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The tiny little speck that could be making you tired

I often ask my patients if this speck could be making them tired. Yet when it creeps up slowly on me, it always takes me a while to realize there is a real reason for my fatigue. And it could be the reason for yours too. The good thing is that once you know it’s there, you can do something about it. What is it?

MOLD. That’s right. M-O-L-D. Mold. If you seem to have location fatigue, and it sometimes takes a while to figure it out, It’s likely there is something in your environment that is making you sleepy. And if it’s a significant mold problem it can be harder to notice if it’s location specific, because it can make you feel generally tired if you’re around it most of the time. Other common mold symptoms:

  • Allergies
  • Cough
  • Difficulty breathing Skin irritation/rash
  • Headache
  • Eye irritation
  • Nasal and sinus congestion
  • (and don’t forget fatigue)

It has been raining A LOT in Northern California lately. On the weekend, when it was beautiful outside I decided to sit in my backyard on the lounge chair that had been sitting there all winter with the cushion that had been rained on over and over. The cushion looked clean. It was dry. But a few minutes after I sat down I wanted to take a nap. Because the subject has come up multiple times lately, I realized what was going on. There was no reason that I should all of a sudden be tired. So I moved to a different chair and almost immediately I felt fine again. And then this morning I was washing the dishes – I started looking closely at the window frame. I noticed little black splotches. MOLD. Our windows have been accumulating a lot of condensation at night lately. And now that I’m thinking about it, it’s likely because of the rain there is more humidity in the house.  I went around the house and inspected more of the windows. They all had some amount of mold! Yuck!! In particular, when I looked at the bathroom window where I sometimes take baths – there was much more mold there between the screen and the window frame. Is it a coincidence that lately I have been falling asleep promptly when I get into the bathtub? I don’t think so. 

Consequently, all our windows are being cleaned with clorox and vinegar today. You might want to check your windows too. These tiny little specks can have a big impact on your health.  

Sometimes when mold is abundant, depending on the type and the person affected, mold can cause chronic symptoms like:

  • Headache
  • Brainfog
  • Anxiety
  • Joint pain (other pain)
  • Lethargy/Fatigue
  • Memory loss

Mold can hide behind walls too. So if you suspect mold might be an issue for you, getting your home and yourself tested is a good idea – If you’ve already Cloroxed your windows and you still don’t feel better! There are many other reasons for fatigue. I will be writing a series on fatigue in the coming weeks.

If you want help for your fatigue, schedule a discovery call with me. And we can see if I am a good fit to help you fix it!