once they were free.
Instead they wandered. For years. Eating the same food and enduring one hardship after another. I bet the mothers ached for their kids as I ache for mine.
Here's how one commentator describes the lesson of the Israelites.
“The shortest and easiest way is not always the best way. Sometimes the longest and most difficult journey is the safest, surest and best in the end.”
Things happened in that desert that needed to happen, that couldn't happen any other way.
I find this comforting as I watch my kids grieve their losses and fight their battles. Here is a picture of our hike two weeks ago.
You can barely see us in the picture. But there we are, navigating through the rocks and cactus. Praying for the strength and courage to keep on climbing. Grateful to have come this far. Inspired by the words of Helen Keller,
“Although the world is very full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”
I was shocked.
After all, we had completed two mold remediations. We replaced virtually everything in the home. Surely we were going to put our painful past behind us and move forward with our lives.
A deep anxiety came over me as we walked. My brain was fogged, my tongue had turned black on top, and I felt alone with an overwhelming sense that the toxicologist was right. The kids were innocently riding their bikes…oblivious to the heaviness of my soul.
Two weeks ago, on October 4, the kids and I hiked a trail at Saguaro National Park. My brain was not fogged, my joints no longer ached, there was no more black tongue, but my soul remained heavy.
Life has not gotten easier because we left. In some ways it’s much harder. Post-traumatic stress, chemical sensitivity, ongoing food intolerances, and fragile immune systems dominate our lives.
It makes me think of the Israelites and their journey out of slavery. I’m sure they expected life to get better once they were free.
Instead they wandered. For years. Eating the same food and enduring one hardship after another. I bet the mothers ached for their kids as I ache for mine.
Here's how one commentator describes the lesson of the Israelites.
“The shortest and easiest way is not always the best way. Sometimes the longest and most difficult journey is the safest, surest and best in the end.”
Things happened in that desert that needed to happen, that couldn't happen any other way.
I find this comforting as I watch my kids grieve their losses and fight their battles. Here is a picture of our hike two weeks ago.
“Although the world is very full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.”
Monday, October 18, 2010
The Truth About High Fructose Corn Syrup
One of the best and most immediate things we can do for our health is to eliminate high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) from our diet. This is easier said than done, as it is ubiquitous to the Standard American Diet (SAD). Next to air, water, and salt, HFCS is the cheapest ingredient in our current food chain. HFCS is found in breads, cereals, breakfast bars, lunch meats, condiments, and much more.
How exactly is HFCS made? Anyone battling a toxic mold exposure should be aware. According to CNN's Eatocracy website:
The corn syrup is made by first steeping kernels of corn in a solution of 122°F-140°F water and a small percentage of sulfur dioxide - to prevent excessive bacterial growth - for 30-40 hours. This hydrates the kernels, more than doubling their size, and breaks gluten bonds down to release starch.
The steeping water, which then contains nutrients as a result of the process, is condensed for use in animal feed and fermentation processes. The kernels are coarsely ground to break the germ down, then spun in cyclone germ separators. First, the germ is pumped onto screens and has the starch washed off it, then it's sent through chemical and mechanical processes to extract corn oil, which is then refined. The germ residue is used in animal feed.
The corn and starch are then sent through a second, more intensive milling process that releases the starch and gluten from the fiber in the kernel. The fiber is screened out, milled again, then piped off to - you guessed it - become animal feed. The starch and gluten that remains is piped off to a starch separator.
In this next centrifuge, gluten and starch separate easily. The gluten is sent off to become, yes, animal feed. The starch is diluted, washed 8-14 times to remove any residual gluten protein, and then rediluted and washed again to produce high quality starch. Some of this starch is dried and sold as unmodified corn starch, and the rest converted into corn syrups and dextrose - also known as D-glucose.
From this humble kernel comes:
Hulls: used for animal feed and scientists are working on new applications for corn fiber oil, patented as "AmaizingOil" and a corn fiber gum, "Zeagen," which could be used as a thickener in culinary and industrial applications
Oil: used for cooking, biodiesel fuel, paint, ink, pharmaceuticals and other products
Protein: used as animal feed or as an herbicide
Starch: used for fabric sizing, surface coating, adhesives, anticaking agents, mold-release agents, dusting powder, thickening agents, "drilling mud" employed to cool down superheated oil drilling bits, dextrose and corn syrups
It's that last one we're after. The starch, in a water suspension, is treated with enzymes - namely alpha-amylase, which is derived from a bacteria - to break down long chemical chains of pure glucose into shorter chains called polysaccharides. Then these shorter chains are treated with an enzyme, glucoamylase - which is derived from a fungus called Aspergillus. This fermentation converts the mixture, or "slurry" into almost pure glucose. If other sugars like maltose are desired, different combinations of enzymes and acids are used, for varying times.
