Mold: What It Is, Why It Happens and How to Deal With It - Organic Excellence
Mold exposure is a common unrecognized cause of hormonal imbalance. Mold toxins can either enter your body through your nose or gastrointestinal tract causing disruptions in hormonal mechanisms. Since hormonal systems work like a spider web, disruptions caused by these mycotoxins can upregulate or downregulate hormone production. The major systems affected by mycotoxins are the immune, neurologic, and gastrointestinal systems. In females, mold toxicity can cause imbalances in the production of estrogen, progesterone, DHEA, and testosterone that may lead to infertility, endometriosis, irregular menstrual cycles, depression, weight gain, breast enlargement, and Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS). For males, the production of testosterone is affected leading to low motivation or low libido, prostate issues, and diabetes. If you think this could be a problem for you, please contact your doctor to get tested.
These symptoms are more likely to appear in children, older people, or the immunocompromised though anyone can be affected by mold. Roughly 5% of the population has allergic responses to mold, which can trigger respiratory symptoms like wheezing and sneezing. Alarmingly, mold exposure may also be linked with a higher rate of depression, although more research needs to be done in this area.
Taking a proactive approach and doing all you can to prevent mold exposure can lessen the impact of mold on your health. If you have any questions, give us a call and let’s talk!