Are You Being Affected by Mold?
Oct 06, 2025
When most people think about mold, they picture an unsightly patch in the bathroom or a musty odor in the basement that can bring on an eye-watering reaction.
The truth is, mold can grow almost anywhere that has the required humidity — behind walls, between the pages of books, and in the upholstery of your favorite chair.
It’s also true that, along with releasing allergy-triggering spores, many molds produce toxic substances (mycotoxins). These substances lead to biotoxin illness that can cause everything from debilitating fatigue to joint aches and pains that make it hard to move through your day.
Understanding complex environmentally related illnesses and their causes is part of our mission at Market Place Naturopathic in Seattle, Washington. Our team then develops a treatment strategy that focuses on whole-body health, starting at the cellular level.
Here are a few facts about mold and mycotoxin illness that you may not be aware of, including its impact on health, and the treatments that can meet your specific needs.
Mold is a type of fungus that thrives in damp, dark environments. Familiar indoor sources include water-damaged walls, leaky plumbing, poorly ventilated bathrooms, or hidden areas behind drywall and carpets.
While some molds are harmless, others produce mycotoxins. These toxic substances can affect your immune system, hormones, and nervous system.
Because mold spores and mycotoxins are microscopic, you may not always see signs in your home or workplace. This makes it especially tricky to identify when it’s affecting your health.
Mold-related biotoxin illness can look different from person to person, but some common signs may point to mold as the culprit:
You may notice improvement in your symptoms when you’re away from your home, office, or a specific building for several hours.
Mold is more than just a nuisance; it can act as a chronic stressor on the body. Mycotoxins may disrupt the gut microbiome, weaken the immune system, and place an extra burden on the liver and other detox pathways (kidneys and digestive system).
Over time, this can contribute to hormone imbalances, adrenal fatigue, and heightened sensitivity to foods and chemicals and mast cell activation syndrome.
At Market Place Naturopathic, we begin with a thorough evaluation that includes a detailed discussion of your symptoms, a review of potential mold exposure, and a physical examination. We may also recommend diagnostic testing such as blood work, specialty labs, and autonomic response testing (ART).
Once we’ve identified mold exposure, healing involves more than just avoiding the source. We take a whole-body approach with care tailored to each patient.
Your strategy may include:
The first step is always to reduce exposure. We guide patients in testing their homes or workplaces and making practical changes, beyond just using HEPA air filters and dehumidifiers, to improve their indoor air quality. Identifying the source of addressing the cause of mold/microbial growth is key.
Mold toxins place a significant burden on your body’s natural detox system and nervous system. Thus, your personalized care plan may include targeted supplements and specific antioxidants to support your body's ability to remove toxins.
Because mold often disrupts the gut microbiome, we may incorporate probiotics, digestive support, anti-fungal support and other therapies designed to help rebalance your digestive system.
Chronic mold exposure can weaken immunity. Your treatment may include strategies to strengthen your body’s natural defenses.
Brain fog and fatigue are common with mold illness. We may recommend mitochondrial support (such as CoQ10, B vitamins, and magnesium) and fundamental nutrient co-factors to counter these effects.
An anti-inflammatory diet rich in whole foods or a low-histamine diet helps calm your immune response and supports whole-body health. In some cases, temporarily reducing foods that can feed yeast and fungi (like refined sugar and alcohol) may also help recovery.
Schedule a complimentary 15-minute phone call with one of our doctors at Market Place Naturopathic today.