Mold: Can It Make You Sick?

[Guest guest]

Mold: Can It Make You Sick?

KTVU.com - San Francisco,CA

http://www.ktvu.com/news/1849083/detail.html

The Meniketti's of Livermore seem like a typical suburban family.

Mom and dad and the boys go to their mailbox every day, but they're

actually living in a nearby hotel. They say they can't go in their

house -- that something inside was nearly killing them.

Donelle Meniketti says, " All of us had been sick, we didn't know

exactly what was going on, I didn't have any feeling in these six

fingers, I was having a lot of trouble with dizziness. "

All four mysteriously fell ill a couple of years ago. Ten year old

was hospitalized for a month.

" He was in two of the top medical teaching hospitals and he had over

40 doctors and nobody could diagnose it, " says Donelle.

41-year-old Meniketti says he suffered memory loss and other

problems so severe that he lost his job.

I'm still having cognitive problems, I'm still having that fatigue

and respiratory breathing problems, " he says.

37-year-old Jacy Lockhart of Redwood City says similar symptoms have

frightened him in the past two years.

" Pressure in my head, and debilitating fatigue and dizziness, just

happened, one day I woke up and bam. I would walk down the sidewalk,

and I would have a hard time finding where my feet was hitting the

sidewalk, " he says.

Lockhart says he also had seizures and saw 10 different doctors, and

had six CAT scans.

" That's what was most frightening was all these tests were coming

back normal, yet I knew something very wrong was happening with me.

It's a nightmare, a nightmare that never goes away, and it's gotta,

I hope it goes away sometime. "

Redwood City immunologist Marinkovich says he discovered

that Lockhart, and the Meniketti's, suffer the same problem.

" These are very high antibody levels, indicating you've been exposed

to very high levels of mold somewhere in your environment, " says

Marinkovich.

Toxic mold. Like the mold you might find around leaky pipes or

bathrooms. Although some doctors and even the Centers for Disease

Control say the evidence is uncertain that mold makes people sick.

Marinkovich says he's convinced mold toxins have overwhelmed his

patients' bodies.

Marinkovich says, " When you're exposed to large amounts continually

over a long period of time, eventually your immune system becomes

hyper-acute. It begins to over-react to the mold and when that

happens, symptoms ensue. "

In some cases, as in Lockhart's, mold actually forms colonies in the

body. Marinkovich says these CAT scans show Lockhart's sinuses

clogged with mold, with fungus.

Rare? Hardly. The Mayo Clinic estimates more than 30 million

Americans suffer with some form of mold in their sinuses. But few

know the real cause.

" 94% of patients with chronic siunusitis have an underlying fungal

colonization in the sinuses. We physicians have been treating

sinusitis with anti-biotics for years and that usually clears the

patient up temporarily, " says Marinkovich.

But as Meniketti and his family now know, antibiotics don't

work on fungus. Mold just roars back. Doctors say it can cause a

variety of stubborn symptoms ranging from flu-like runny nose,

tiredness and migraine headaches, to seizures and brain disorders.

To survive, patients have to avoid mold.

Lockhart adds, " There's that fear this is somehow permanent... "

" No, no, you'll recover, your symptoms will go away, but your

hypersensitivity will persist for a lot longer than your symptoms

will, " assures Dr. Manikovich.

Lockhart is a news photographer for KTVU. He's taking anti-fungal

drugs and avoiding exposure to mold. As are the Meniketti's, all

also are avoiding a surprisingly wide range of foods containing mold

products. The Meniketti's say they found the source of their

problem -- a toilet overflowed, and resulting mold eventually spread

through the house.

Experts say the best advice to protect yourself is to look around

your house, find and fix any water leaks, and if you have persistent

symptoms, see your physician and discuss possible mold allergies.

FOODS RICH IN FUNGAL(MOLD) PROTEIN-ALLERGENS

Dried Fruit -- Raisins, apricots, prunes, figs, etc.

Aged Cheese -- some cheeses are okay if milk is not a problem. e.g.

cottage cheese, mozzarella, provolone, ricotta and farmers cheese.