This glucose mixture is then poured over columns containing an enzyme called glucose-isomerase, which converts the pure glucose into a glucose-fructose mixture. This is then distilled to a 90% fructose solution using a process called liquid chromatography.
This higher fructose liquid is then blended back into the original mixture to net out at a solution of 55% fructose and 45% glucose: known in the industry as high fructose corn syrup or HFCS.
Despite the complicated process and high cost of at least one key ingredient - the glucose-isomerase - HFCS is often a cheaper ingredient than sugar for manufacturers, for several reasons. Because it can be produced domestically, it is not subject to the USDA tariffs and quotas that drive up the price of cane sugar. It can also easily be packed into tankers and driven across country. Additionally, corn subsidies to US farmers - $3,975,606,299 in 2009 alone - make corn a cheap and plentiful commodity.
And because of its relative inexpensiveness, high fructose corn syrup is a common sweetening agent in countless packaged foods, from soft drinks and baked goods, to tomato sauce, salad dressings, jellies and ketchup.
That makes for some pretty sweet business for the makers of "corn sugar" – as the Corn Refiners Association is now lobbying the Food and Drug Administration to call the stuff.
To read the article in its entirety as well as participate in a survey regarding your previous knowledge about HFCS, click here.
How exactly is HFCS made? Anyone battling a toxic mold exposure should be aware. According to CNN's Eatocracy website:
The corn syrup is made by first steeping kernels of corn in a solution of 122°F-140°F water and a small percentage of sulfur dioxide - to prevent excessive bacterial growth - for 30-40 hours. This hydrates the kernels, more than doubling their size, and breaks gluten bonds down to release starch.
The steeping water, which then contains nutrients as a result of the process, is condensed for use in animal feed and fermentation processes. The kernels are coarsely ground to break the germ down, then spun in cyclone germ separators. First, the germ is pumped onto screens and has the starch washed off it, then it's sent through chemical and mechanical processes to extract corn oil, which is then refined. The germ residue is used in animal feed.
The corn and starch are then sent through a second, more intensive milling process that releases the starch and gluten from the fiber in the kernel. The fiber is screened out, milled again, then piped off to - you guessed it - become animal feed. The starch and gluten that remains is piped off to a starch separator.
In this next centrifuge, gluten and starch separate easily. The gluten is sent off to become, yes, animal feed. The starch is diluted, washed 8-14 times to remove any residual gluten protein, and then rediluted and washed again to produce high quality starch. Some of this starch is dried and sold as unmodified corn starch, and the rest converted into corn syrups and dextrose - also known as D-glucose.
From this humble kernel comes:
Hulls: used for animal feed and scientists are working on new applications for corn fiber oil, patented as "AmaizingOil" and a corn fiber gum, "Zeagen," which could be used as a thickener in culinary and industrial applications
Oil: used for cooking, biodiesel fuel, paint, ink, pharmaceuticals and other products
Protein: used as animal feed or as an herbicide
Starch: used for fabric sizing, surface coating, adhesives, anticaking agents, mold-release agents, dusting powder, thickening agents, "drilling mud" employed to cool down superheated oil drilling bits, dextrose and corn syrups
It's that last one we're after. The starch, in a water suspension, is treated with enzymes - namely alpha-amylase, which is derived from a bacteria - to break down long chemical chains of pure glucose into shorter chains called polysaccharides. Then these shorter chains are treated with an enzyme, glucoamylase - which is derived from a fungus called Aspergillus. This fermentation converts the mixture, or "slurry" into almost pure glucose. If other sugars like maltose are desired, different combinations of enzymes and acids are used, for varying times.
This glucose mixture is then poured over columns containing an enzyme called glucose-isomerase, which converts the pure glucose into a glucose-fructose mixture. This is then distilled to a 90% fructose solution using a process called liquid chromatography.
This higher fructose liquid is then blended back into the original mixture to net out at a solution of 55% fructose and 45% glucose: known in the industry as high fructose corn syrup or HFCS.
Despite the complicated process and high cost of at least one key ingredient - the glucose-isomerase - HFCS is often a cheaper ingredient than sugar for manufacturers, for several reasons. Because it can be produced domestically, it is not subject to the USDA tariffs and quotas that drive up the price of cane sugar. It can also easily be packed into tankers and driven across country. Additionally, corn subsidies to US farmers - $3,975,606,299 in 2009 alone - make corn a cheap and plentiful commodity.
And because of its relative inexpensiveness, high fructose corn syrup is a common sweetening agent in countless packaged foods, from soft drinks and baked goods, to tomato sauce, salad dressings, jellies and ketchup.
That makes for some pretty sweet business for the makers of "corn sugar" – as the Corn Refiners Association is now lobbying the Food and Drug Administration to call the stuff.
