Question for Gabes; is my home making me sick?

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constantd
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Question for Gabes; is my home making me sick?

Post by constantd »

Gabes you seem to be the resident expert on this, so here goes:

I always thought people who claimed EMF to be a problem were kind of "hippy-dippy" if you ask me. But now I am beginning to wonder if this is in fact a major part of my problem. You see... ever since we moved into our rental house approx 3.5 years ago my MC symptoms have been at their worst. The home belongs to a good family friend and so we get a great discount on rent because he is a plastic surgeon who makes a crap ton of money. Anyways, the home was built in 1940 I think, and hasn't been updated AT ALL since it was built. It has lead paint (that has been painted over), and asbestos tape on the heating ducts which are located in the moldy basement. Let's just say it needs at TON of work. But we were willing to look past this because it was in a great location and we were getting a good deal.


Well... I know for a fact that there is mold in the basement and probably other places. I don't think it's black mold, but who knows. The major problem is with heating the house. It has central forced heat using natural gas. I thought to check the ducts over a year ago and realized that they were incredibly full of nasty dust (hadn't been cleaned since 1940 - I kid you not). SO I hired a guy to come and clean them. He realized that the ducts in the basement were being held together with asbestos tape and so nobody is willing to clean our ducts because this would potentially disrupt the asbestos. I totally agreed and decided that we could just heat our home using space heaters in the winter. Interestingly as soon as we shut off our central heat I noticed that my chronic sinus congestion let up (because the nasty dust wasn't being spewed throughout our house). This is all fine and dandy for the summer time when we don't need to heat the house. But, come fall/winter/spring we have to have some way to heat our freezing house. So in comes the space heaters!!

We currently have 4 space heaters running at almost all times to keep this 1500 square foot home warm. Obviously these 4 space heaters are adding a lot of EMF right?? I felt like my MC started to flare even worse over a month ago and that was about the time we started using the space heaters. And on another note: this past Thanksgiving my uncle (who is very sensitive to molds and allergens) says that every time he visits our house he doesn't feel well.

So I don't think I'm just being crazy, am I?? And how in the world are we supposed to deal with this? We desperately want to move, but we can't afford it right now. And those weird devices that people buy to help with EMF, do they actually work? I was trying to do research and most sites say they can't prove that those things even work. Does anyone use any of these and can testify?

Sorry for all the questions and long story.... I just think I may be onto something here.
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Post by Gabes-Apg »

the sinus reaction and that of your uncle - are confirmations that you are not looney!!!

Firstly – what I have learnt is that we cant do everything perfectly – and in this day and age unless we live in a bubble it would be near impossible to avoid all possible triggers /toxins. What we can do is where possible minimise contact with them, and for those that we cant avoid, we take steps to counteract there impact.
The first priority is not to stress about it.

You are not looney. These triggers affect some people, not all (bit like MC world..).
This can be due to a combo of genetics. nutritional deficiencies, and many other factors. like most things in MC world- generally there is no one thing that causes us issues, it is a combo of triggers that can make things worse for some.

Mold in small levels is generally not an issue for all – but in a house with high amounts of EMF (wifi modem, cell phones, etc) this exacerbates mold circulation and impact on our bodies.

Moving house is not always the best option - What I have learnt from the various biotoxin/mold forums is that it is near impossible to find a ‘pure clean house’. Current building practices (to build at cheapest price possible) means that new buildings have issues before people even move in (materials used in walls, flooring, even more so if there is rain during the building process etc). Older buildings have their individual issues (a bit like yours) , especially in any areas where there have been major weather events. On the east coast of Australia some places have had major storms / flood events at least twice in the past 5 years, this means that it is near impossible to find an affordable rental property that does not have water/damp issue.
Also – depending on the type of furniture you have, and if they have been affected, moving house can also mean having to do a change over of ALL your possessions. The trauma and stress of which can be just as impacting as the triggers.
And saying that – there are some house owners that their insurance will not cover repairs, they cant afford the $60-$150 k to fix the place, they cant sell it as it is, so one lady is living in a tent in her carport - has temporary kitchen set up outside. The rest of her family live in the house as they are not as affected. I have seen other people that rent, that professionals have tested air, carpet, ceiling space, etc etc and provided scientific reports that the house is inhabitable due to toxins. The people move out. 2 weeks later the house will be advertised as available for rent. The owners don’t do a thing