Leftovers -- Eat within 24 hours, unless frozen

Mushrooms

Over-ripe Fruites and Vegetables --(Discolored, wilted, mushy)

Breads -- Check ingredients. Malted means moldy. Dough conditioners

are moldy. Sourdough is the worst (sometimes labeled yeast-free).

Bread develops surface mold after a day. Tortillas, biscuits,

muffins, cakes and cookies are usually yeast-free.

Tomato Products -- Juice, sauce, paste, ketchup, etc., are made from

moldy tomatoes.

Beer -- The darker the brew, the more mold it contains.

Wine and Wine Vinegar -- White wine is least moldy: clear vinegar

may be tolerated.

Most Liquors -- Vodka, Tequila, clear rums are least moldy.

Multi-B Vitamins -- Contain either yeast or mold (rice hulls are

moldy)

Processed Meats -- Hot dogs, sausage, salami, bologna, etc. Solid

preserved meats such as ham, turkey, pastrami, may be okay.

Hamburger -- Often from aged meat: eat within a day of grinding.

Products of Aspergillus Fermentation -- Soy Sauce, Chocolate, Tea

(black), Malt Extract (bread, cereals), Lactaid (milk additive),

Citric Acid (a common food additive; not derived from citrus fruit)

Fruit Juice (commercial -- often from moldy fruit, many contain mold

enzymes added in processing), Digestive Enzymes (pancreatic are

okay), Cholesterol-lowering Enzymes.

Note: All foods will become moldy with time. Shop frequently, buy in

small quantities. Read labels. Molds thrive on sugar, so control

your intake. A moldy environment (home, office, school, church,

car).

* There is a controversial blood test called MAST test for mold

available in some places.

More:

Mayo Clinic study implicates fungus as a cause of chronic sinusitis

The doctor that knows mold:

A. Marinkovich, M.D.

Redwood City, CA.

650-482-2800

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Mold: Can It Make You Sick?

by KTVU.com

http://www.imakenews.com/pureaircontrols/e_article000650538.cfm?

x=b81RyPs,bvtv58G

The Meniketti's of Livermore seem like a typical suburban family.

Mom and dad and the boys go to their mailbox every day, but they're

actually living in a nearby hotel. They say they can't go in their

house -- that something inside was nearly killing them.

Donelle Meniketti says, " All of us had been sick, we didn't know

exactly what was going on, I didn't have any feeling in these six

fingers, I was having a lot of trouble with dizziness. "

All four mysteriously fell ill a couple of years ago. Ten year old

was hospitalized for a month.

" He was in two of the top medical teaching hospitals and he had over

40 doctors and nobody could diagnose it, " says Donelle.

41-year-old Meniketti says he suffered memory loss and other

problems so severe that he lost his job.

I'm still having cognitive problems, I'm still having that fatigue

and respiratory breathing problems, " he says.

37-year-old Jacy Lockhart of Redwood City says similar symptoms have

frightened him in the past two years.

" Pressure in my head, and debilitating fatigue and dizziness, just

happened, one day I woke up and bam. I would walk down the sidewalk,

and I would have a hard time finding where my feet was hitting the

sidewalk, " he says.

Lockhart says he also had seizures and saw 10 different doctors, and

had six CAT scans.

" That's what was most frightening was all these tests were coming

back normal, yet I knew something very wrong was happening with me.

It's a nightmare, a nightmare that never goes away, and it's gotta,

I hope it goes away sometime. "

Redwood City immunologist Marinkovich says he discovered

that Lockhart, and the Meniketti's, suffer the same problem.

" These are very high antibody levels, indicating you've been exposed

to very high levels of mold somewhere in your environment, " says

Marinkovich.

Toxic mold. Like the mold you might find around leaky pipes or

bathrooms. Although some doctors and even the Centers for Disease

Control say the evidence is uncertain that mold makes people sick.

Marinkovich says he's convinced mold toxins have overwhelmed his

patients' bodies.

