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Mold in the sinuses. Chronic Illness and Mold Exposure: The Impact of Naso-Sinus Fungal Biofilm

by alexxlab

How does mold exposure in buildings affect human health. What are the symptoms of chronic illness associated with mycotoxins. Can naso-sinus fungal biofilm cause long-term health issues. What evidence links indoor mold to respiratory and neurological problems.

The Connection Between Mold Exposure and Chronic Health Issues

Exposure to mold and mycotoxins in indoor environments has been linked to a variety of chronic health problems. Research indicates that living or working in water-damaged buildings with mold growth can lead to respiratory issues, neurological symptoms, immune system dysfunction, and other serious medical conditions.

A key question emerging from studies on this topic is whether naso-sinus fungal biofilm may be a primary culprit in driving chronic illness associated with mold exposure. Let’s examine the evidence connecting indoor mold to human health effects and explore the potential role of fungal colonization in the nasal passages and sinuses.

Respiratory Health Impacts of Indoor Mold Exposure

Numerous studies have found associations between damp indoor environments with mold growth and respiratory health problems:

  • Increased risk of respiratory tract infections and bronchitis
  • Higher rates of asthma symptoms and asthma development
  • Greater incidence of rhinosinusitis
  • Potential link to sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease

A meta-analysis by Fisk et al. found that residential dampness and mold were associated with a 50% increased risk of current asthma and a 33% increased risk of ever-diagnosed asthma. The study also showed a 52% higher risk of upper respiratory tract symptoms.

Is there a direct causal relationship between mold exposure and respiratory illness? While more research is needed to definitively prove causation, the strong and consistent associations seen across multiple studies suggest that indoor mold is likely a significant risk factor for respiratory health problems.

Neurological and Cognitive Effects of Mycotoxin Exposure

Beyond respiratory symptoms, exposure to mold and mycotoxins has been linked to various neurological and cognitive issues:

  • Neurobehavioral impairment
  • Memory problems and difficulty concentrating
  • Headaches
  • Mood changes and depression
  • Chronic fatigue

A study by Kilburn compared neurobehavioral function in 105 adults exposed to indoor molds versus 100 individuals exposed to chemicals. The mold-exposed group showed significantly greater impairment in balance, reaction time, color discrimination, visual fields, and grip strength compared to both the chemical-exposed and unexposed control groups.

Do mycotoxins directly impact brain function? Research suggests that certain mycotoxins can cross the blood-brain barrier and accumulate in the brain, potentially causing inflammation and oxidative stress. This may explain some of the cognitive and mood effects seen with chronic mold exposure.

Immune System Dysfunction and Mold-Related Illness

Exposure to mold and mycotoxins appears to have significant effects on immune function:

  • Altered T-cell responses
  • Increased autoimmune markers
  • Chronic inflammatory response
  • Potential endocrine disruption

A study by Gray et al. examined immunological changes in humans exposed to water-damaged buildings. They found increased autoimmune markers, alterations in T and B cell subsets, and abnormal natural killer cell function in exposed individuals compared to controls.

Can mold exposure lead to long-term immune dysfunction? The evidence suggests that chronic mold exposure may indeed cause persistent changes to immune regulation and inflammatory responses. This immune dysregulation could contribute to the diverse symptoms seen in mold-related illness.

The Role of Mycotoxins in Building-Related Illness

Mycotoxins are toxic secondary metabolites produced by certain mold species. Several studies have detected mycotoxins in the air and dust of water-damaged buildings:

  • Trichothecenes (e.g. satratoxins) from Stachybotrys species
  • Aflatoxins and sterigmatocystin from Aspergillus species
  • Ochratoxin A from Penicillium and Aspergillus species

A study by Gottschalk et al. detected the potent trichothecene mycotoxins satratoxin G and H in the air of a water-damaged building. These compounds are known to be highly toxic even at low doses.

How do mycotoxins impact human health? Mycotoxins can have diverse toxic effects, including disruption of protein synthesis, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, and DNA damage. Chronic low-dose exposure may contribute to the multi-system symptoms seen in mold-related illness.

Naso-Sinus Fungal Biofilm: A Key Factor in Chronic Symptoms?

An emerging hypothesis is that fungal colonization and biofilm formation in the nasal passages and sinuses may play a central role in driving chronic illness associated with mold exposure. This concept was explored in research by Dennis et al.

Key points supporting this hypothesis include:

  • The nose and sinuses provide an ideal warm, moist environment for fungal growth
  • Biofilms protect fungi from the immune system and antifungal treatments
  • Continuous exposure to fungal antigens and mycotoxins from nasal colonies could drive systemic symptoms
  • Treating nasal fungal colonies may lead to symptom improvement in some patients

Is there direct evidence of fungal biofilms in patients with mold-related illness? While more research is needed, some studies have found evidence of fungal colonization in the sinuses of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis and other mold-associated conditions. Advanced imaging and sampling techniques may help further elucidate the presence and impact of naso-sinus fungal biofilms.

