Just like in the UK Millions of Americans suffer from neurotoxicity, costing the US health system billions of dollars each year.

In fact, these disorders are the top causes of disability in the country.

These include Parkinson’s disease, fibromyalgia, depression, anxiety, and insomnia.

Mold neurotoxicity is probably the stealthiest cause of neuropsychiatric disorders.

This is because such toxicity is not inflicted deliberately and could be acquired within the comfort of your own home.

Sadly, the connection between black mold and mental illness in relation to neurological problems is not often accounted for during diagnosis.

What is Neurotoxicity?
Neurotoxicity is a type of toxicity that affects the structure and function of the central and peripheral nervous system.

It occurs when a biological entity is exposed to a natural or artificial substance that disrupts its regular activity, causing damage to the nerve tissues.

When these tissues are damaged, the affected organism could experience a variety of symptoms.

These include erratic behaviour, headaches, loss of motor and sensory function, short-term memory loss, and restlessness. Symptoms may be immediate or delayed.

What Causes Neurotoxicity?
Neurotoxicity can be caused by drug therapies, drug abuse, radiation treatment, organ transplant, exposure to heavy metals, and industrial solvents. Molds, surprisingly, can also intoxicate the nervous system.

How Neurotoxicity Occurs in the Brain
Different substances may affect the brain in different ways.

Among these substances, mold toxins are probably the most difficult to avoid.

This is because toxic black molds can reside in concealed spaces. All they need are humidity, moisture, and cellulose.

Toxic black mold may appear harmless but once dried up and disturbed, they can release potent toxins.

These toxins are dispersed in the air, and you could be one of the unfortunate individuals to inhale them.

From there, they could travel to your nervous system and cause the following:

Destruction of the Myelin Sheath
The myelin sheath is a fatty substance that wraps the nerve axons, allowing quick signal transmission and regulating electric charges.

This and the cell membrane of each cell in the body are made of a lipophilic layer.

Therefore, mold toxins (which are also lipophilic) can move throughout the body without inhibition.

Such traits also allow them to cross the blood-brain barrier with ease.

When mold toxins saturate the brain, they dislodge healthy fatty acids (e.g. Eicosapentaenoic Acid and Docosahexaenoic acid) within the chains of fatty acids.

As a consequence, the fatty acid chains are oxidized, causing lipid degradation.

Since the myelin sheath also consists of lipid, its structure is also destroyed.

This can result in neuropathic pain and loss of sensory and motor functions because the electrical impulses are not transmitted efficiently.

Destruction of the Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex
When the electrical activity is reduced, the prefrontal cortex is down-regulated.

This region of the brain is responsible for short-term memories and memory processing.

And because it is also the most sensitive region, one of the most common symptoms of mold toxicity is “brain fog”.

Destruction of Norepinephrine Factories
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter (a chemical produced by neurons) that plays a significant role in motivation, reward, reinforcement, arousal, and motor control.

Dopamine is converted to norepinephrine by the enzyme “dopamine hydroxylase”.

This is a natural occurrence in the brain, which heightens when norepinephrine levels are low.

The Problem: Mold toxins destroy norepinephrine factories through lipid oxidation.

As a result, more dopamine turns to norepinephrine. This deprives other pathways of their dopamine needs.

Increase in Excitatory Neurotransmitters
Glutamate and PEA are neurotransmitters that can powerfully cause “excitement” in the brain.

Damage to nerve tissues can elevate glutamate and PEA levels in the brain.

This causes an excessive electrical impulse that triggers anxiety and bipolar disorder symptoms.

A Mold Specialist Doctor Can Help You
If conventional treatments for neuropsychiatric disorders are in vain, you are advised to seek a mold specialist doctor.

How Neurotoxicity Causes Mental Illness
Can mold cause mental illness?
This is the question that was answered by Dr. Sponaugle’s research.

He correlated 6,000 mold toxin levels with alterations perceived in neurotransmitter patterns and discovered that mold toxins could potentially damage brain tissues and change neurotransmitter activity.

As mentioned earlier, mold neurotoxicity can damage norepinephrine factories.

When these factories are damaged, the body compensates by converting available dopamine to norepinephrine.

Dopamine is involved in feeling motivation, reward, euphoria, and arousal.

When dopamine is converted to norepinephrine, the brain is robbed of the chemical that should help a person feel appreciated, motivated, and valued. This causes depression.

Neurotoxicity also elevates the levels of excitatory neurotransmitters (e.g. Glutamate and PEA).

When the brain is flooded with these transmitters, it triggers constant excessive alertness.

This causes sleep problems, lack of focus, irritability, and persistent feeling that there is something wrong.

These symptoms are often seen in patients with anxiety, paranoia, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenic tendencies.

Loss of sensory and/motor function and pain can also put a strain on one’s mental health.

This is mainly because of the inability to perform everyday activities.

Mold neurotoxicity symptoms will persist as long as mold toxins are not significantly reduced or eliminated from the body.

Conclusion
Neurotoxicity can be fatal. And even if the affected person is still physically able, they can still be denied of quality life.

Treatment for neurotoxicity involves procedures that reduce or eliminate the toxic substances from the body.

Symptoms may also be addressed at the same time.
Black mold and mental illness have been linked for years now.

So if your mental health is troubled and there are black molds in your house or office, consult a mold specialist doctor immediately.

The Sponaugle Wellness Institute is one of the most trusted centres for mold toxicity treatment in the country.

Diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation are all offered under one roof.

Their state-of-the-art facility is located in a charming part of Florida, only a drive away from the beautiful Clearwater Beach.

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This is a guest post submitted by Ann Gapasin