As the brain accumulates higher levels of the mold toxins, glutamate, and PEA, two powerful, electrifying brain chemicals become elevated, producing excessive electrical activity in the brain that may lead to anxiety.

Ataxia, which is the loss of agility in body movements, is commonly seen as a side effect from ingestion of aflatoxin.

Mold can trigger, exacerbate, or perpetuate the inflammatory storm. According to the CDC, “For some people, mold can cause a stuffy nose, sore throat, coughing or wheezing, burning eyes, or skin rash. People with asthma or who are allergic to mold may have severe reactions. Immune-compromised people and people with chronic lung disease may get infections in their lungs from mold.”

Over time, mold exposure can lead to chronic disease, including cancer. This connection is often overlooked in medicine as a contributing risk factor. Another concern toward mold exposure is its connection with liver cancer. 

Mycotoxions are found in a large percentage of cancers due to the fact that they are known to cause cancer in animals by the displacement of DNA base pairs.

According to PubMed, “Human exposure to molds, mycotoxins, and water-damaged buildings can cause neurologic and neuropsychiatric signs and symptoms. Many of these clinical features can partly mimic or be similar to classic neurologic disorders including pain syndromes, movement disorders, delirium, dementia, and disorders of balance and coordination.”

Recently, scientists have been studying the effects of mycotoxins on people, and have found that people exposed to both molds and mycotoxins show symptoms of poisoning in multiple organ systems including: the lungs, muscles, central and peripheral nervous systems (Ratnaseelan, A. M., et. al. 2018).

This neuro-joint and muscular pain is caused by infection from exposure to certain species of mold. This condition is known as “fungal or mycotic arthritis,” and is much more common than previously believed. These organisms may affect bone or joint tissue causing great pain mimicking arthritis.

Mold chemicals can affect cognition, emotions, and personality. Many people who have been exposed to toxic mold complain of behavioral and neurological problems like what has been called mold rage, psychosis, aggressive and erratic behavior, and depression.

Mold can cause flu-like symptoms and are similar to those frequently seen in colds.

When mold mycotoxins cause neurotoxicity, it is called myconeurotoxicity, which refers to any adverse effects of exposure to mycotoxins or byproducts of primary and secondary mold metabolism, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on the structural or functional integrity of the developing or adult nervous system.

Black mold may cause tremors, irritability, shaking, seizures, learning disabilities and a host of other mental and neurological issues.

Because mold toxins shut down hormonal production in the brain’s pituitary gland, patients suffer severe depression and severe chronic fatigue.

A rash caused by mold exposure resembles other types of rashes caused by allergic reactions. Skin rashes from mold may often result from an internal infection. The majority of the time, you won’t even know you’ve been exposed to mold.

The most common symptom of toxic mold is fatigue. Fatigue and toxins (along with parasites and viruses) are a major problem. If your body has to fight off these things all the time, it won’t have any energy left for the actual business of living and healing.

Some persons have shortness of breath, cough, muscle aches, fever, chills, night sweats, and profound fatigue. These symptoms usually first appear 2 to 9 hours after exposure and last for 1 to 3 days.

Toxic mold exposure has been linked to chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia (FM), lupus, asthma and other conditions. Mold can have a toxic effect on the human body as it yields harmful chemicals such as mycotoxin. If you have FM, it may be beneficial to get tested for mold.

If you have GI infections or IBS that won’t go away, it may be mold. Exposure to household mold can lead to gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bleeding in the intestinal tract, intestinal cramping, and the development of bacterial and yeast infections in the intestinal tract.

If the capillaries are the blood vessels that the mold spores decide to disrupt, your hair won’t get the appropriate blood flow and will begin to fall out. While short-term exposure to mold can cause temporary hair loss, long-term exposure can lead to consistent hair loss, or even baldness.