To read the article in its entirety as well as participate in a survey regarding your previous knowledge about HFCS, click here.
Friday, October 15, 2010
New Asthma Study
A study released September 16 links the development of childhood asthma to indoor air quality. The following abstract appears in the Journal of Hygiene and Environmental Health:
Asthma has become the most common childhood chronic disease in the industrialized world, and it is also increasing in developing regions. There are huge differences in the prevalence of childhood asthma across countries and continents, and there is no doubt that the prevalence of asthma was strongly increasing during the past decades worldwide.
Asthma, as a complex disease, has a broad spectrum of potential determinants ranging from genetics to lifestyle and environmental factors. Environmental factors are likely to be important in explaining the regional differences and the overall increasing trend towards asthma's prevalence. Among the environmental conditions, indoor factors are of particular interest because people spend more than 80% of their time indoors globally.
Increasing prices for oil, gas and other sources of primary energy will further lead to better insulation of homes, and ultimately to reduced energy costs. This will decrease air exchange rates and will lower the dilution of indoor air mass with ambient air. Indoor air quality and potential health effects will therefore be an area for future research and for gaining a better understanding of asthma epidemics.
This strategic review will summarize the current knowledge of the effects of a broad spectrum of indoor factors on the development of asthma in childhood in Western countries based on epidemiological studies. In conclusion, several epidemiological studies point out, that indoor factors might cause asthma in childhood. Stronger and more consistent findings are seen when exposure to these indoor factors is assessed by surrogates for the source of the actual toxicants. Measurement-based exposure assessments for several indoor factors are less common than using surrogates of the exposure. These studies, however, mainly showed heterogeneous results.
The most consistent finding for an induction of asthma in childhood is related to exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, to living in homes close to busy roads, and in damp homes where are visible moulds at home. The causing agents of the increased risk of living in damp homes remained uncertain and needs clarification. Exposure to pet-derived allergens and house dust mites are very commonly investigated and thought to be related to asthma onset. The epidemiological evidence is not sufficient to recommend avoidance measures against pet and dust mites as preventive activities against allergies.
More research is also needed to clarify the potential risk for exposure to volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds due to renovation activities, phthalates and chlorine chemicals due to cleaning.
The full abstract can be found by clicking here.
Asthma has become the most common childhood chronic disease in the industrialized world, and it is also increasing in developing regions. There are huge differences in the prevalence of childhood asthma across countries and continents, and there is no doubt that the prevalence of asthma was strongly increasing during the past decades worldwide.
Asthma, as a complex disease, has a broad spectrum of potential determinants ranging from genetics to lifestyle and environmental factors. Environmental factors are likely to be important in explaining the regional differences and the overall increasing trend towards asthma's prevalence. Among the environmental conditions, indoor factors are of particular interest because people spend more than 80% of their time indoors globally.
Increasing prices for oil, gas and other sources of primary energy will further lead to better insulation of homes, and ultimately to reduced energy costs. This will decrease air exchange rates and will lower the dilution of indoor air mass with ambient air. Indoor air quality and potential health effects will therefore be an area for future research and for gaining a better understanding of asthma epidemics.
This strategic review will summarize the current knowledge of the effects of a broad spectrum of indoor factors on the development of asthma in childhood in Western countries based on epidemiological studies. In conclusion, several epidemiological studies point out, that indoor factors might cause asthma in childhood. Stronger and more consistent findings are seen when exposure to these indoor factors is assessed by surrogates for the source of the actual toxicants. Measurement-based exposure assessments for several indoor factors are less common than using surrogates of the exposure. These studies, however, mainly showed heterogeneous results.
The most consistent finding for an induction of asthma in childhood is related to exposure to environmental tobacco smoke, to living in homes close to busy roads, and in damp homes where are visible moulds at home. The causing agents of the increased risk of living in damp homes remained uncertain and needs clarification. Exposure to pet-derived allergens and house dust mites are very commonly investigated and thought to be related to asthma onset. The epidemiological evidence is not sufficient to recommend avoidance measures against pet and dust mites as preventive activities against allergies.
More research is also needed to clarify the potential risk for exposure to volatile and semi-volatile organic compounds due to renovation activities, phthalates and chlorine chemicals due to cleaning.
The full abstract can be found by clicking here.
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
New BPA Study
Because endocrine disruption is a big part of our experience with toxic mold exposure, we have steered away from plastics in our home. This is because of the use of BPA (bisphenol A), a compound known to warp the reproductive systems of mice.
The controversy surrounding BPA took a new twist this month when a new study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives concluded that total daily human exposure occurs via multiple routes and is much higher than previously assumed. Dr. Frederick vom Saal, endocrinologist and one of the study's seven authors, believes it's time for Congress to act. According to vom Saal, "If you set the bar at proof of harm to humans, you have failed to protect the public health."