Looking at your living environment
You can purchase an affordable EMF reader, and check rooms in the house. The aim is to find the room with least amount of EMF and make this the room where you sleep. One friend of mine had major troubles sleeping, and via this reader, confirmed that the wall where the head of their bed was the worse wall in the whole house. By moving the bed in this room to a different spot she has reduced the EMF circulating her head of a night and improved sleep. and in some other areas they put EMF filters.
In alignment with this suggestion, make the bedroom EMF minimal by removing phones, electric clock radios, tv’s, computers etc. again we cant make every room perfect, but having the bedroom clean as possible will give you healing sleep and this is a good area to start.

Of a night, I turn the wifi modem off. The ipad that I use for podcasts/audiobooks has no internet/sim card, bluetooth connection on, is at least an arm length away from my body. No phones are in the room.

review your bedding, namely quilts / pillows. look at the small investment in purchasing new, low toxin bedding items.
for now don't replace mattress but maybe consider a steam clean with some vinegar in the water.

There are companies that can come and test air, carpet etc. to give you an idea of ‘what you are dealing with’ and how bad it is. My thought is, make some changes that you can afford, do some cleaning etc and give it 3-6 months and see if there is improvement before outlaying for the testing

Suggestions: damp rooms like bathrooms etc, getting a dehumidifier is a good investment.
Clean the bathroom with ammonia / vinegar / borax. Or get someone else to clean it as it may affect you. Bleach does not work, all bleach does is fade the colour from the mold. Very handy to ensure a place where you are breathing steam etc has minimal toxins.
There are specific face masks that are recommended that can protect you from mold / dust etc during the cleaning process. (yep… they are like a WW2 gas mask)

The other key area to keep dry and to consider cleaning is your wardrobe. if the wardrobe is damp and is close to the worse area of the houses – the items like jackets etc may need a more professional treatment.

Don’t swap out the heating options yet. Do some investigation and maybe make some changes over time based on what you can afford, what will work best with least amount of toxins. Remember the motto… progress not perfection.

I am very very lucky that I managed to rent a place that had a wood combustion heating. As this has been used for the life of the house the house is very dry (despite humid summers) - for some the wood smoke is considered a toxin, but for me the combo of affordability, heat quality, and minimal health issues compared to other options I am very happy to stick with it. ..
Another option that some people use here in Australia is a gas heater that you can attached portable gas bottles to. No fixtures in the house, can be moved room to room etc.

Do you have pets – some people have had to shave the pets, treat them and then minimise the contact the pets have with the more toxic areas of the house.
with the EMF reader (and getting involved with some local forums - most of my info is based on Aussie info) there will be options for heating

Treatment of you
One thing you will be interested in, one of the main treatments for biotoxins/parasites etc is cholestyramine. In much much higher doses that what is used for MC. The other option is things like Diatomacious Earth (which I have used) it is more natural type of cholestyramine

Toxins cause inflammation, and while you are clearing toxins you may feel symptoms.

The other thing to maybe do some reading on is ‘biofilm’ some of the toxins can be tricky to remove from our bodies.

There are some tests that you can check if some of the nasty beggers are evident in your nose etc to get an accurate idea of what you are dealing with. Like the house situation, rather than outlay for the tests now, do the changes to your living environment, reduce the toxin overload on your body, do some targeted things treatment wise and see how you go after 6 months. If you are still struggling then consider the testing.

my personal experience regardless of the health issue - rather than buying lots of devices to protect you, nothing can help the body more than good rest, and spending time in nature with minimal toxins. Optimising good sleep, ensure your clothing is as clean as possible, spending time outdoors (doing relaxation activities in the outdoors is even better) does not cost very much, and provides the most benefit. We just have to make the lifestyle changes to incorporate this.

