When assessing new patients, I think a lot about what factors might be preventing their system from healing. Toxins and biotoxins are common culprits and I spend time asking about these, then testing for them if needed. Mould/mold is high on my list of suspects – you may not think you have been exposed to mould/mold but when we dig a little deeper, we often find some hints that this is an area that we should explore.
If we find issues with toxins, we can then plan treatments to help the body process and excrete these toxins, and we usually see health improvements as the toxic load decreases.
Seeing as I use these terms a lot, I thought it might be useful to provide definitions:
Toxins
A toxin (or poison) is a substance that can cause harm to a living organism. The term biotoxin is used to describe a subset of toxins that are produced by living organisms.
Common toxins include substances found in plastics such as Bisphenol A (BPA) and phthalates, organophosphates and other agricultural chemicals, and metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic.
Our exposure to toxins is increasing at an exponential pace, particularly our exposure to chemical toxins which are ubiquitous in virtually every aspect of our lives, from our foods to our furniture. We are exposed before we are even born, as these substances pass through the placenta in to the developing baby’s system.
Biotoxins
Biotoxins can be made by bacteria, fungi (which include moulds), algae, and plants, and can be thought of as part of their protective arsenal. Biotoxins can be absorbed through the skin, inhaled, and/or ingested. They can be produced by microbes within our microbiomes.
The amount of harm caused by toxins depends on a number of factors, including the potency of the toxin, the amount of exposure we have, and our ability to process and clear the toxin once it is in our system.
I am particularly interested in the biotoxins that can occur when microbial growth occurs in water-damaged buildings, having had my own health issues resulting from these, and exploring and addressing these issues will likely be a focus of our work together.
We will also explore ways to be mindful of the chronic exposure from toxic substances as we go about our daily lives, with a view to reducing our exposure wherever possible, with a view to optimising your longer term health and wellbeing.
