How to Find a Mold Doctor

You have an unexplained illness and yoususpect that mold may be the source. So how do you go about finding a mold doctor, one who specializes in mold and environmental illnesses?A doctor who has the necessary training and experience to both diagnose the problem and offer you treatment options? Many doctors may be able to identify a disease. What you will really need is a medical professional who can guide you back toward good health.

Diagnosing Mold Illness

Mold-related conditions are difficult to diagnose in the first place. The problem is that any illness that is caused by exposure to mold “mimics” the symptoms of many other different diseases and illnesses. Diagnosing that one “thing” at the root of your problem, especially if it is related to mold exposure, can be a real tough challenge.

Your symptoms could be a headache, a stuffy nose, and coughing. Is it because of mold exposure or just the every day common cold? Or how about this, now you have chronic fatigue, watery eyes, and insomnia. Are these due to mold exposure or just stress? Do you see the problem? It can be difficult for you or trained medical professionals to determine the root cause(s) of your illness.

You go to your primary care doctor. The doctor can’t diagnose the problem behind your symptoms so you are referred to a specialist, who has the same problem and refers you to another specialist, and so on and so on. A lot of your time and is expended and the medical bills are adding up with no results or relief in sight. Who knows what kinds of medications have been prescribed along the way and that you are taking to no effect. After all else fails and all of this time, a problem with the environment you live or work in is finally considered.

Common Health Symptoms of Mold Exposure

According to laboratory reports, mold symptoms can be classified as being in three stages or categories labeled Levels I, II, and III.

Level I: Early or Beginning Mold Symptoms

• Headaches
• Skin Rashes
• Itching
• Eye Irritation
• Sneezing

Level II: Advanced Mold Symptoms

• Breathing Disorders
• Joint and Muscle Pain
• Vomiting
• Chronic Fatigue
• Asthma

Level III: Late mold Symptoms

• COPD
• Memory Loss
• Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
• Liver and Kidney Disorders
• Death

Who Do You Turn To?

These are the types of doctors who may be your best bet for getting to the bottom of your health problem: allergists, ENT specialists, and GI doctors. However, there is a caveat, they must focus and have experience dealing with and treating fungal infections. The doctor that you don’t want to see is the one who schedules a new patient every 15-20 minutes. They won’t have, or want to take, the time necessary to listen, test, and talk you through your complex symptoms.

Where to Begin

Sometimes the best way to get started is to start the process yourself, take matters into your own hands. There are websites where you can work your way through a free mold self-evaluation questionnaire. In most cases the results can be emailed to you and you can take them to your primary care doctor. It’s a place to start.

• SinusitisWellness.com
• Environmental Health Center, Dallas (ehcd.com)
• Visual Contrast Sensitivity Test

How to Find a Mold Doctor

How do you find anything in today’s information age? Google it! Search for reputable, mold-centered websites geared toward environmental medical practitioners. Use search terms like mold illness, mold illness treatment, environmental illness doctor, naturopathic doctor, environmental illness and in the search box also include the town and state that you live in. If your search comes back that there are no specialists listed near you, you may be able to go outside your area and arrange a remote consultation via the Internet.

Removing Mold From Your Home Environment

You’ve gone through a myriad of testing, talked to specialists, and narrowed your problem down to mold exposure in your home. You might not see it, but you know it’s hiding in your home somewhere. What steps do you take next?

Don’t rely on yourself at this point and think that you can address the situation yourself. You now know that it is mold that is making you sick so don’t expose yourself any further by trying to remediate any mold on your own. Now is the time for you to seek professional help.

The first thing that needs to be done is the mold has to be located and the cause of its growth eliminated. Mold growth is almost always related to some kind of excess moisture issue. Once the location has been pinpointed and the moisture eliminated, the affected area needs to be contained. Barriers need to be erected to isolate the contaminated areas to prevent cross-contamination. Air scrubbing should begin.

The mold can then be removed. Never attempt to kill the mold at the beginning. Mold is like every other living thing on the planet. It will attempt to defend itself by releasing more mycotoxins, the chemicals that possibly caused your negative health reactions in the first place. Mold, whether it is “dead” or alive, is still dangerous. The goal should not be to kill the mold; the job is to remove it. After removal the areas affected should be cleaned with antimicrobial cleaners and then dried so that no excess moisture remains in the structural materials. Once it is confirmed that the mold has been removed, reconstruction can take place and then it will be safe for you to re-enter the affected rooms.

When it comes to mold remediation, Water Mold Fire Restoration has many years of experience and excels at remediating mold. We will respond 24/7 and our initial inspection is free, without any obligation. Our professional remediation teams will safely contain and eliminate mold infestations from your home or business. Call us anytime at 800-905-0277. In addition to contacting us by phone, you can email us at help@watermoldfire.net.