Monthly Archives: February 2017

A First Hand Experience with Mold Contamination

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Mold Isn't Just In Old Buildings, Find Out if You're Safe Before It's Too Late.

Mold Contamination

While there has been a great deal written about the problem of mold contamination, nothing is as powerful as hearing a story first-hand. Lee Ann and Kurt Billings wrote their book MOLD: The War Within to share their experiences and findings with others.

Tested Tips for Dealing with Mold Infestation

The Billings book relates a number of practical suggestions based on solutions they used to fight their own mold problem:

• Install a HEPA air purifier in each bedroom for clean sleeping. If that’s a bit of a stretch for your budget, create a temporary communal sleeping room as the Billings family did until they could purchase enough purifiers.

• Open doors and windows whenever possible to minimize exposure to mold and spores.

• Sugar and grains can cause fungi in the body to multiply. Eliminate consumption of these items and choose a diet rich in organic vegetables along with antibiotic- and hormone-free lean meats.

• Become a “food detective” and learn as much as possible about peanuts, corn and other foods that are potential sources of mycotoxins. Don’t rely strictly on labels – that can be misleading.

• Invest in a juicer. Drinking juices made from fresh, organic fruits and vegetables changes the alkaline level in your body, making it difficult for mold and fungi to take hold. For best results, consume the juices within 15 minutes of preparation.

Is Your Home or Office in Need of NYC Mold Treatment?

Did you know you can have a reaction to mold exposure even if you haven’t previously suffered from allergies? Contact Stern Mold to learn more about our non-invasive, eco-friendly NYC mold treatment and schedule your free mold inspection.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Identification, Mold Information, Mold Treatment, News

Mold Sensitization Creates Additional Health Problems

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Don't Put Yourself at Risk, Get the Solutions You Deserve!

Mold Sensitization

Exposure to toxic mold can cause serious health problems, but did you know it can also create a domino effect that makes you sensitive to some of the foods in your diet? Major allergic symptoms can reoccur after only a brief exposure to one of these substances.

When Food Becomes “Toxic”

Some foods have the potential to become mycotoxic due to possible mold contamination. In their book MOLD: The War Within, Kurt and Lee Ann Billings shared a list of food products that should be avoided if you have mold sensitivities.

Here are a few of the items that were included:

• Alcohol itself is a mycotoxin that comes from brewer’s yeast, and alcoholic beverages may contain other mycotoxins from fruits and grains.

• A 1993 study of peanuts found an astounding 24 types of fungi on the outside of the peanuts post-sterilization. Aflatoxin, a substance often found on peanuts, is a known cause of cancer.

• Mold is a component of many varieties of cheese. Some types, such as Gouda, incorporate yogurt-type cultures rather than fungus, making them a better option.

With some products, such as soy sauce, mold is involved in the production but isn’t listed in the ingredients, so you should become educated beyond food labels.

Reduce the Risk of Allergic Reactions with NYC Mold Treatment

Take control of your environment and make it as mold-free as possible. Stern Mold uses a proprietary NYC mold treatment system called MoldExterm that removes all traces of infestation and finishes with a polymer sealer to prevent future reoccurrence.

Contact us today to schedule a free mold inspection by our friendly and professionally-trained technicians.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Information, Mold Treatment, News

Mold and Your Health Connection: Chronic Lyme Disease

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Does Your Sickness Keep Coming Back? Consider Mold as a Cause.

Does Your Sickness Keep Coming Back? Consider Mold as a Cause.

Lyme disease is a bacterial infection that exhibits symptoms including fever, headaches and rash. The disease is transmitted via bites from infected ticks, but doctors have found a connection between indoor mold and chronic Lyme disease.

Mold: More than Just an Allergen

Dr. Ritchie C. Shoemaker’s pioneering 2005 book Mold Warriors was instrumental in shedding light on the effect mold can have on health and wellness. Mold produces chemicals called mycotoxins that, when ingested by humans, can cause a wide range of symptoms, many of which overlap with symptoms of Lyme disease.

Before Dr. Shoemaker’s book was released, the medical community considered mold to be primarily a trigger for allergic reactions. According to Dr. Shoemaker, the toxic elements in mold promote excessive production of inflammatory cytokines, which can lead to a number of diseases and illnesses from fibromyalgia to cancer.

