As a functional medicine physician, I get many questions about mold toxicity. While not everyone asks this question, some patients who feel rather terrible from chronic mold toxin exposure do wonder if their toxicity will kill them. I can assure that death by mold toxicity is quite rare, but I would argue that it is not impossible. The case in this news report highlights a possible case in which an infant was found cold in her crib while living in a moldy apartment complex. Questions continue unanswered at this point whether mold played any role in the death.
Oklahoma City channel 9 reports in an online and video feature the case of little Luca. His family had moved into the apartment complex in March of this year to find something slimy dripping from air vents and an odd smell. Luca developed a cough which the pediatrician evaluated. The doctor advised watchful waiting as they found no other urgent signs of illness. Luca did not wake up from his nap after the doctor visit this summer.
The parents were waiting on answers from further medical evaluation, but were surprised when a black van with people in hazmat suits descended upon their connected neighboring apartment. They were told to stay inside so as to not be exposed to what was being removed from the neighbor’s apartment. Of course, they asked why they were safe inside when they shared walls and physical connections with such a dangerous space?
We can only speculate on whether there was a connection or not at this time to Luca’s death. However, known connections between respiratory illnesses and water damaged building exposure with mold growth would strongly suggest a possibility. From clinical experience, even spouses of our patients frequently report improved sinus or lung conditions after remediating homes from mold damage. Other studies clearly indicate that mold exposure alters our immune systems, sometimes weakening them to the point that viral or other infections find an easier time of invading.
Helping our patients restore healthier more abundant lives after diagnosing mold toxicity requires careful identification of mold sources and complete remediation of those exposure sources. We are not the experts in carrying out the remediation work, but we do guide patients through that process. Helping them connect with the best remediators is a first step. Helping them think through remediation options comes next as different remediators present different means of remediation. Guiding our patients in retesting after remediation and knowing when their home is safe is also part of our service. If a patient finds that moving to a different residence is needed, we connect them to supportive realtors as able and guide them with basic home finding principles.
If patients do not remove mold from their daily surroundings, all our efforts fall short in removing mold and its effects from their bodies. Even if it does not kill them, we don’t want mold to steal any more of their lives unnecessarily. Restoring healthier more abundant lives requires this multidisciplinary approach.
News Source:
Metro Family Is Concerned Mold Infestation Could Have Led To 5-Month-Old’s Death. Wednesday, November 16th 2022, 6:45 pm. By: Brittany Toolis. Accessed November 30th, 2022. https://www.news9.com/story/63756edea3fd220724219786/metro-family-is-concerned-mold-infestation-could-have-led-to-5montholds-death
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