Diagnosis and Treatment Approaches for Mold-Related Illness

Diagnosing and treating chronic illness associated with mold exposure can be challenging due to the diverse and often nonspecific symptoms. Some approaches that have been explored include:

  • Environmental testing for mold and mycotoxins
  • Blood and urine testing for mycotoxins and immune markers
  • Nasal examinations and cultures
  • Elimination of ongoing mold exposure
  • Antifungal treatments (systemic and topical)
  • Binding agents to help eliminate mycotoxins
  • Immune support and anti-inflammatory therapies

What is the most effective treatment approach? Treatment often requires a multi-faceted strategy addressing ongoing exposure, fungal colonization, mycotoxin elimination, and symptom management. More research is needed to establish standardized diagnostic criteria and treatment protocols for mold-related illness.

Prevention and Remediation of Water-Damaged Buildings

Given the potential health risks associated with indoor mold growth, prevention and proper remediation of water-damaged buildings are crucial. Key strategies include:

  • Rapid response to water damage (within 24-48 hours)
  • Thorough drying and dehumidification
  • Removal of contaminated porous materials
  • Proper cleaning and treatment of affected surfaces
  • Addressing underlying moisture sources
  • Improving ventilation and air filtration

How can individuals protect themselves from mold exposure? Regular inspection and maintenance of buildings, prompt repair of leaks and water damage, and use of dehumidifiers in damp areas can help prevent mold growth. If mold is found, professional remediation may be necessary, especially for large-scale contamination.

The growing body of research on mold-related illness highlights the importance of addressing indoor air quality and preventing water damage in buildings. While more studies are needed to fully understand the mechanisms by which mold exposure leads to chronic health issues, the evidence strongly suggests that living or working in moldy environments can have serious long-term health consequences.

The potential role of naso-sinus fungal biofilm in driving chronic symptoms is an intriguing area for further investigation. If this hypothesis is confirmed, it could lead to new targeted treatment approaches for patients suffering from mold-related illness. In the meantime, a comprehensive approach addressing environmental exposure, detoxification, and immune support appears to be the most promising strategy for managing these complex conditions.

As our understanding of the health impacts of indoor mold continues to evolve, it is clear that prevention and proper remediation of water-damaged buildings should be a priority for public health. By creating healthier indoor environments, we may be able to significantly reduce the burden of chronic illness associated with mold and mycotoxin exposure.

Chronic Illness Associated with Mold and Mycotoxins: Is Naso-Sinus Fungal Biofilm the Culprit?

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Mold Sinus infection – Fungal Sinusitis

  • Posted on: Sep 20 2019
  • By: Sinus & Snoring Specialists

You may have been told that your sinus infection is a “mold” sinus infection. Typically along with this explanation, you may have been told that there is no good treatment for this condition.

Allergic Fungal Sinusitis (AFS) is a very frustrating condition to treat as it is not like a typical bacterial sinus infection at all.

AFS is actually not an infection, but really an overzealous local immune response in the nasal and sinus tissue to exposure to mold.

Mold spores are very light and are floating in the air.  In patients with AFS, they breathe the mold into their nasal and sinus cavities causing an intense and exuberant short term and long term allergic inflammatory reaction.

The nasal and sinus lining develops severe swelling. This causes a blockage of the sinus outflow tracts, trapping some mold to grow and accumulate inside the sinuses. Associated pooling of sinus secretions creates a secondary bacterial infection in most cases as well.

This persistent reaction fails to respond to traditional medical treatment for sinus infection. Instead, it progresses to develop nasal polyps. These polyps are not malignant but instead, they are just extremely swollen lining that hangs into the nasal airway like large grapes.

The patient is usually miserable, with severe nasal blockage and sinus complaints, with only temporary relief with systemic steroids and antibiotics.

Even if traditional sinus surgery is done, the underlying condition is still present and the polyps tend to recur.  This causes a terrible cycle of treatment failure.

What is the modern way to successfully manage this difficult problem?