The study examined both mice and rhesus monkeys, the latter selected because they are good predictors of how the human body absorbs this type of chemical. Eighteen hours after exposure, the monkeys' blood still contained active BPA.
BPA is everywhere, with the CDC concluding that more than 90 percent of Americans are chronically exposed. Vom Saal calls the levels "nothing short of insanity" and compares today's use of BPA to the use of lead in paint a century ago.
According to an article appearing this month in The Atlantic, vom Saal has devoted the last 13 years of his life to the issue of BPA and plastics.
In the late '90s, vom Saal and his colleagues in the University of Missouri's Endocrine Disruptor Group were the first to show BPA's possible danger. BPA acts like estrogen, something scientists have known since 1936, but no one knew its potential harm until 1997. Vom Saal and his fellow researchers discovered how the chemical warped the reproductive systems of mice, enlarging prostates and reducing sperm counts.
Those initial studies slowly caused an international furor, and the studies multiplied. Vom Saal published more than 30 papers on BPA himself, and he became a spokesman for the plastic's dangers, traveling across the country to testify before legislatures and talk to national media. This September, he won a Heinz Award, worth $100,000, for his contributions to the BPA debate.
The velocity of the debate sped up during the last two years. The National Toxicology Program found "some concern" with the chemical in September 2008, a concern mirrored by the FDA this January 2010 and the EPA in March. The scientific progress has been "astounding," vom Saal says, and has helped usher in a new paradigm of toxicology, one that works with endocrinologists in entirely new ways. The "total disconnect" between toxicology and endocrinology was, vom Saal explains, how BPA was misclassified as safe. Animal studies have linked BPA to health problems including unusual brain chemistry, obesity, attention disorders, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and premature puberty. A 2008 cross-sectional study with 1,500 humans found a significant correlation between BPA levels in urine and heart disease.
The most recent study indicates that past rodent data may, in fact, be a compelling predictor of how BPA harms humans, now that the effects of BPA have also been observed in rhesus monkeys and shown to harmonize with prior data. If the study's conclusions are valid, then the effects of BPA may actually be far more serious than anything we feared in the past. It also removes another shred of doubt about BPA's safety in a debate conflicted with varying methodologies, a great deal of money, and heated emotions.
Vom Saal supports a green chemistry solution, blending the sensibilities of public health and chemistry to ensure any replacement for BPA is safe. He points to Japan, which successfully phased out BPA a decade ago with little trouble.
With 8 billion pounds of BPA produced annually, industry has had a profound impact on the debate, which has stalled the passage of the national food safety bill throughout 2010. Yet vom Saal seems certain that there will be a day of reckoning. The companies know the hazards, he believes, and eventually court cases will confirm this. We also need to know what products contain BPA, he says—information we currently lack.
The full article can be viewed here.
The controversy surrounding BPA took a new twist this month when a new study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives concluded that total daily human exposure occurs via multiple routes and is much higher than previously assumed. Dr. Frederick vom Saal, endocrinologist and one of the study's seven authors, believes it's time for Congress to act. According to vom Saal, "If you set the bar at proof of harm to humans, you have failed to protect the public health."
The study examined both mice and rhesus monkeys, the latter selected because they are good predictors of how the human body absorbs this type of chemical. Eighteen hours after exposure, the monkeys' blood still contained active BPA.
BPA is everywhere, with the CDC concluding that more than 90 percent of Americans are chronically exposed. Vom Saal calls the levels "nothing short of insanity" and compares today's use of BPA to the use of lead in paint a century ago.
According to an article appearing this month in The Atlantic, vom Saal has devoted the last 13 years of his life to the issue of BPA and plastics.
In the late '90s, vom Saal and his colleagues in the University of Missouri's Endocrine Disruptor Group were the first to show BPA's possible danger. BPA acts like estrogen, something scientists have known since 1936, but no one knew its potential harm until 1997. Vom Saal and his fellow researchers discovered how the chemical warped the reproductive systems of mice, enlarging prostates and reducing sperm counts.
Those initial studies slowly caused an international furor, and the studies multiplied. Vom Saal published more than 30 papers on BPA himself, and he became a spokesman for the plastic's dangers, traveling across the country to testify before legislatures and talk to national media. This September, he won a Heinz Award, worth $100,000, for his contributions to the BPA debate.
The velocity of the debate sped up during the last two years. The National Toxicology Program found "some concern" with the chemical in September 2008, a concern mirrored by the FDA this January 2010 and the EPA in March. The scientific progress has been "astounding," vom Saal says, and has helped usher in a new paradigm of toxicology, one that works with endocrinologists in entirely new ways. The "total disconnect" between toxicology and endocrinology was, vom Saal explains, how BPA was misclassified as safe. Animal studies have linked BPA to health problems including unusual brain chemistry, obesity, attention disorders, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and premature puberty. A 2008 cross-sectional study with 1,500 humans found a significant correlation between BPA levels in urine and heart disease.
