As 2022 marches on, we have entered the season of summer vacations. Many families booked beach trips up and down the coast months ago and are recently, currently, or soon enjoying time away from home in hotels and beach houses. Most choose their hotel based on location, amenities, and rates, with little thought to what is growing in the rooms themselves. Those whose lives have been disrupted by mold toxicity don’t have that luxury. We have to be aware and plan ahead, as this news report demonstrates.
The “First Coast News” reported from Ponte Vedra Beach in Florida the saga of a family staying at an otherwise nice hotel celebrating the mom’s birthday. They had looked forward to a relaxing and fun beach vacation, but felt “under the weather” for the first two days they were there. They then found black mold growing up the wall of their balcony and became suspicious.
There is no mention of whether they had experienced prior symptoms with mold exposures, but they felt strongly enough about the issue that they requested a room change or a refund. When that was not immediately available, they chose to return home for the rest of their vacation time.
Those who have never felt the sting of mold toxins disrupting their health won’t understand how difficult it is for mold-affected individuals to travel. Most would either say, “any decent hotel will keep their rooms and building clean enough to avoid mold” or “there is always going to be a little mold, what’s the big deal?” In reality, yes, there is some mold in practically every location, but… some molds can be problematic for genetically sensitive individuals when they reach even low levels that would not affect others.
That means, the mold-sensitive must not only look at location, amenities, and rates, but consider whether their destination hotel has experienced water damage, how old the building is, whether the area’s humidity will induce more mold growth, and other factors. We can’t just decide Friday morning to take a weekend trip and find a hotel when we arrive. We have to look at so many factors that it becomes daunting and questionable if is worth it. Of course, one could rent or buy an RV, but that RV still requires caution and care to avoid mold growth in it.
Hopefully, we’ll one day have a directory or way to certify mold safe rentals. For now, we have to do our due diligence every time we travel. Don’t be shy. Ask questions about hotel condition. Ask others in mold toxicity Facebook groups about their experiences. Be sure about refund policies. Have back up vacation plans. Consider RV options like at this website:
https://www.mychemicalfreehouse.net/2021/01/mobile-homes-for-chemically-sensitive.html
EDIT (8/18/22): Airstreams (mentioned in the article) no longer use a plywood subfloor.
Living the healthier more abundant life free of mold toxicity requires work. If you have not had to live this life, be thankful and don’t look at those who have no choice as if they are crazy. Be supportive and understanding with those who struggle emotionally and logistically with the simplicities of taking a vacation. It is not that easy for mold affected patients, but it is not impossible.
FirstCoast News. “Black mold corrodes family’s experience at Ponte Vedra Beach hotel” by Zach Wilcox. Published: 7:23 AM EDT July 4, 2022. Updated: 12:34 PM EDT July 5, 2022. Accessed 7/13/22. https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/travel/black-mold-corrodes-ponte-vedra-beach-sawgrass-marriott/77-4d53b0da-de05-449a-93be-6034efbd9154
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.
Can definitely relate, unfortunately. We went on a homeschool vacation in June and stayed at 6 different hotels over a few weeks’ time, none of which the humidity was controlled. Despite all the questions we asked (age of building, any water damage, type of air conditioning, is there mold anywhere, etc) we still had rooms that were questionable. One room at the beach was so humid there was condensation on the mirrors and the sheets felt wet. And it had recently been renovated and was supposed to be great. We don’t normally take vacations and this is one reason why.