Category: Mold/CIRS

In her ground-breaking article published in March 1997, Dr. Claudia Miller at the University of Texas at San Antonio coined the term “toxicant-induced loss of tolerance” (TILT). This refers to those suffering from multiple chemical sensitivities who have become sensitive to almost everything in their environment. She discovered that chemical sensitivity is the consequence of a two-step process: 1) loss of tolerance in susceptible persons following exposure to various toxicants, and 2) triggering of symptoms by extremely small quantities of previously tolerated chemicals, drugs, foods, and food and drug combinations including caffeine and alcohol. Through her research, Dr. Miller concluded that although chemical sensitivity may be the consequence of this process, the term toxicant-induced loss of tolerance more clearly describes this process. In a subsequent paper published by Dr. Miller in 2021, she reported the link between exposure to common chemicals and unexplained chronic illnesses. For the first time, a mechanism was found for how and why TILT occurs in some people. Toxicant-Induced Loss of Tolerance The 2021 study that Dr. Miller reported on included the following exposures: Employees at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency headquarters after new carpeting was installed Gulf War veterans Casino workers exposed to pesticides Pilots and...

It is accepted science that molds have the ability to activate our immune system and produce hay-fever-type immediate allergic reactions. Newer research has found that mold has the ability to impair our immune system and provoke chronic inflammation, disturb our hormonal system, cause auto-immunity, and even promote cancer. The research showing that nontoxic molds can cause delayed immune response and that toxins produced by some molds can cause chronic inflammation and illness is not yet widely accepted by the medical community. Mold as an Allergen? Since the 1920’s the medical community has accepted the model that substances in the environment, ingested in our food, or injected into a human’s blood can cause  immediate hypersensitivity immune response. Immunoglobulin E (IgE) is the culprit and the reaction was coined “atopy”. This led to the creation of skin tests to identify the allergen based on the size of the “wheal and flare” response of the skin. In order to desensitize the immune system from over-reacting to those mediators and causing illness in individuals allergy shots were administered. Later, a second type of immune response was discovered showing that Immunoglobins (IgE, IgM, IgG, etc.) can bind with proteins from viruses and bacteria. These “immune...