“Should I go to urgent care?”

Mold is commonly found in homes. Depending on the type of mold and if you have any other medical conditions it can cause some health issues. It is definitely a good idea to be seen by a medical professional. You do not necessarily need to be seen by an urgent care vs going to your primary care provider. If you are having major symptoms that are worsening then an urgent care may be appropriate. If your having mild symptoms that are worsening or just concerning I would be seen by your PCP with the next few days to week. I hope this helps. Good luck.

Kay Kelts

No

Fungi (mold) may adversely affect health in different ways. Fungi may cause allergy, infection and toxic reactions. Examples of fungal allergy are allergic rhinitis, asthma. Infections due to fungi may be systemic like histoplasmosis or local like ringworm or thrush. Mold allergy is caused by the presence of mold cells. Mold toxicity is due to the release of toxins, called mycotoxins, from fungi. If you are suffering from the immune response to fungi and have only runny nose, wheezing, cough, difficulty breathing, you may go to the Urgent care to treat the symptoms like for any other allergic reaction or asthma attack. The urgent care can provide the first relieving treatment. It will, however, not address the problem of mold in a comprehensive way. The Urgent care will not advise you how to check for mold and how to get rid of the mold. Checking for mold and remediating an apartment or a house may be very costly but also not well done and not effective. Controversy exists over the way to assess the presence of mold. Some will offer you air sampling that may cost more than $2000 while other mold inspectors will tell you that there is nothing more foolish than air sampling. Expert advice is absolutely required to avoid useless expenses. Also are you also suffering from mold toxicity? The clinical manifestations of mold toxicity can be severe or be readily overlooked and not considered as related to mold. Neuro-psychiatric symptoms are predominant. People may complain of shooting pain, headaches, light sensitivity, burning feeling, pins and needles, tingling, numbness, dizziness, dizziness on standing up, tremor, cognitive disorders like brain fog, memory impairment, learning disability, difficulty focusing.. A new onset of anxiety, depression, mood swings or of any atypical psychiatric disorder may also be the expression of mold toxicity. Chronic fatigue syndrome, muscle pain, joint pain, weakness are commun. The toxic syndrome due to the release of toxins from the fungi (mycotoxins) has only been described for the first time by Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker in 2005. Not surprising that the awareness of this syndrome has not yet well reached out to the medical community. In fact, mold toxicity is commonly confused with mold allergy. Mold toxicity is not even taught in medical school. I was trained in mold toxicity by Dr. Richie Shoemaker and later became a diplomate of the medical mold organization called ISEAI. (International Society for Environmentally Acquired Illness. To date, I am still the only one ISEAI physician in New York State, to say how unknown mold toxicity to physicians and how Urgent Care Centers are not fit to have a comprehensive care of mold toxicity. Keep in mind that one family member may have asthma or just runny nose and cough due to mold and not suffering from mold toxicity while the sibling may be suffering from unexplained depression, anxiety or learning disability or any neuropsychiatric disorder and the grandparent from Parkinson’s disease or dementia due to mold toxicity.