some good resources: dave asprey, bulletproof radio. he has recovered from mold toxin illness. he has great podcasts that cover all aspects of optimising health, and it doesn't have to cost a lot of money.
evan brand - not just paleo just this week had a podcast about EMF. I listened to it on the weekend.

hope this helps
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Post by Gabes-Apg »

this gent Ritchie Shoemaker is the scientific guru on biotoxin illness in the USA
http://www.survivingmold.com/diagnosis/ ... sdiagnosis

and this link is when he was on the Dave Asprey radio show -
really good episode
https://blog.bulletproof.com/126-dr-rit ... d-podcast/
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Post by constantd »

Thank you for your prompt reply Gabes!

I think I will go ahead and purchase an EMF reader - good idea. It is a bit overwhelming. I will say that I have had conventional "allergy testing" done twice for pollen, dust, etc., and the only things I wasn't allergic to were molds and pets. But I am allergic to dust mites, trees, grasses, weeds, etc. This is fabulous considering I am a Veterinarian and that I own a cat and a dog.

The problem with where I live - the Pacific Northwest, aka the Pacific North-WET, is that starting in October and lasting through July we have rain almost every damn day. And this last year was one of the wettest on record thanks to El Nino. This October was the 2nd wettest in all of history here. And our basement floods all the time! So I bet it would be pretty darn hard to escape a moldy home just about anywhere around here. I will say that I don't seem to have any other symptoms of "mold sickness" other than just exacerbation of my MC symptoms. However, I notice that when we go on vacation to drier climates I always feel a lot better. Maybe we just need to consider moving to a drier climate.

But thank you for all the ideas. I will slowly try and implement some of them to see if there is any difference. Thanks again!
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Post by Gabes-Apg »

given the weather situation in your area - seeing if you can adjust some things at your current place is a good option

I would consider treating the pets, diatamaceous earth is used and is safe for animals
and here is some further info. similar to the suggestions for your bedroom etc, these are some great suggestions for treating the pet beds etc
they may not be sick, but the mold spores may be in their bedding etc

http://www.survivingtoxicmold.com/pets___toxic_mold

and this is the link to the study that explains how wifi and EMF make mold biotoxins 600 times worse
http://agoodhealthadvocate.com/health/m ... -with-emf/


I am not a scientist, and have no formal qualifications in this area but based on the reading and discussions I have had in the last couple of years, on this forum, and biotoxin forum, and pyrolle groups etc
the bodies ability to heal is seriously compromised if there is too much contact with toxins (aka inflammation) and the cells are not 'healthy'

given your reaction in the allergy test to dust mites - the suggestions for the bedroom would be very good option for you to remove this known inflammation trigger.

good luck...

ps - for my combo of health issues i struggle with summer humidity and have moved to areas with less humidity not just for that reason alone, but it was a big part of the decision
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Post by Vanessa »

I use "earthing" sheets for grounding at night. I also purchased a smart meter cover that is a faraday cage to stop the EMF pulsing on the other side of my head at night. I also bought one for our wi fi router in the home.....
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Post by mary »

Gabes, I have to thank you for such a thoughtful, balanced post.

I also live in a house built around 1940 and have often wondered how much blame I should give my house for my MC. Constantd, if it's any consolation, my home has been completely renovated and repainted. Over the years I've had a new furnace installed and the ductwork cleaned. I put in new windows after terrible storm damage. I haven't been manic about "cleansing" my home, just careful over the years as a lifelong allergy sufferer. I do think my home has contributed in some part to my illness, but then again, I can point to so many other things that have certainly fanned the flames: chronic stress, a life-long gluten sensitivity, way too much diet coke before MC and who knows what else?

I've looked at air purifiers...do you have any comments on these Gabes vs. or in addition to humidifiers? Just curious. I agree with you that our devices and contraptions are no replacement for good sleep and the great outdoors!