The most recent study indicates that past rodent data may, in fact, be a compelling predictor of how BPA harms humans, now that the effects of BPA have also been observed in rhesus monkeys and shown to harmonize with prior data. If the study's conclusions are valid, then the effects of BPA may actually be far more serious than anything we feared in the past. It also removes another shred of doubt about BPA's safety in a debate conflicted with varying methodologies, a great deal of money, and heated emotions.
Vom Saal supports a green chemistry solution, blending the sensibilities of public health and chemistry to ensure any replacement for BPA is safe. He points to Japan, which successfully phased out BPA a decade ago with little trouble.
With 8 billion pounds of BPA produced annually, industry has had a profound impact on the debate, which has stalled the passage of the national food safety bill throughout 2010. Yet vom Saal seems certain that there will be a day of reckoning. The companies know the hazards, he believes, and eventually court cases will confirm this. We also need to know what products contain BPA, he says—information we currently lack.
The full article can be viewed here.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Hints for Homebuyers
A recent article in the Washington Post offers practical guidance for homebuyers in search of a healthy home. The article focuses on those who are highly sensitive, but ideally, everyone should be aware of chemical hazards before purchasing a home.
For people who are seriously allergic or sensitive to common household chemicals, buying the right home is fraught with difficulty. But with a cooperative seller -- and some important protections written into the purchase contract -- the hazards can be manageable.
Highly sensitive buyers may need to avoid homes that have had any pesticide treatments; been recently painted; had repairs involving drywall, caulking, adhesives, glues or chemical finishes; had mold or moisture issues; or have elevated levels of radon. They may have to avoid homes with carpeting or that had smokers living there or air fresheners in use. Such buyers may think they are unique, but there are many people facing these issues. The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy generally defines these concerns as Type I Hypersensitivity disorders, which are also sometimes called atopic allergies. According to the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge in England, some 20 to 30 percent of the population exhibits some Type I Hypersensitivity.
It is unlikely that most newly constructed homes will meet the requirements of a hypersensitive buyer because so many potentially troublesome products are used in the construction process. It may be better to focus on buying an existing allergy-free abode -- or a home that can be made "allergy-free."
Because the real estate contracting process is quite extensive, I highly recommend that hypersensitive buyers create an introductory contract addendum that they can present to sellers before even touring a home. That addendum would briefly explain Type I Hypersensitivity and the specific types of conditions that would eliminate the home as a potential match. In effect, it's a property disclosure and disclaimer form, which all sellers are required to provide to prospective buyers, only in reverse.
To read the full article, click here.
For people who are seriously allergic or sensitive to common household chemicals, buying the right home is fraught with difficulty. But with a cooperative seller -- and some important protections written into the purchase contract -- the hazards can be manageable.
Highly sensitive buyers may need to avoid homes that have had any pesticide treatments; been recently painted; had repairs involving drywall, caulking, adhesives, glues or chemical finishes; had mold or moisture issues; or have elevated levels of radon. They may have to avoid homes with carpeting or that had smokers living there or air fresheners in use. Such buyers may think they are unique, but there are many people facing these issues. The Merck Manual of Diagnosis and Therapy generally defines these concerns as Type I Hypersensitivity disorders, which are also sometimes called atopic allergies. According to the Department of Pathology at the University of Cambridge in England, some 20 to 30 percent of the population exhibits some Type I Hypersensitivity.
It is unlikely that most newly constructed homes will meet the requirements of a hypersensitive buyer because so many potentially troublesome products are used in the construction process. It may be better to focus on buying an existing allergy-free abode -- or a home that can be made "allergy-free."
Because the real estate contracting process is quite extensive, I highly recommend that hypersensitive buyers create an introductory contract addendum that they can present to sellers before even touring a home. That addendum would briefly explain Type I Hypersensitivity and the specific types of conditions that would eliminate the home as a potential match. In effect, it's a property disclosure and disclaimer form, which all sellers are required to provide to prospective buyers, only in reverse.
To read the full article, click here.
Friday, October 8, 2010
Bee Colony Collapse and Fungus
The New York Times published a fascinating article this week linking damp environments to the dramatic reduction in bee colonies in the last 4 years. The article also points out the "crazy" behavior of the bees shortly before they die.
Since 2006, 20 to 40 percent of the bee colonies in the United States alone have suffered "colony collapse."
The culprit?
A fungus interacting with a virus. According to a paper published by Army scientists in Maryland and bee experts in Montana, there are clues as to how the two pathogens work together to kill bees.