After medical therapy has failed, the following treatment algorithm gives the best chance for success:

  1. Non-surgical balloon sinuplasty and removal of polyps as an office procedure under IV sedation. Any other structural issues such as a deviated septum should be addressed at the same time.
  2. Wash out the sinus cavities (Cyclone® lavage) during the balloon sinuplasty, with a solution against inflammation, bacteria, and mold.
  3. Allergy skin test to treat common allergens with allergy drop therapy.   All 4 common mold allergens are added to the drops, even if the patient does not test positive for mold as the allergy.  This allergy can be isolated to the nasal and sinus lining and may not show on testing. These allergy drops make the patient have IgG blocking antibodies to block the allergic reaction before it occurs.
  4. Use new “biologic” treatment – Dupixent. This antibody is injected twice a month at home by the patient. It actually blocks the over-exuberant allergic response to the mold allergy by blocking certain receptor sites that are part of the allergic reaction.
  5. Examine your local home and work environment to reduce mold exposure.

With this comprehensive yet minimally invasive approach, we can have longterm success in treating this previously troublesome condition.

Schedule A Consultation

If you have been told you have AFS, come see us for a consultation and a better approach.   He will perform an in-depth evaluation and determine the best solution for you!  Contact us today at 512.601.0303 to schedule an appointment!

 

Tagged with: Allergic Fungal Sinusitis

Posted in: Allergies, Allergy Drops, Balloon Sinuplasty, Nasal Polyps, Sinus and Nasal

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90,000 fungus in the maxillary sinus. Everything you need to know about treatment.

CONTENTS:
1. What is a mycetoma?
2. Causes of fungus
3. Inflammation of the sinuses
4. Treatment examples
5. Symptoms
6. How extensive can a mycetoma be?
7. Why is the formation of fungus in the maxillary sinus dangerous?
8. The role of CT in the study
9. How can mycetoma be cured?0007 11. Rehabilitation of the patient
12. Recommendations after removal of the fungus from the maxillary sinus
13. About the author

What is a mycetoma?

Mycetoma of the maxillary sinus is a fungal infection of the maxillary sinuses, which is one of the forms of mycosis. Inflammation of the maxillary sinuses of a non-invasive nature. The mucosa of the maxillary sinuses itself is not damaged by this fungal structure, it does not grow into the mucosa. Mushrooms just grow, the fungal body – mycelium – grows inside the maxillary sinus. At first, the fungal body of the mycetoma may look like a ball, over time, the fungus grows and can occupy the entire maxillary sinus.

Causes of fungus in the maxillary sinus

Is there any predisposition of the body to the appearance of mycetoma or does the fungus appear only as a result of external influences?
It must be pointed out that fungal spores are in the air and surround us all the time. In order for fungal growth to occur in the maxillary sinus, a person must have reduced immunity, he may have severe forms of diabetes, immunodeficiency, as a result of previous drug therapy, the human immune system is suppressed – against this background, mycetoma may also appear in maxillary sinus.

It should also be noted that often the start for the appearance and growth of mycetoma, fungus, mycelium can be the use of zinc preparations, which enters the maxillary sinus.
And one of these factors may be zinc preparations widely used in dentistry.

And when zinc enters the maxillary sinus, this is a very good environment for the appearance of mycetoma. And even in people with normal immunity, with a normal immunological status, mycetoma may appear in this case.

The second factor in the formation of a fungal colony can be a fragment of a dental instrument left by the attending physician during canal probing. The next picture is just such a case:

Inflammation of the maxillary sinuses with a fungus

Often a person does not even suspect that mushrooms grow in his maxillary cavity. Mycetoma symptoms. The patient lives a normal life, perhaps at this moment he has some slight difficulty in breathing, there may be a slight discharge from the nasal mucosa, there may be an unpleasant odor.

Basically, the patient learns that he has a mycetoma during the examination, when he comes to the dentist, does CBCT, and the attending doctor sees a foreign body, a fungal lesion in a detailed study of the image.

Mycetoma symptoms

In the early stages, a patient with mycetoma feels absolutely nothing because there are no symptoms of the disease yet. And as the fungal growth increases in size, it will become more difficult for the patient to breathe due to nasal congestion on one side, while the nose will be clear, without discharge. But sometimes the discharge can be in the form of crumbly masses of a gray-dirty color.
In addition to the symptoms listed above, the patient may experience dizziness, headaches, when the mycetoma grows strongly, it occupies the entire volume of the maxillary sinus, creating excessive pressure, including in the eye sockets. And, of course, with a large proliferation of mycetoma of the maxillary sinus, sinusitis is possible.

The patient may have pain in the upper teeth in the posterior region from the side of the mycetoma. And, as I said earlier – difficulty in breathing, the patient’s transition to oral breathing as a result of acquired chronic sinusitis.

How extensive can a mycetoma be?

Molds can grow until the maxillary sinus is completely filled. And when the mold ball occupies the entire maxillary sinus (it usually takes 5-7 years to grow), then the diameter of the ball reaches an average of 3-5 centimeters.