Mary
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Post by Gabes-Apg »

Mary - your welcome

I dont think the house per say is to blame for health issues it is a small contributer of toxins in the scheme of things- more so it is the aspects of our modern lives that is having the impact and making our bodies less able to cope with the TOTAL load of toxins from a variety of sources

Food wise - foods dont have the minerals and nutrients they used to - along with increased intake of processed foods, GMO foods, ingredients like soy etc being used in foods, sugar, chemical sugars in diet drinks etc

lifestyle wise - the toxic load in our work environments, communities, including the hours we work and expectations of employers, the commute etc. Along with life, is more stressful, dealing with offshore customer service centres, the health system, the banking system, social media, affordable housing, for starters there is many many more

environment - pollution, water quality, and then the aspects that only started in the last 30 years, wifi, radiation, smart meters, heavier density of housing, workspaces are small so there are more people per floor in the workplace with lots of electronics surrounding us
(and this is the aspect that has made the homes a bit more toxic that we are not getting the good quality healing rest our bodies need)

Long story short with nutrient deficiencies and toxin overload - we get sick, we react to more things, it takes longer to heal

my life from childhood was chronic stress, my first 10 years of life i was constantly unwell (whooping cough, german measles, constant infections, bronchitis, etc) and then had years of emotional stress. this was the starting point of my key nutrient deficiencies. What I have learnt and mention frequently - we cant avoid stress, we cant hide from it, stressful events will happen, whether they be workplace, financial, family, health of self, family etc but we can change how we react to it, how we live with it and minimise its impact on our bodies...
and like i mentioned above, we cant do everything perfectly - balanced content type life is a delicate balance of 'making it happen' and 'letting it happen'
remove as many toxins/inflammation creators as we can, take key nutrients to help our bodies heal and be at peace with the rest..
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Post by mary »

Oh Gabes, there is so much wisdom in this thread. I will bookmark it and return to it often. I agree with you. Finding balance these days is a project, not just something that happens in our lives. If I leave anything to my children, I hope it's the ability to see that. Be well.


Mary
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Post by brandy »

lifestyle wise - the toxic load in our work environments, communities, including the hours we work and expectations of employers, the commute etc. Along with life, is more stressful, dealing with offshore customer service centres, the health system, the banking system, social media, affordable housing, for starters there is many many more
I would add lack of windows, that open, in offices and hotels.

I hate it when I have to work in Cleveland which usually is in the winter. My boss picks me up at my hotel at 7:00 am and it is dark outside. We get to work and I'm usually in a windowless cubicle all day in a windowless room. We go out to lunch and it is gray outside. We come back to work in the windowless room for the afternoon. We leave at 5:00 pm. It is gray outside. We get to my hotel that does not have windows that open not that I would want to as it is 30 degrees F.
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Post by brandy »

Mary, the new homes, particularly in Florida, have a lot of issues in that the raw materials are chemically laden. You pay a lot more for old school construction like "real wood."
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Post by Gabes-Apg »

sort of in line with this discussion - a news report here in Australia yesterday is that there are people with scurvy.

interesting given that toxins, overactive immune system, and adrenals deplete Vit C.
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Post by mary »

Brandy,

Your comment made me laugh -- I live in Columbus, Ohio. You've accurately described my home state in the winter, and sometimes spring, summer and/or fall ;)

I appreciate your comment about open windows. My husband loves air conditioning; I do not. After so much reading about toxins, we will be opening windows much more frequently around here.


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Post by Gabes-Apg »

firstly i was curious how you were and if things had improved

also this news story came up today

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/01/28/healt ... en-deaths/
Heavy mold growth was found in the linens used at two University of Pittsburgh Medical Center hospitals where five mold-infection-related deaths occurred since October 2014, according to a report.

The report, which the medical center received in May 2016, was filed January 19, 2017 with the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas in two wrongful-death lawsuits brought against the hospital system by the families of the deceased.
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Post by Vanessa »

Matresses also seem to give people a lot of trouble who are chemically sensitive. All the chemical that are sprayed onto them, plus the use of foam and cotton that can harbor mold has scientifically been linked to a lot of health issues. I'm saving up for an Intellibed. Seems to be the best option out of all the ones that I've reasearched. Let us know how your doing!
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