Summary: Toxic mold exposure in the wake of the recent hurricanes: Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker, author of "Surviving Mold," is an expert on illnesses acquired after exposure to the interiors of water-damaged buildings. He details how mold and bacteria can create a witches' brew of systemic medical problems distinct from their ability to trigger allergies. Chief among them is inflammation which leave sufferers with memory deficits, depression, muscular weakness and bodily aches and pains. These symptoms can easily be misdiagnosed as depression or PTSD in the wake of the loss and displacement that hurricane victims experience. Biotoxicity from mold and bacterial agents causes real, but poorly understood, physical changes. When combined with exposure to chemicals released in the environment, this can result in Multiple Chemical Sensitivity. Why are some more prone to biotoxicity than others? What should be done to remediate the problem in the immediate aftermath of flooding? How do you test for biotoxicity? Why are anti-fungal medications not the answer? What long-term therapies offer relief to sufferers?
