TOXIC/ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURES
MOLD-Mold toxicity sometimes referred to as Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome(CIRS) is a combination of symptoms resulting from exposure to mycotoxins due to mold growth in an affected home, workplace, or vehicle. Although mold is always around us, both indoors and outdoors, it becomes a problem when it finds a moist stagnant place to grow and multiplies allowing mold spores to produce myocotoxins that cause an inflammatory reaction. In people who are genetically susceptible, the reaction can become severe. Patients with a weakened immune system, chronic respiratory diseases, or autoimmune disorders may be more prone to accelerated symptom development. Symptoms of mold toxicity include but are not limited to: headaches, flu like symptoms, rashes, chronic sinus infections, frequent chest colds and/or congestion, fatigue, brain fog, sensitivity to light and/or sound, muscles cramps/joint pain, feeling short of breath, gut dysfunciton/diarrhea, red itchy/watery eyes, a chronic cough or wheezing, and even numbness or tingling in their extremities. Mold toxicity is an often overlooked cause and without proper testing patients can be misdiagnosed as having chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, mental disorders, and even Alzheimer’s dementia.
You may be thinking, “I’ve never been exposed to mold”, but consider this, if you have ever bought a used car, do you really know the history? Were the windows left down in a summer rain storm and then the car was not properly dried? That information won’t be on your Carfax. Did the building you now work in have a pipe burst one winter before you started working there? Did the home you bought have mold under the tiles or carpet? If you did not conduct a thorough mold inspection before your purchase, there is no way to know for sure. Do you regularly visit a friend or relative's house that may have unidentified mold problems? Any of these scenarios can heighten your chances of mold toxicity.
Dr. Williams addresses mold toxicity by conducting a very specific screening that has a 92% accuracy to indicate if a patient needs further toxicity testing. If the screening is positive, a mold test that checks for 11 different mycotoxins from 40 different species of mold, including stachybotrys (black mold-one of the most toxic and dangerous molds) will be ordered. This test is coupled with other comprehensive testing to identify what other systems of the body may have been effected.. Depending upon each patients unique results, Dr. Williams will then design a very specific plan to address the mycotoxins found and any underlying imbalances resulting from their presence.
HEAVY METALS-The most common culprits in heavy metal toxicity are: cadmium, mercury, lead, arsenic, and aluminum but there are still others that can be present and toxic. Heavy metals can enter the body through the food we consume, the air we breath, dental amalgams(old mercury fillings), plumbing, some cosmetics, and even certain cookware. Heavy metal toxicity can cause or exacerbate autoimmune conditions, degenerative conditions, lead to wide spread inflammation, cause neurologic symptoms, and damage the immune system. Symptoms such as chronic fatigue, brain fog, hypothyroidism, gastrointestinal upset, joint pain, muscle pain, nerve pain, chronic headaches, tremors, and insomnia are common.
Again a very specific screening will be used to determine if you may have a toxicity that could be due to heavy metals. If positive, a heavy metal toxicity test will be ordered that checks for 20 different toxic metals. Based upon these results, a specific detoxification plan will be designed by Dr. Williams to be coupled with diet and lifestyle changes as well as nutraceutical and probiotic supplementation.
ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS-Enviromental toxins are substances in our environment that are either naturally occurring or man-made and have a toxic effect on the human body. Environmental toxins can have varied harmful effects, even with small doses that accumulate over a long period of time. Environmental Toxins can be classified as: Carcinogens-simply meaning they are known to cause cancer, Neurotoxins-these affect the nervous system by either destroying or at least impairing nerve function, or Endocrine Disruptors-these cause hormonal imbalances. Professions that may present with some of the highest exposures/risk factors for environmental toxins are: food industry workers(especially those involved in artificial flavorings), cosmetologists(hair dressers/nail techs), pilots/flight attendants, factory workers, gas station attendants/workers, miners, welders, electricians, road crew workers/road paving crews, HVAC technicians, painters, plumbers, insulators, railroad workers, textile workers, truck drivers(especially those carrying hazardous materials), and those in the construction industry. Symptoms can vary in men and women but common symptoms of environmental toxicities can include: headache/migraines, autoimmune diseases, fatigue, joint/muscle/nerve pain, hormonal imbalances, thyroid problems, brain fog, and various cancers. As in the other toxicities mentioned above, the first step is a specific screening test. If positive, the next step is to rule out environmental toxins. Dr. Williams will order an environmental toxin test that will test for 20 environmental toxins. If the patient is found to have high levels of an environmental toxin(s), a specific detoxification plan coupled with diet and lifestyle changes and specific nutraceuticals and probiotics will be designed for the patient. It will also be necessary for the patient to address their home and work environments to determine if there are any factors that may be contributing to their exposure(s) and replace those with more healthy natural products.
Toxic exposures, as well as Lyme Disease can be stealth opponents to one’s health. The screening test Dr. Williams performs will alert him to the need to rule out various toxins as well as Lyme Disease. These tests will give a more comprehensive picture as to what may be driving a patient’s symptoms and/or disease processes.