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Mold, It’s Usually NOT Allergy – It’s A Biotoxin Illness Named CIRS

It’s been a few months since I have updated my blog. So, where was I?

It’s been a challenge to write while balancing my Tampa Functional Medicine practice, family life, and studying. I figured all that out, sort of! I am happy to be back to writing!

The purpose of my blog is to educate health care consumers on a range of health care topics, and most importantly help you to find the root cause of your health concerns. Since starting my blog, I am happy to say there are many patients who have reached out for more information in a one on one setting.

Besides that, what has really left me busy in the last few months….I have been in the “hole” reading through a borage of papers and books concerning CIRS-Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome. Over the last four years I have been engaged in testing patients for CIRS- mostly due to mold (more accurately, exposures to biotoxins in water damaged buildings) and Lyme biotoxin. I decided to take the plunge to learn the Shoemaker Protocol for CIRS- biotoxin illness through Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker and I am currently in the certification process.

In January 2019, I attended the  Continue reading…

Improving and Protecting Your Health after a Hurricane

The 2017 hurricane season is on track to become one of the most active ever. In the Continental United States alone, we have seen two tropical storms (Cindy and Emily) and two hurricanes (Harvey and Irma). Floridians are no stranger to these storms and hurricanes. Our state gets hammered far more than any other U.S. state. In fact, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), from 1851 to 2017, Florida sustained 117 direct hits, representing a whopping 40 percent of all hurricanes in the U.S. Most of us manage to recover, even after we lose our homes and possessions, and we stay put. After all, Florida is paradise!

However, in the wake of a passing hurricane, and long after, our health is at an increased risk. The mosquito population explodes. Flood waters increase our exposure to dangerous bacteria, viruses, parasites, hazardous wastes, and industrial chemicals. Saturated homes, furniture, and clothing become breeding grounds for toxic mold. And in the aftermath, we are more susceptible to mental illnesses, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression.

(Photo ©2017 Marjorie Goodman — to donate to Marjorie’s hurricane recovery effort, please visit: https://www.youcaring.com/marjoriegoodmanmeyers-941933)

Although nobody can stop a hurricane, we can take steps to protect and restore our health in the aftermath.

Battling Mosquitoes

First, the good news, mosquitoes don’t fare too well in hurricanes. Adults generally don’t survive the high winds. Immediately after a hurricane, however the mosquito population explodes when the mosquito eggs laid in the soil during the previous floods hatch. This is when you tend to see large populations of floodwater mosquitoes, most of which are considered a “nuisance,” and not a health hazard. They don’t generally spread viruses that make people sick. It’s weeks or months later that the population of disease-carrying mosquitoes begins to rise, especially in areas that received more rainfall than usual but did not flood. These mosquitoes can spread infectious diseases, such as Zika, West Nile, and dengue fever.

To protect yourself from mosquitoes, whether they are the nuisance or disease-carrying type, take the following precautions: Continue reading…

Toxic Mold: How a Medically Supervised Detox Can Help

Toxic mold is a problem in any Tampa building that has been subjected to high humidity or water damage. It is especially prevalent in areas struck by hurricanes and tropical storms, which are common in South Florida. In Fact, Home Advisor recently ranked Florida number two in its list of “The Top 10 Worst States for Mold,” second only to Texas. It makes sense; according to FloridaHealth.gov, toxic mold “can grow almost anywhere there is enough moisture or high humidity,” and South Florida is the capital of high humidity.

Of special concern is Stachybotrys chartarum (also known as Stachybotrys atra or black mold), a greenish-black mold that can grow on drywall, sheetrock, ceiling tiles, and wood. This mold and several others produce mycotoxins, which compromise the immune system and trigger Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS), leading to a host of illnesses, including these: Continue reading…