Marinkovich says, " When you're exposed to large amounts continually

over a long period of time, eventually your immune system becomes

hyper-acute. It begins to over-react to the mold and when that

happens, symptoms ensue. "

In some cases, as in Lockhart's, mold actually forms colonies in the

body. Marinkovich says these CAT scans show Lockhart's sinuses

clogged with mold, with fungus.

Rare? Hardly. The Mayo Clinic estimates more than 30 million

Americans suffer with some form of mold in their sinuses. But few

know the real cause.

" 94% of patients with chronic siunusitis have an underlying fungal

colonization in the sinuses. We physicians have been treating

sinusitis with anti-biotics for years and that usually clears the

patient up temporarily, " says Marinkovich.

But as Meniketti and his family now know, antibiotics don't

work on fungus. Mold just roars back. Doctors say it can cause a

variety of stubborn symptoms ranging from flu-like runny nose,

tiredness and migraine headaches, to seizures and brain disorders.

To survive, patients have to avoid mold.

Lockhart adds, " There's that fear this is somehow permanent... "

" No, no, you'll recover, your symptoms will go away, but your

hypersensitivity will persist for a lot longer than your symptoms

will, " assures Dr. Manikovich.

Lockhart is a news photographer for KTVU. He's taking anti-fungal

drugs and avoiding exposure to mold. As are the Meniketti's, all

also are avoiding a surprisingly wide range of foods containing mold

products. The Meniketti's say they found the source of their

problem -- a toilet overflowed, and resulting mold eventually spread

through the house.

Experts say the best advice to protect yourself is to look around

your house, find and fix any water leaks, and if you have persistent

symptoms, see your physician and discuss possible mold allergies.

FOODS RICH IN FUNGAL(MOLD) PROTEIN-ALLERGENS

§ Dried Fruit -- Raisins, apricots, prunes, figs, etc.

§ Aged Cheese -- some cheeses are okay if milk is not a

problem. e.g. cottage cheese, mozzarella, provolone, ricotta and

farmers cheese.

§ Leftovers -- Eat within 24 hours, unless frozen

§ Mushrooms

§ Over-ripe Fruites and Vegetables --(Discolored, wilted,

mushy)

§ Breads -- Check ingredients. Malted means moldy. Dough

conditioners are moldy. Sourdough is the worst (sometimes labeled

yeast-free). Bread develops surface mold after a day. Tortillas,

biscuits, muffins, cakes and cookies are usually yeast-free.

§ Tomato Products -- Juice, sauce, paste, ketchup, etc., are

made from moldy tomatoes.

§ Beer -- The darker the brew, the more mold it contains.

§ Wine and Wine Vinegar -- White wine is least moldy: clear

vinegar may be tolerated.

§ Most Liquors -- Vodka, Tequila, clear rums are least moldy.

§ Multi-B Vitamins -- Contain either yeast or mold (rice

hulls are moldy)

§ Processed Meats -- Hot dogs, sausage, salami, bologna,

etc. Solid preserved meats such as ham, turkey, pastrami, may be

okay.

§ Hamburger -- Often from aged meat: eat within a day of

grinding.

§ Products of Aspergillus Fermentation -- Soy Sauce,

Chocolate, Tea(black), Malt Extract (bread, cereals), Lactaid (milk

additive), Citric Acid (a common food additive; not derived from

citrus fruit)

§ Fruit Juice (commercial -- often from moldy fruit, many

contain mold enzymes added in processing), Digestive Enzymes

(pancreatic are okay), Cholesterol-lowering Enzymes.

Note: All foods will become moldy with time. Shop frequently, buy in

small quantities. Read labels. Molds thrive on sugar, so control

your intake. A moldy environment (home, office, school, church,

car).

* There is a controversial blood test called MAST test for mold

available in some places.

More:

Mayo Clinic study implicates fungus as a cause of chronic sinusitis

The doctor that knows mold:

A. Marinkovich, M.D.

Redwood City, CA.

650-482-2800

http://www.ktvu.com/news/1849083/detail.html

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