Client stories of living in water-damaged homes - could this be you too?
It’s estimated that one in two buildings in Australia has water damage.
Water damage leads to mould and mould toxicity in our homes needs to be seriously considered, particularly when your symptom picture is just not abating, no matter what changes you are making.
Let’s look at some mould stories which you may resonate or find help in identifying a mould problem in your home.
A lovely bubbly client had issues with sleep and fatigue…
The client was waking multiple times per night, had trouble falling back to sleep, night urination and not dreaming.
She woke feeling extremely tired, understandably.
She was also experiencing weight gain that did not make sense in terms of diet and exercise and hormonal disturbances.
She did not think moulds were an issue in her home.
After making some dietary changes and bringing in some supplements, there were smaller than expected improvements, further weight gain and no change in the level of tiredness.
During our second appointment, the client mentioned how much better they slept when at their partner’s house and also on a recent hotel stay.
An ‘ah ha!’ moment!
I asked my client how old her mattress was and had she moved it from a previous place of residence.
It turns out the mattress was well over ten years old, had crossed a few oceans in those years and been in storage twice!
We suspected mould in her mattress.
A new mattress is needed along with replacement bedding. Work has begun to address the internal Biotoxins.
A client lived overseas (in her early 20’s) in a basement apartment…
The basement had been flooded prior to her moving in.
The remediation work was not to the standard it should have been. This is unfortunately very common.
The basement had little ventilation and with freezing winters, was closed up for many months each year.
Now in her late 30’s, she has recently been re-exposed to mould, in her current home, which has exacerbated her existing symptom picture of extreme fatigue, significant mood issues, headaches, foggy head, urinary issues, nausea and chemical sensitivity.
To complicate matters, she undertook a six-month antibiotic treatment for Lyme.
This drove up her yeast levels, increasing oxalate issues. After a lengthy conversation around moulds, she realised her health had started to decline when she lived overseas.
She is now focused on remediating the moulds in her current home while commencing some internal mould work.
A young family had a history of illness after illness after illness…
The Mum particularly never felt well.
I asked her about moulds.
She said she could smell mould in the carpet of their bedroom.
In fact the curtains, when touching the carpet, would have mould start to grow on them! She said a mould driven illness made sense as when she was out of the house, her nose would stop running and the irritation in her throat would abate.
The moment she went back into the house, it would start again.
In a scenario such as this, often the clothes and furniture in the bedroom need to be discarded as they will commonly have mould spores on them.
A reputable Building Biologist can help with the testing of the clothes, furniture and the remainder of the house.
These are just a small selection of stories
The biotoxins produced by moulds create an enormous inflammatory cascade.
This has profound effect on hormones, liver function, digestion, the immune system, mitochondrial functioning, neurological functioning etc.
Remember – You can take a mould holiday to see if your symptom picture improves when you are out of your home environment for a period to time, ideally a week.
If you are unable to take a week off, three to four days is worth trialling.
Camping is a great way to take a mould holiday.
Ensure the camping trip involves staying out of the family car for a few days as the mould issue may be in the car.
For non-campers, and people who don’t have extended family or friends to stay with for a week or so, other options are house-sitting or pet sitting for others.
Be mindful to choose your ‘mould holiday’ location wisely.
One of my clients, moved from their home where they suspected mould issues, into a home with extended family.
Their symptoms worsened. It turned out, the home of the extended family member, had roof space insulation that was riddled with mould, following a leak in the roof.
If one of these case studies resonate with you, then you are welcome to book a free 15-minute conversation to discuss the next best steps to remedy your mould symptoms and home environment.
