These lab tests will cost you anywhere from $200 to $700 depending on your doctors’ fees to order them.  Before you even see a practitioner however, you can do the free online Visual Acuity Screening.  As the name implies, this screening tests your visual acuity. A mycotoxin exposure can affect your nervous system and vision, so this test can provide some preliminary information. 

Another self-test you can do, and one that I highly recommend, is to go off-grid for a week or two and see how you feel.  By off-grid, I literally mean leaving civilization and going camping for a few weeks, if possible.  One of the most informative comments my clients make is that when they leave their home, many of their symptoms subside. That is a very big clue!  Of course, there are other things inside your home that could be impacting your health (like EMF, chemicals, dust, radon, carbon monoxide etc.) but if you leave your home and feel better, that must not be ignored. If you have an opportunity to get outside in nature for a while this could provide you with some valuable information. Just be sure not to bring mold-contaminated items with you like your tent and sleeping bag.  

In addition to testing your body, getting information about your home, office, car, or other environment where you spend a lot of time will help to create a more complete picture of what you’re dealing with.  If for example, you find ‘stachybotrys’ mycotoxins in your urine, and you also find them in your home, then you can conclude this is probably where your exposure is coming from.  Your health-care practitioner will probably recommend that you hire a mold inspector to test your home.  I strongly support this recommendation, just be sure to hire a qualified inspector with a lot of experience.  A good home inspection should take 3-7 hours depending on the size of your home.  If the inspector’s normal protocol is to take air samples in multiple rooms of your home, do not hire them.  Random air samples in the middle of rooms are not sufficient. You want someone to look at every inch of your home, including the attic, crawl space, roof, and outside perimeter.  Check out this post to learn more about testing, including DIY testing.  Remember you want to test your body and your home.

To conclude, if you’re experiencing a plethora of strange, seemingly unrelated health symptoms that no one can figure out and you haven’t looked into mold yet, you definitely want to explore this.  There are two great places you can find mold literate practitioners: here, and here. 

Remember, there has been tremendous progress in understanding and treating mold illness in the past few years.  I have seen countless people make a full recovery from mold, and some say they feel better after their recovery than they ever did before. It does take time and commitment to heal, but isn’t that true with all things in life that are worth pursuing?  There is a lot of information and support out there, from online courses to in-person groups.  Thousands of people have been through this, so know that you are not alone!  And of course, if you have any questions and need further support, don’t hesitate to reach out.  I am always happy to connect with you.