Lyme and tick-borne illness
Whole-person care for tick-borne illness and persistent symptoms after Lyme disease.
Learn moreMold and your health
Mold grows where there is moisture, such as after a leak, a flood or in a damp space. According to the CDC, mold can cause a stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing or wheezing, burning eyes or a skin rash in some people. People with asthma or a mold allergy may have severe reactions. People with weakened immune systems or chronic lung disease can get lung infections from mold. Some people have no symptoms at all.
What the research does and doesn't show
Some people link a wider set of symptoms to mold, such as fatigue, headaches, trouble concentrating, aches or mood changes. You may have seen this called "mold toxicity." It is sometimes called CIRS (chronic inflammatory response syndrome). These are not universally accepted diagnoses. Research on how mold affects health beyond allergy, asthma and infection is still developing, and doctors disagree about how to diagnose and treat these broader illnesses.
We take your symptoms seriously either way. Fatigue, brain fog and pain have many possible causes, and you deserve a careful evaluation, not a label. Patients come to our West Chester Township office from across Greater Cincinnati, Dayton, and Butler and Warren counties for this kind of whole-person look.
How we evaluate symptoms you link to mold
- Your history. When symptoms started, what makes them better or worse, and whether they ease when you are away from home or work.
- Exposure history. Leaks, water damage, flooding, musty smells or visible mold at home, at work or at school.
- A physical exam. Including your breathing, sinuses and skin.
- Lab work as needed. To look for other causes and contributing conditions.
- Ruling out other causes. Other allergies, asthma, infections, sleep problems, anxiety and depression can cause symptoms that overlap with mold exposure.
If trouble with memory or focus is a main concern, our memory and cognitive health care may also help.
Reducing mold at home
Reducing exposure comes first. The EPA says the key to mold control is moisture control. Its brief guide to mold, moisture and your home recommends steps like these:
- Fix the water problem, not only the mold. If the moisture stays, mold will likely come back.
- Dry wet areas within 24 to 48 hours to help prevent mold growth.
- Keep indoor humidity low.
- Scrub mold off hard surfaces with detergent and water, then dry them completely.
- Porous materials, such as ceiling tiles and carpet, may need to be thrown away if mold can't be fully removed.
The CDC adds that you should never mix bleach with ammonia or other cleaners. If mold covers more than about 10 square feet, or water damage is extensive, consider a qualified professional. The CDC does not recommend mold testing to predict health effects. If you see or smell mold, the best step is to remove it.
Our treatment approach
Once exposure is being addressed, we focus on how you feel and what may be adding to it.
- Treat your symptoms. We manage allergy-type, sinus and breathing symptoms. Learn more about our allergy care.
- Look at contributing conditions. Sleep, stress, mood and other health conditions can make symptoms worse. We address the ones we find.
- Follow up. We track how you feel as your home or work setting changes, and adjust your plan.
We use approaches grounded in current medical guidance and explain the reasoning behind each step. Individual results vary.
When to see a specialist
We coordinate with allergists when you may benefit from allergy evaluation or allergy treatment beyond what we offer. We refer to pulmonologists for asthma that isn't well controlled, a cough or wheeze that won't go away, ongoing shortness of breath, or concern about a lung infection, especially if you have a weakened immune system. Call 911 for severe trouble breathing.
