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Can Mold Cause Optic Neuritis?

Q. My wife is losing her vision, there is nothing they can do. Blood Work Perfect. MRI’s clean. Spinal tap clean. She has been given every drug and IV treatment, and she is still losing her vision. The place she works at has some Mold problem. Can that be one of the reasons why this is happening to her? ~Keith

A. Hi Keith,

Yes, absolutely. Mold mycotoxins can be a cause of optic neuritis. The eyes are a common target for mold related symptoms, like itching, burning, blurring, watering etc., with impaired vision being worse case scenario. Mold related health conditions are one of the most growing environmental health concerns we face in society today.

Mold mycotoxins can have a profound impact on the brain, nervous system, immune system, vascular system, respiratory system, reproductive system or pretty much any system in the body and can cause numerous other health conditions like autoimmune disease, neurological disorders, anxiety disorders, depression, high blood pressure, tourette’s, impaired cognitive functioning, breathing problems, dizziness, hyperactivity, asthma, memory loss, fatigue, gastrointestinal disorders and much more. Be sure to read my Mold and Your Health page for a more comprehensive discussion on this topic.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the term, opticl neuritis is inflammation of the optic nerve resulting in partial or complete loss of vision, typically in one eye at a time, often accompanied by pain during eye movement.

First and foremost, the mold problem needs to be eliminated or the individual must be removed from the exposure. Health will continue to decline if exposure continues and there may be a spreading phenomenon, meaning new symptoms will build on one another.

Secondly, the detoxification system may be overburdened or impaired from the overload of mycotoxins, a variety of functional medicine tests could be used to determine how well the body is detoxing and the level of damage that has been done, like an organic acids test, amino acids plasma test and RBC mineral test. Then detoxification could be improved with nutritional supplements, diet and lifestyle changes.

Mold induced optic neuritis has been successfully treated with IV immune globulin and an antifungal called Sporanox.

You need to find a doctor who practices environmental medicine. They can be found at the Academy of Environmental Medicine. At this site they have a database where you can search for practitioners by state.

Optic neuritis is also an early sign of MS – Multiple Sclerosis, but keep in mind that MS is an autoimmune disorder and could potentially be triggered by mold as well.

The most important step to take is to get out of the moldy environment.

Best
Cynthia

References
ScientificWorldJournal. 2003 Aug 2;3:640-6.
Wikipedia
Mayo Clinic

3 thoughts on “Can Mold Cause Optic Neuritis?”

  1. Thank you for getting back to me.Question who can test her for organic Acids,amino acids plasma,and RBC mineral test.Where does she go for these tests.
    Keith

  2. We had mold exposure in our previous home hidden leaky pipe in the wall. We moved and detoxed , I noticed that my the opthamologist said, ” I’m on the fine line of early diagnosis of glaucoma” I’m not there yet. and don’t plan to get there very slight cupping. My eye pressure is normal . Doing research and taking supplements . The doctor said, I could of been born that way. I doubt that .. I truly believe that mold exposure caused this, and there is no one in my family or family history that has it .

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