"Both the virus and the fungus proliferate in cool, damp weather, and both do their dirty work in the bee gut, suggesting that insect nutrition is somehow compromised."
This is particularly interesting in light of the fact that toxic mold individuals commonly experience digestive problems.
Fungus and viruses often work together in nature, according to the report, and "one answer in protecting bee colonies might be to focus on the fungus — controllable with antifungal agents — especially when the virus is detected."
The researchers, including science team leader Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk, remain baffled by the bees' unusual behavior.
"Still unsolved is what makes the bees fly off into the wild yonder at the point of death. One theory, Dr. Bromenshenk said, is that the viral-fungal combination disrupts memory or navigating skills and the bees simply get lost. Another possibility, he said, is a kind of insect insanity."
When I think back to the height of our toxic mold exposure, I can relate to these bees.
I draw my own conclusion when I read this study. If bees can't survive on a chemical-ridden diet in an environment filled with pathogens... what makes us think we can?
Since 2006, 20 to 40 percent of the bee colonies in the United States alone have suffered "colony collapse."
The culprit?
A fungus interacting with a virus. According to a paper published by Army scientists in Maryland and bee experts in Montana, there are clues as to how the two pathogens work together to kill bees.
"Both the virus and the fungus proliferate in cool, damp weather, and both do their dirty work in the bee gut, suggesting that insect nutrition is somehow compromised."
This is particularly interesting in light of the fact that toxic mold individuals commonly experience digestive problems.
Fungus and viruses often work together in nature, according to the report, and "one answer in protecting bee colonies might be to focus on the fungus — controllable with antifungal agents — especially when the virus is detected."
The researchers, including science team leader Dr. Jerry Bromenshenk, remain baffled by the bees' unusual behavior.
"Still unsolved is what makes the bees fly off into the wild yonder at the point of death. One theory, Dr. Bromenshenk said, is that the viral-fungal combination disrupts memory or navigating skills and the bees simply get lost. Another possibility, he said, is a kind of insect insanity."
When I think back to the height of our toxic mold exposure, I can relate to these bees.
I draw my own conclusion when I read this study. If bees can't survive on a chemical-ridden diet in an environment filled with pathogens... what makes us think we can?
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Environmental Link with Breast Cancer
A report issued this week by the Breast Cancer Fund, a national organization working to eliminate the environmental causes of breast cancer, presents evidence that toxins in the environment are contributing to the rising breast cancer rate. Contributing factors include synthetic hormones in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and meat; pesticides in food; solvents in household cleaning products; flame retardants in furniture; radiation from medical treatments; and BPA in food containers.
I pay close attention to information regarding breast cancer. My mother and both of my grandmothers battled breast cancer. When my family tested positive for aflatoxins soon after leaving our home, I aggressively pursued nutritional and environmental elimination of toxins with heavy emphasis on aflatoxins. Aflatoxins are recognized as a known carcinogen, according to the World Health Organization.
According to Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog for October 5, 2010:
The report, State of the Evidence: The Connection Between Breast Cancer and the Environment, is the sixth edition published by the Breast Cancer Fund. “With each new edition of the report, the growing scientific evidence compels us to act to prevent breast cancer,” said Jeanne Rizzo, RN, president of the Breast Cancer Fund. “This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our message is clear: we must move beyond awareness to prevention.”
The report states that a woman’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is 1 in 8—representing a dramatic increase since the 1930s, when the first reliable cancer incidence data were established. Between 1973 and 1998 alone, breast cancer incidence rates in the United States increased by more than 40 percent. Strikingly, the increasing incidence of breast cancer since the 1930s parallels the proliferation of synthetic chemicals. Today, approximately 85,000 synthetic chemicals are registered for use in the United States, more than 90 percent of which have never been tested for their effects on human health.
The report’s lead author, Janet Gray, PhD, professor at Vassar College, said that widely understood risk factors for breast cancer such as primary genetic mutations, reproductive history and lifestyle factors do not address a considerable portion of the risk for the disease. “A substantial body of scientific evidence indicates that exposures to common chemicals and radiation also contribute to the unacceptably high incidence of breast cancer,” Dr. Gray said. “This report focuses on these environmental issues.”
The report dedicates several chapters to pesticides, focusing on various studies linking triazine herbicides (atrazine, simazine), organochlorines (aldrin, dieldrin, DDT, heptachlor) and the phenoxy herbicide 2,4-D, as well as the link between hormones used in meat production to breast cancer. The report reviews both epidemiologic and animal studies and routes of exposure, with an emphasis on exposure to farmworkers and other vulnerable populations. Toxic synthetic pesticides and hormones are prohibited in organic agriculture.
“At a time when virtually every American has been touched by breast cancer,” said Ms. Rizzo, “we need individual, corporate and government commitment to eliminating the environmental causes of breast cancer. Action now means fewer of our children and grandchildren will face the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer. We simply can’t afford not to act.”
