Last updated April 24, 2019 by Lisa Richards, CNC

Can Mold In Your Home Make Candida Worse?

Mold in your house

Many Candida sufferers look at the mold in their house and connect it directly to their Candida overgrowth. After all, they’re both fungi right? Well, it’s not quite that simple. You see, the mold in your house does not generally contain Candida albicans. According to the Center for Disease Control, “The most common indoor molds are CladosporiumPenicilliumAspergillus, and Alternari”. So although there might be a small amount of airborne Candida albicans, the truth is it’s extremely unlikely that you will ‘catch’ Candida from the mold in your house.

However, there is definitely a connection, although it might not be as direct as you thought. In fact, those molds in your house can indeed contribute to a Candida overgrowth in two different ways.

First, the environmental mold weakens your immune system, allowing the Candida colonies in your gut and elsewhere to expand. Exposure to mold (usually by inhaling the spores) triggers an immediate immune response from your body. This often presents itself as fatigue, respiratory problems, inflammation, and many of the regular symptoms that you might associate with seasonal allergies. But chronic, long-term exposure to mold can severely weaken your immune system. And once your immune defenses are compromised, this gives Candida albicans the opportunity to expand through your digestive system.

Second, your body’s response to chronic mold exposure can actually lead you to become even more sensitive to fungi. Developing a mold allergy means that your reaction to the regular Candida toxins is likely to be stronger. And this hyper-sensitivity can weaken your immune system further and cause even more inflammation, particularly if you are already suffering from a Candida overgrowth.

The worst kind of mold is the Stachybotrys genus, often known as “black mold,” which usually grows on the wet surfaces created by faulty plumbing or around your bathroom. This is a particularly serious mold that can have a severe effect on your immune system. Symptoms range from headaches to vomiting, depending on the level of your exposure.

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If you suspect that you might have mold in your house, I recommend that you get it checked out right away. You should also make an effort to avoid foods that contain molds. Our Ultimate Candida Diet treatment program provides a list of mold-containing foods like certain nuts that you should avoid. Mushrooms are a little different because they have strongly immune-supportive properties, so they are generally OK to eat.

How To Prevent Mold In Your House

It’s easy to ignore small patches of mold in your bathroom or in the corners of your house, but the reality is that there is probably a much bigger problem that you’re not seeing. That little patch of mold might be the proverbial ‘tip of the iceberg,’ signaling a much bigger problem that you can’t see. Mold can accumulate in large quantities behind your walls, and from there the spores that it releases can still reach you inside of your home.

Preventing mold is really all about one thing – preventing moisture from building up in your house. This applies particularly to those areas where water tends to accumulate (for example your basement floors or bathrooms). Here are 5 simple tips that you can follow to prevent moisture build-up in your home.

#1  Do an inspection

The first thing you need to do is conduct a really thorough inspection around your house. You can conduct a preliminary inspection yourself; there’s no need to hire a professional unless you strongly suspect you have a mold problem.

Instead of only looking for obvious patches of mold on the walls, you need to also watch out for the major causes of mold. Here are some of the telltale signs you need to look for:

  • Dampness on your carpets
  • Water stains on the walls
  • Condensation on windows
  • Pooled water around the outside of the house
  • Discoloration on the outside walls

#2  Repair your gutters

Next up, make sure that your gutters are in great shape. This is absolutely one of the most common causes of mold in a home. The gutters get clogged up, start overflowing, and water starts to enter the house without you even realizing it.

Also make sure that the downspout doesn’t just deposit all that rainwater right next to your home. The purpose of a good gutter system is to get water as far away from the house as possible.

#3  Monitor humidity

It’s a good idea to monitor the humidity in your home regularly. You can do this with a simple moisture meter from your local hardware store. If you live in a wet climate this is a particularly good idea. The EPA recommends keeping moisture inside your home at between 30% and 60%.

#4  Use proper ventilation

If you are noticing high levels of humidity or condensation inside your home, you should consider improving your ventilation. This might be as simple as opening windows to air out the house, but for areas like the bathroom, kitchen or laundry room you might need to install some extra ventilation.

#5  Always clean up your spills

This is a really simple tip that can reduce moisture levels in your house. Make sure that any spills and water leaks are cleaned up quickly. If one of your appliances starts to leak, leaving moisture on the floor creates a breeding ground for mold. The same goes for leaks after heavy rainfall. And when you take a shower, making sure that you close the shower door properly can prevent your bathroom from developing a mold problem.

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Comments

  1. Kate says:

    This is fascinating! I worked at a job in an office where we discovered mold and during the time I worked there I had a major flare of candida symptoms! I even went on the candida diet to fix it. Now I know why it was so severe!

  2. julie says:

    I have just been through every symptom described in the last three months of living in a house with this mould. I move out in six days thank god. This mould is deadly and I am so glad this is becoming known. Doctors don’t make the connection, and people who aren’t sensitive they. It thnink it’s neurosis. It’s soul destroying, a silent killer,and debilitates you in every way.

    1. Dana says:

      I am also very ill and just was diagnosed with CIRS. They say I have had this for several years. The regular doctors just kept putting me on one medication and antibiotic after another. I did my own research and found yeastinfection.org. This ND in New Zealand has the best info yet! I even ordered his stuff because it makes the most sense out of the hundreds of websites I have found! I wish you the best!
      Dana

      1. Starla Dean says:

        Hi Dana,
        What ND and what does he/she gave you doing?
        Thanks so much!
        Starla

  3. Lori Jones says:

    Love getting your emails and the Facebook site. The mold I have allergies to and pencillen too. Have Lyme disease and they put me on antibiotics. Bad choice to take. OMM I GOT candida and thrush. I find the info in your sites to be very helpful. I do a lot of salt bath, swim in the pool helps. I have to stay away from yeast foods and gluten now, make my bowels inflamed, heart burn. Citrus adic and peanuts do too.

