I moved into an apartment in the summer of 2008 and started having severe migraines around a month and a half later. There is a great deal of mold in the bathroom, black in color. It is now Febuary of 2009, and I was wondering if the mold might have anything to do with it. The migraines last anywhere from 2 days to a week. A few weeks ago I experienced a rather frightening event while taking a shower... first, I lost the sense of taste, then I couldn't hear. I began to feel extremely nautious and then I couldn't see. The loss of site lasted for about 30 minutes. I am scared that their might be something connected to the mold. Any information I can get would be appreciated.
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Q: can mold cause migraines?
Answers (4)
2/ 9/09 10:11pm
Hi Ashley,
Mold doesn't cause Migraines, rather may trigger a Migraine attack. Migraine is a genetic neurologic disease caused by overactive neurons in our brain and genetics.
Have you tried keeping a Migraine diary to see what other things may or may not be working to reduce the number of attacks you are having? It is very easy, and in fact, I've been keeping one and was quite surprised to find that I am having more pain days than I thought. You can find our free downloadable diary HERE.
Another thought I had would be to remove the mold from the bathroom, not a fun job. Using gloves and protective eye gear would be the way to go.
Good luck
Nancy
9/ 1/09 11:15am
Felt I had to respond to this. The mold can absolutely cause your migraines. My son's life has been severely affected by mold exposure in our house. In the presence of certain types of mold he will have immediately pain in the head, ice pick headaches in the eyes, loss of vision (both eyes) for several minutes, or other ocular disturbances, and can suffer numbness in arms and legs, and feelings of blacking out.
This is not an allergic reaction it is a toxicity reaction. Mold exposure can cause many changes in the brain which will predispose you to migraines. Before his long-term exposure in our house, he never got any headaches. Please check out information about mold illness and find a doctor who specializes in this.
And above all, remove yourself from the moldy location, have it properly dealt with, and be careful not to bring contamination with you ... if you become hypersensitized to the mold, you could have long-term problems.
best of luck - do not listen to anyone who tries to blow this stuff off as not serious
Deb
9/ 7/09 5:32pm
Call it whatever you like, but it is as simple as this:
Mold present = migraine headache and illness
Mold gone = No migraine
Mold is dangerous and should not be present in homes or public buildings. It will make you sick.
9/28/10 5:30am
I recently moved into my parent's OLD Florida home full of MOLD!!!! They are too cheap to get rid of it, so I need to get out! I suffer Migraines and they are now MUCH worse infact daily!!!!!!!!!!!!! I know it is from the mold!!!!! I can smell it coming out of the A/C ducts and in the carpets, etc. My sister was so nice and has the carpets washed, but the damage is done. The walls are full of mold you can see where the walls have been patched with caulk and the smell alone! YUCK!!! Yes Mold causes MIGRAINES!!! Get me out of here!!!!!
1/ 2/11 4:57pm
Have had reactions to black molds myself and I can say that it can definitely trigger migraine and even small amounts can cause a big reaction. for me it affects sight, hearing, balance and stomach if ingested, plus it raises my blood pressure & heart rate.
Best thing you can do is get the help of a friend or put on a hepa face mask and clean it with vinegar or boric acid, not bleach. Then remove the grout and regrout it. Then clean & wash everything to ensure that no spores remain in the apartment. If that doesn't work move out.
1/31/12 11:47am
Helios-Thank You for the tip of using vinegar on the source of mold.I still have symptoms of a migraine,but not as bad as before.Thank You Nancy C.
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I know it's a case of semantics, how we use words, but it is important to note that mold cannot cause Migraine disease. It can be a horrible Migraine trigger though.
Good advice, Deb.
Teri