To read the article in full, click here.
I pay close attention to information regarding breast cancer. My mother and both of my grandmothers battled breast cancer. When my family tested positive for aflatoxins soon after leaving our home, I aggressively pursued nutritional and environmental elimination of toxins with heavy emphasis on aflatoxins. Aflatoxins are recognized as a known carcinogen, according to the World Health Organization.
According to Beyond Pesticides Daily News Blog for October 5, 2010:
The report, State of the Evidence: The Connection Between Breast Cancer and the Environment, is the sixth edition published by the Breast Cancer Fund. “With each new edition of the report, the growing scientific evidence compels us to act to prevent breast cancer,” said Jeanne Rizzo, RN, president of the Breast Cancer Fund. “This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, our message is clear: we must move beyond awareness to prevention.”
The report states that a woman’s lifetime risk of breast cancer is 1 in 8—representing a dramatic increase since the 1930s, when the first reliable cancer incidence data were established. Between 1973 and 1998 alone, breast cancer incidence rates in the United States increased by more than 40 percent. Strikingly, the increasing incidence of breast cancer since the 1930s parallels the proliferation of synthetic chemicals. Today, approximately 85,000 synthetic chemicals are registered for use in the United States, more than 90 percent of which have never been tested for their effects on human health.
The report’s lead author, Janet Gray, PhD, professor at Vassar College, said that widely understood risk factors for breast cancer such as primary genetic mutations, reproductive history and lifestyle factors do not address a considerable portion of the risk for the disease. “A substantial body of scientific evidence indicates that exposures to common chemicals and radiation also contribute to the unacceptably high incidence of breast cancer,” Dr. Gray said. “This report focuses on these environmental issues.”
The report dedicates several chapters to pesticides, focusing on various studies linking triazine herbicides (atrazine, simazine), organochlorines (aldrin, dieldrin, DDT, heptachlor) and the phenoxy herbicide 2,4-D, as well as the link between hormones used in meat production to breast cancer. The report reviews both epidemiologic and animal studies and routes of exposure, with an emphasis on exposure to farmworkers and other vulnerable populations. Toxic synthetic pesticides and hormones are prohibited in organic agriculture.
“At a time when virtually every American has been touched by breast cancer,” said Ms. Rizzo, “we need individual, corporate and government commitment to eliminating the environmental causes of breast cancer. Action now means fewer of our children and grandchildren will face the devastating diagnosis of breast cancer. We simply can’t afford not to act.”
To read the article in full, click here.
Monday, October 4, 2010
New Knowledge
We learned some valuable lessons through this latest mold experience. I wasn't looking to learn anything new about mold, nor was I eager to revisit our past trauma, but I'm grateful for the fresh knowledge.
1. Successful remediation is possible if the water damage is caught early enough and properly addressed.
The damage in our bathroom appeared minimal; however, once the company contained the area, established negative air flow, and opened up the wall, there was more mold than expected. I'm glad we didn't take matters into our own hands like we did three years ago.
2. Proper testing can be done by individuals.
We performed a dust sampling of the adjacent bedroom ourselves. We used a kit supplied by EMSL Analytical. ( EMLab P&K is another reputable lab.) The testing process was much easier than I expected. We attached a dust collection device to the vacuum hose and vacuumed for five minutes in an area near the bathroom. (If there is no carpeting, dust can be collected behind appliances, under beds, etc.)
We performed this test to determine if the stachybotrys cross-contaminated to the bedroom. Here is an abbreviated version of our test results:
(If litigation is a possibility it is always best to hire a certified hygienist to do the testing.)
3. Outdoor mold can affect the indoor environment.
While no toxic mold was found in our dust sample, our daughter's room showed low levels of the mold bipolaris, an outside mold common in climates like Arizona.
This proved to be good information, because the day we determined that the mold in our bathroom was stachybotrys, we opened the window in her room and used a couple of fans to cross-ventilate. Later in the night she experienced an allergic reaction complete with hives, itchiness, burning eyes, etc.
Another daughter woke up the next morning with an eye infection. Colin redeveloped a fungal rash on the backs on his knees.
When I read the following description of bipolaris, I became convinced the problem was the outdoor air rather than stachybotrys cross-contamination:
This fungus can grow as a mold in semi-dry environments. Dry spore distributed by wind. Bipolaris grows in plant debris, soil and acts as a plant pathogen towards numerous plants, particularly grasses. It can grow inside on a variety of materials.
Is Bipolaris Allergenic?
This fungus causes allergic fungal sinusitis, characterized by the presence of Bipolaris in the sinuses. In certain people with severe allergies, the large spores of this fungus can travel to the sinuses (upper respiratory tract), where they attach to the mucus and grow, producing an unrelenting allergic reaction that progressively and permanently damages the sinuses.