  4. Anna says:

    Black mold can damage your respiratory, circulatory, mental, immune and the productive systems. The other symptoms when inhaled are ingested, or touching of the mold which includes allergies, fatigue and skin as well as vision problems.

    No treatment will stop or remove the mold till you permanently remove the source where it grows.

    1. Stephanie says:

      Any suggestions for who to contact for checking out the mold issues & working to install better ventilation ? Ive been looking into local heating and air professionals, but some of the services seem like they may product biased results.

  5. Linda says:

    My husband has a yeast infection between his fingers. A few weeks ago when, it stArted he was fixing a leak under the house that caused black mold.

  6. Reba says:

    I have used milk of magnesia topically or Desitin for fungal skin infections. Works great. Since the milk of magnesia worked so well topically I started to take a tablespoon daily. Dont know if it helped. Just starting this journey.

  7. Reba says:

    The milk of magnesia must be thoroughly dried to work…

    1. Carol Damon says:

      Can you tell me more about the milk of magnesia, how much do you take and how many times per day? When you say it needs to be completely dry what do you mean by that do they make a dried formula of milk of magnesia? Also what is a good household cleaner for yeast candida and laundry and shampoo and conditioner and body soap and nails and hair soaps or creams or lotions?

      1. Stephanie says:

        Carol Damon,

        I am a long time sufferer of chronic yeast + Candida. Have done many diets and cleanses over the years which are helpful. With regards to your question about product usage- this has been a huge area of impact for me. Removing toxin, chemical filled ingredients from cleaning, personal care, skin care, etc. all the everyday life products. For 3 1/2 years I have used Young Living and it’s been life changing to say the least. I would definitely recommend! Of course you can let me know if you have any questions.

        1. Natalie Nitzsche says:

          What young living products do you use for your candida?

  8. Tee says:

    My apartment was flooded in March and now dealing with mold under my carpet. I am having alot of severe allergy symptoms and now have oral candida again. I had this candida about 10 years ago when I lived at my step dad’s house and there was mold in his house and my bedroom. I didn’t even think about it until now. I still don’t know why I got oral thrush to begin with and had a REALLY hard time getting rid of it. My cat is sick to. My apartment manager refuses to do anything about my carpet. Every time I vacuume, my rashes get worse and I don’t know what to do. I’m waking up every morning with horrible migraines and nothing is helping. I can’t afford to leave and hoping someone can give me some ideas, answer’s or anything that I can do or try.

  9. Jeanne Phin says:

    I was exposed to toxic black mold as a Federal Ranger due to an AC Unit installed incorrectly I got a CIRS diagnosis only now after seeing multiple doctors none who were environmental specialists, I had a heart rhythm issue suffered a heart attack hair loss brain fog seizures food sensitivities severe diarrhea bloating gas, nose bleeds screaming nightmares seizure like symptoms, sleep apnea2snxiety and depression, granuolas on lungs, had mass on right kidney, had right kidney removed reflexes diminished slurred words and had doctors blow me off big time I thought I was dying while being dismissed I now see a pulmonologist, heart specialist allergist, and environmental specialist, prior to toxic mold exposures I saw a doctor 2 times a year.I have lost my employment to diminished health and workman comp denies responsibility despite the air quality report states my air quality was poisoned and that i should have been provided a respirator to be in the workspace. I kept pursuing medical care mold was found in my blood my urine and my feces. Lack of continuity of care could have cost me life.

  10. Kathleen Kimont says:

    Jeanne Phin lived my exact life – and it is a tragedy they 2 people had to lose their lives because no Drs believed them when they told them “ something’s wrong “ and “ I’m sick ! They thought I was trying to manipulate the system when one of my drs pulled out of signing his name for my disability….I’m still disabled and still so very sick … I don’t know what to do !!!!

  11. Dana says:

    Kathleen… I completely understand how you feel I have been going through a myriad of illnesses and symptoms! I had UTI after UTI for 6 months! The damn Specialist just kept me on antibiotics! I was put on 4 different antibiotics this year alone which pushed my illness over the top! I literally thought I was just going crazy! I have been seeing a hormone doctor and he felt so bad knowing the specialist did nothing… he started doing blood tests and different things to try to find out what was wrong. I ended up with white junk on my tonsils about 6 weeks ago and it wasn’t strep or tonsillitis. He called me and said I think you have a yeast overgrowth – Candida. We did the appropriate blood tests and my levels are to the point has developed and is actually CIRS. Meaning it is throughout my blood stream. They think I have had this for several years! I started doing a ton of research and found a New Zealand Natropathic Doctor, Erik Baker. I am not getting money or anything for telling you this. I am sharing because I know how sick I have been and wish this upon NO ONE! It also has caused me to even become suicidal which is not normal! His website is yeastinfection.org. I took his quiz and with all of my symptoms it reflected I was 96% positive for having Candida. That was prior to my blood tests! I have now ordered his product called CanXida Remove and 2 others that will assist in restoring my body! Natural is the way to go! I have also started seeing a Natropathic Doctor in my State about 3 hours away from me and am doing chelation therapy 2x month also to really clear out my system. I also drink apple cider vinegar daily from Bragg (you can get it online or at Walmart or any grocer probably). Apple cider also helps with other things such as my digestion. Please go read his information and watch his YOUTUBE VIDEOS to learn about what you can do to stop the madness that comes with this illness! I wish you the best! Happy Thanksgiving! Dana

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