The Mindful Migraine

As a migraine person, I often end up chatting to other migraine people about potential triggers that might set off a bad migraine attack. “My migraines,” I say, “are primarily caused by stress, fluctuating hormones and dramatic weather changes… plus I used to find poor sleep and dehydration were problematic, but I seem to be on top of those triggers now”.

In return, the person I’m speaking to will give me any number of various answers, from food, to noise, to travel… but one answer caught me off guard the other day: mold.

Hmmmm…

Can mold cause migraines?

Well… I looked into it… and it’s confusing.

The repeated answer is YES mold can cause health problems – BUT whilst several sites assume it IS a specific migraine trigger, the fact is there appears to be NO scientific proof.

[Disclaimer – I’m not qualified in science, medicine or botany, so please be sure to speak to a professional healthcare provider for specific information regarding mold and migraines if you think it might be relevant to your personal situation.]

One of the first sites I read was Mold and Migraines: The Hidden Link You Might Be Missing. In the article, 5 ways mold toxicity can cause migraines was listed:

1. Neuroinflamation
2. Histimine overload
3. Detox pathway disruption
4. Mitochondrial dysfunction
5. Autonomic nervous system imbalance

Without giving much detail or references to support each claim, the post ends by encouraging you to send your urine in to them for testing (and then upsells their supplements).

[To be honest, the subject seems to be almost akin to clickbait on several sites to get you in, scare you, then upsell services or supplements.]

Looking elsewhere – a post on WellTheory notes: “Frequent headaches or migraines can be a sign of mold toxicity. Exposure to mold and subsequent immune response can lead to headaches, which may subside upon leaving a mold-infested environment. (Source, Source)”

Somewhat confusingly, however, the two medical journal articles they attached as source information didn’t entirely support their claim.

In the first paper (dated 2017 (in full here)) a case study was included: “A family of nine with seven children, three cats, and two dogs moved into a brand new house in November 2011.” The property smelled of sewerage, and whilst the contractors apparently repaired potential issues, some water damage and the smell remained.

“Approximately 1 month later, all members of the family were experiencing many symptoms, e.g., intense mucosal irritation of the eyes, coughing, pain in the throat region, throat infections, shortness of breath, sinus infections, congestion, etc.”

The issues continued with time, but in terms of a migraine, it was only a visiting aunt who suffered a migraine attack so badly she was hospitalized (but without knowing her triggers, it could have been a pet allergy, or the noise generated from the seven children that was the issue, not the mold??)

Whilst the article states: “We claim that toxic molds can cause severe morbidity and mortality in adults and children, even domestic pets; and a relatively short stay in a damaged building is a potential hazard to health and life,” the second article counters this (extremely) alarmist notion.

The second article attached as a source file (dated 2003 (here)) was written before the first, so in theory might be considered “out of date”. Nonetheless, it read more calmly: “It has long been postulated that exposure to damp, moldy home and workplace environments has detrimental health effects. At the beginning of the 18th century, Ramazzini, considered ‘the father of occupational medicine,’ described an illness of workers inhaling ‘foul and mischievous powder’ from handling crops. More recently, Platt et al., found that occupants of wet, moldy buildings had an increase in subjective complaints. Brunekreef et al. found a similar pattern in >6,000 children in six states in the United States and reported home dampness was a strong predictor of respiratory and other illness in this age group. The list of putative symptoms generally consists of upper respiratory complaints, including headache, eye irritation, epistaxis, nasal and sinus congestion, cough, ‘cold and flu’ symptoms, as well as generalized gastrointestinal complaints.”

And whilst that sounds nasty, it still doesn’t sound conclusive – the words “subjective complaints” implies “presumed but not confirmed”… and migraine isn’t listed.

Later in the article a case is referred to where people assumed their sickness came from fungal-ingestion, however, the article states “there was in fact no clear evidence (e.g., laboratory parameters) to support the claim.”

The article’s abstract sums up the (skeptical) whole: whilst “Some valid concerns exist regarding the relationship between indoor mold exposure and human disease […] we have not found well-substantiated supportive evidence of serious illness due to Stachybotrys [toxic mold] exposure in the contemporary environment.” 

All the other sites that I visited, (listed at the end), seem to circle around blanket statements that it is “well known” that mold produces skin irritations and respiratory issues, but it can in some instances also cause neurological problems. Certain types of mold can release “mycotoxins” into the air, which people can breathe in. These toxins can then travel to the brain and interfere with the nervous system, which in turn can cause headaches, memory issues and mood changes.

Apparently, the worst of the lot is black mold or “Stachybotrys chartarum”.

I’m a little torn on this one.

I don’t doubt that mold can be detrimental to our health, and I absolutely suggest we minimize our exposure to mold, but I think it might be a highly personalized trigger (potentially relating to other allergies and inflammatory issues).

[I’m lucky enough not to have food allergies, but I do get itchy skin and eyes when exposed to a lot of dust. For me personally, I’ve been left feeling very weepy-eyed, but never has the hayfever-ish symptoms progressed to a migraine attack caused from the dust (that I know of). I’ve given it a lot of thought, and I can’t make a link between household mold (which I’ve been exposed to on and off through the years) and migraine.]

If you live in a mold-prone area which is difficult to ventilate, and you are struggling with migraines (or other health issues) then speaking to your doctor about the risk seems logical to me… better to be safe than sorry.

For the rest of us, keep the mold on your blue cheese if you can handle it (that’s a yuk from me) and stay curious… who knows… maybe mold IS a secret trigger for your migraines or other health issues.

I’m happy to be proved wrong on this one – so, let me know if mold is a definite chronic pain trigger for you.

Take care taking care, mold-freely, Linda xx

PS – here is a list of the other 3 sites I visited (some are up-sellers):

Mold Exposure and Neurological Symptoms to Look For

Can Toxic Mold Cause Migraines? Exploring The Connection

12 Mold Toxicity Symptoms You Shouldn’t Ignore

PPS – a while ago when I was still spending my time making AI images (experimenting for my Gothic Migraine Tales), I created a person with a migraine that has mold growing on her face… the result was not what I was imagining, but I quite “like” it – as disturbing as it is, it is also incredibly evocative…