This mold is a potential allergen and is the leading cause of allergic fungal sinusitis. Some people may experience hay fever or asthma.
This fungus is associated with phaeohyphomycosis, a disease consisting of a group of mycotic infections characterized by the presence of demataceous septate hyphae. Infections of the eyes and skin by black fungi could also be classified as phaeohyphomycosis.
Why did we have such a strong reaction to the bipolaris? I'm guessing a recent windy day stirred up the mold. More than that, we have a condition known as fungal hypersensitivity. This often follows an extreme toxic mold exposure.
According to mold specialist, the late Dr. Vincent Marinkovich:
Once the patient has become hypersensitive to the mold in their environment, they have also become overly reactive to all molds in their life including those they breathe elsewhere, those they eat and those that may be colonizing their tissues. Relief of symptoms can only come with a significant reduction in exposure including a mold-free diet, avoidance of mold-ridden environments and treatment of mold colonization.
(For the full article on Fungal Hypersensitivity by Dr. Marinkovich, click here.)
In some ways this latest chapter feels like a bit of a setback. I'm encouraged by the words of athlete and author Dan Millman:
When we feel stuck, going nowhere--
even starting to slip backwards--
we may actually be backing up to get a running start.
1. Successful remediation is possible if the water damage is caught early enough and properly addressed.
The damage in our bathroom appeared minimal; however, once the company contained the area, established negative air flow, and opened up the wall, there was more mold than expected. I'm glad we didn't take matters into our own hands like we did three years ago.
2. Proper testing can be done by individuals.
We performed a dust sampling of the adjacent bedroom ourselves. We used a kit supplied by EMSL Analytical. ( EMLab P&K is another reputable lab.) The testing process was much easier than I expected. We attached a dust collection device to the vacuum hose and vacuumed for five minutes in an area near the bathroom. (If there is no carpeting, dust can be collected behind appliances, under beds, etc.)
We performed this test to determine if the stachybotrys cross-contaminated to the bedroom. Here is an abbreviated version of our test results:
(If litigation is a possibility it is always best to hire a certified hygienist to do the testing.)
3. Outdoor mold can affect the indoor environment.
While no toxic mold was found in our dust sample, our daughter's room showed low levels of the mold bipolaris, an outside mold common in climates like Arizona.
This proved to be good information, because the day we determined that the mold in our bathroom was stachybotrys, we opened the window in her room and used a couple of fans to cross-ventilate. Later in the night she experienced an allergic reaction complete with hives, itchiness, burning eyes, etc.
Another daughter woke up the next morning with an eye infection. Colin redeveloped a fungal rash on the backs on his knees.
When I read the following description of bipolaris, I became convinced the problem was the outdoor air rather than stachybotrys cross-contamination:
This fungus can grow as a mold in semi-dry environments. Dry spore distributed by wind. Bipolaris grows in plant debris, soil and acts as a plant pathogen towards numerous plants, particularly grasses. It can grow inside on a variety of materials.
Is Bipolaris Allergenic?
This fungus causes allergic fungal sinusitis, characterized by the presence of Bipolaris in the sinuses. In certain people with severe allergies, the large spores of this fungus can travel to the sinuses (upper respiratory tract), where they attach to the mucus and grow, producing an unrelenting allergic reaction that progressively and permanently damages the sinuses.
This mold is a potential allergen and is the leading cause of allergic fungal sinusitis. Some people may experience hay fever or asthma.
This fungus is associated with phaeohyphomycosis, a disease consisting of a group of mycotic infections characterized by the presence of demataceous septate hyphae. Infections of the eyes and skin by black fungi could also be classified as phaeohyphomycosis.
Why did we have such a strong reaction to the bipolaris? I'm guessing a recent windy day stirred up the mold. More than that, we have a condition known as fungal hypersensitivity. This often follows an extreme toxic mold exposure.
According to mold specialist, the late Dr. Vincent Marinkovich:
Once the patient has become hypersensitive to the mold in their environment, they have also become overly reactive to all molds in their life including those they breathe elsewhere, those they eat and those that may be colonizing their tissues. Relief of symptoms can only come with a significant reduction in exposure including a mold-free diet, avoidance of mold-ridden environments and treatment of mold colonization.
(For the full article on Fungal Hypersensitivity by Dr. Marinkovich, click here.)
In some ways this latest chapter feels like a bit of a setback. I'm encouraged by the words of athlete and author Dan Millman:
When we feel stuck, going nowhere--
even starting to slip backwards--
we may actually be backing up to get a running start.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Green Goblin Update
Good news. Dust and air samples show no cross-contamination of the stachybotrys. We are grateful. Instead of breathing in toxic mold spores, we're breathing a big sigh of relief.
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