For example, in front of you is a photo of a mycetoma of the maxillary sinus, when the growth of fungi almost completely “captured” it. The reason for the formation of mycetoma in this case was the part of the root filling of the tooth brought into the maxillary sinus:

How the root filling got into the maxillary sinus, we describe in detail in this clinical case.

What is the danger of fungus formation in the maxillary sinus

How can the growth of a fungal colony be dangerous? In any case, it is not very pleasant when any parasite, mold, fungus lives in you. This is a real parasite that lives in the cavity of the maxillary sinus and feels great there. In addition, mycetoma is dangerous in that the blood supply and oxygen supply to the brain deteriorates, since the nasal breathing function is disrupted. A person simply begins to experience partial oxygen starvation due to mycetoma.

Plus, the waste products of the fungus in the maxillary sinus drain into the nasopharynx, which can additionally lead to additional complications up to the development of allergies, provoking respiratory diseases. And, of course – sinusitis in a chronic form.

The role of CT in the study of mycetoma

Of course, a good CT scan gives a complete picture of the maxillary sinuses and is the main tool in the diagnosis of “mycetoma” when examining a patient. CT of the maxillary sinus shows the location, size, volume of mycetoma lesion (local volume or total damage to the cavity by the fungus).

In fact, computed tomography is the gold standard for diagnosing mycetoma today.

How can mycetoma be cured

Is it possible to do without surgery? Without surgical intervention, it is impossible to get rid of the fungus in the maxillary sinus, I will say this right away. No pills, no drops of “dance with a tambourine” and everything else will not give the proper therapeutic effect. First of all, it is necessary to surgically remove the fungal body, remove this mycelium, remove the entire fungus from the maxillary sinus.

This can be done either by nasal surgical access or by intraoral access.

How is the fungus removed from the maxillary sinus

With intraoral access, a perforation is made in the vestibular wall of the maxillary sinus – access, and evacuation occurs through this hole, i.e. removal of the fungal body, mushroom mycelium. Then the maxillary sinus is washed well, treated with antifungal and antimicrobial drugs and sutured. Subsequently, the patient is prescribed antifungal therapy.

Surgical removal of mycetoma shows good results to date, relapses are extremely rare.

Rehabilitation of the patient after removal of mycetoma

After surgical removal of the mycetoma, the patient’s rehabilitation period is from 3 to 5 days. And if we talk about post-surgical treatment, then it is longer, because after the removal of the mycetoma, it is necessary to continue to maintain antifungal therapy for several weeks.

Recommendations after removing the fungus from the maxillary sinus

It is necessary, first of all, to strictly follow the prescription of the attending physician, take the prescribed drug therapy, use special nasal antifungal drops. Secondly, the patient simply needs rest in order for the wound surface to heal normally.

There are no specific recommendations. In fact, everything is quite simple.

Dangerous mycetoma of the maxillary sinus – what is it, symptoms, treatment. German Implant Center, Moscow

Content:

1. What is a mycetoma?

2. Causes and features of the fungus

3. By what symptoms can mycetoma be detected?

4. Why is mycetoma dangerous?

5. How is mycetoma diagnosed?

6. Are we going to pick mushrooms? How is mycetoma treated?

Mycetoma is a fungal disease affecting the maxillary sinuses. Sometimes mycosis is called a fungal body. The disease is rare. The lesion spreads in one of the parts of the sinus.

Mycetoma: causes and features

The cause of the disease is often associated with dental treatment. A small part of the root filling enters the maxillary cavity. Around this inclusion, a fungal colony is formed , resembling wax or modeling clay in structure. The roots of the 5th and 6th teeth of the upper jaw are separated from the sinus only by a thin bone wall, and in some people by a mucous membrane.

The likelihood of colony growth increases when the composition of the filling material includes zinc, which acts as a catalyst for the reproduction of pathogenic microflora. An additional factor that increases the likelihood of the disease is reduced immunity as a result of the destructive effects of diabetes mellitus or the transferred courses of treatment with potent drugs. The body loses its ability to neutralize the fungus.

The growth of a colony can be accelerated by a microparticle of a fragment of a dental instrument that remains after the canal filling procedure by a low-skilled dentist or when using old treatment technologies. The mycelium fills the shell from the inside without growing into the mucous membrane. At first, this formation resembles a small ball, but then it increases, fills the space and remains in one of the parts of the sinus.

Symptoms of mycetoma

There are no pronounced symptoms with mycetoma. In the initial stages, the disease is rarely detected: the diagnosis is made as concomitant, accidentally detected during an examination prescribed for another purpose.

If the mycelium confidently expands the habitat and it becomes too much, then symptoms appear :

  • Nasal congestion on one side (where there is a lesion).