The Link Between Mold-Related Illness and Lyme Disease

The immune system also reacts to the bacterial agent in Lyme disease with overproduction of inflammatory cytokines. Dr. Wayne Anderson, whose practice focuses on chronic conditions such as Lyme disease, found that this similarity can make patients with Lyme more susceptible to mold-related illnesses and vice-versa.

Lyme disease can become chronic when treatment methods are ineffective. Based on the work of Dr. Shoemaker and Dr. Anderson, many physicians are now shifting their focus of Lyme disease treatment to encompass exposure to mold as an aggravating factor.

Eliminate Toxin Exposure with NYC Mold Treatment

Traditional mold remediation can actually intensify the problem by redistributing spores to other areas. Contact Stern Mold for information about our unique two-step NYC mold treatment program that removes infestations and prevents future reoccurrences.

Posted in Mold & Your Health

Mold and Your Health Connection: Psychiatric Symptoms

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Know Your Choices on How to Deal With Mold

The Presence of Mold Can Seriously Impact Your Health and Mental Health

When you think of the connection between mold and health, you probably associate it with allergic symptoms such as sneezing, coughing and watery eyes. But some doctors are discovering that mold is at the root of depression and other psychiatric symptoms experienced by their patients.

The Mind-Body Connection Behind Mental Illness

Dr. Mary Ackerley is an integrative psychiatrist who is certified in the Shoemaker Method for treating mold illness. While fatigue along with muscle and joint pain are often considered symptoms of depression and anxiety, she began to suspect the opposite: the mental ailments were caused by the physical symptoms.

The decisive case for Dr. Ackerley involved a patient in her seventies who she was treating for mild depression. One day, the woman was extremely late for her appointment and finally arrived complaining of confusion and memory loss. In addition, her normally impeccable appearance was careless and sloppy.

The woman explained that she had been seeing several other doctors for sinusitis, a skin rash, and general aches and pains. When Dr. Ackerley asked if anything new was going on, her patient revealed that mold had been discovered during renovations on her home.

Studies Link Mold to Depression

A major investigation involving mold and depression was conducted in Europe involving 6,000 adults. Researchers discovered that participants living in visibly moldy homes had 34 to 40 percent higher levels of depression that those in mold-free homes.

Stern Mold: The Leaders in NYC Mold Treatment

You can’t afford to ignore signs of mold in your home or office. Contact us to schedule a free mold inspection and learn more about our safe, non-invasive NYC mold treatment program.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Treatment

Mold and Your Health Connection: Mold and the Serious Symptoms

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Allergic Reactions? It Could Be Mold.

Mold is more than just an unsightly stain underneath sinks or on shower walls. A link has been established between exposure to mold and chronic health problems. Do you know what symptoms can be an indication of mold-related illness?

How Mold Affects Your Health

When mold is present inside a home or building, it releases microscopic spores that drift in the air where they are ingested by breathing. Once inside your system, they can irritate the sensitive linings of your throat and nasal passages, resulting in upper-respiratory allergic reactions.

The most common symptoms include coughing, sneezing, and itchy, watery eyes. Some people may also develop rashes where mold spores come in contact with skin. Individuals with pre-existing allergies are most susceptible, but even otherwise healthy people can become affected after prolonged exposure.

When Mold Exposure Has More Serious Consequences

People with upper-respiratory diseases such as asthma or those with compromised immune systems are particularly vulnerable to the effects of mold. Some varieties of mold produce mycotoxins that can cause lung infections and other more serious ailments.

The connection between mold and illness is not simply conjecture. According to the National Academy of Medicine (formerly known as the Institute of Medicine), there is sufficient evidence linking exposure to indoor mold with chronic upper-respiratory symptoms.

Protect Your Health with Complete NYC Mold Treatment

Good health is priceless. Our trained technicians are NYC mold treatment experts who will completely remove any trace of mold without destroying any building materials, usually in just one day. Contact us to learn more about our non-invasive MoldExterm system and schedule a free mold inspection.

Posted in Mold & Your Health, Mold Information
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