The Connection Between Chronic Lyme and Mold Illness
In our third article of our mold series, we bring Lyme disease into the discussion. In this article, we discuss what Lyme disease is, how Lyme disease and mold illness (CIRS) are similar, and how their combination can affect the body’s function.
What is Lyme disease?
Lyme disease is a condition spread through the Borrelia burgdorferi bacteria, and rarely, Borrelia mayonii (1). These bacteria are often spread through a tick bite. Ticks get the bacteria through biting infected animals, such as deer or mice, and they can then spread the bacteria to humans through biting them as well. In the Eastern USA, it is often a deer tick that spreads the disease, and in the West, it’s often the western blacklegged tick. The longer the tick is attached, the greater the risk of disease transmission. Research has found that Lyme disease can also be passed from a pregnant mother to a fetus through her placenta, which is known as congenital transmission of Lyme disease (2).
Lyme disease is a multisystemic disease and can be found in many different organs. However, it’s very hard to test for and to culture. Lyme disease symptoms are prolific and much more than the classic bull’s eye rash. They include gastrointestinal symptoms, cardiac/pulmonary symptoms, musculoskeletal symptoms, neurological symptoms, neuropsychiatric symptoms, and reproductive symptoms (3). Interestingly, many of the symptoms that one experiences with Lyme are the same as those experienced with mold.
How are Mold Illness (CIRS) and Lyme disease similar?
Like mold illness (CIRS), Lyme disease symptoms are caused by a dysregulated immune system and overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which are proteins produced by the immune system. CIRS and Lyme disease can also trigger the same inflammatory pathways. When these immune system responses are used appropriately, they can help to kick the immune system into gear to fight pathogens and then calm to restore homeostasis in the body. However, in conditions like Lyme disease and CIRS, they go into overdrive. When the bacteria (Lyme disease) or mycotoxins (CIRS) remain in the body, the person remains inflamed, creating a dysregulated immune system and causing many life-changing symptoms.
How does the combination of CIRS and Lyme disease affect a patient?
As is often the case in functional medicine, it’s hard to pinpoint a single culprit to a chronic health condition. This is certainly the case for someone battling Lyme or CIRS. When a person has Lyme and is exposed to mold mycotoxins, their bodies can weaken significantly. The same thing can happen if a person has CIRS and is then exposed to Lyme. If a patient has one of these conditions, they become more susceptible to the other, creating a cascade of negative effects on the body.
Considering Mold Exposure in Unresolved Cases of Chronic Lyme
If a patient has Lyme that is especially hard to resolve, mold illness needs to be considered. Mold suppresses the immune system, which makes resolving any type of infection difficult in its presence. We often find that Lyme patients are unable to fight off the infection unless they address any potential mold exposure. Only then can the immune system rebound.
If a patient has Lyme that is especially hard to resolve, mold illness should be considered.
In navigating these tricky waters, it may be helpful to know that Lyme symptoms tend to have a bit of a see-saw pattern. For example, Lyme patients may have a good few days and then regress for the next couple of weeks. On the other hand, mold symptoms tend to be more consistent. A mold patient may have fatigue and brain fog every day before they are finally treated.
Mold patients may also notice an improvement in symptoms when they travel and leave the source of mold, such as a workplace or home. However, those who have mold colonization in their sinus cavity or mucosal membranes may not notice this difference.
Impact of Lyme and Mold on the Digestive Tract
The combination of Lyme and mold can have a devastating effect on the digestive tract. Mold makes its way to mucous membranes in the body via the respiratory and digestive tract, eventually making its way to the lower gut mucosa (4). This leads to bowel dysfunction and nutrient absorption issues. Lyme disease can destroy the gut’s bacterial community (the microbiome) as well as the endothelial lining of the bowel. As the gut is destroyed by Lyme disease, mold can expand and release more harmful mycotoxins, causing further damage to the body.
In summary, the harm caused by Lyme disease creates opportunities for mold to be even more destructive. Similarly, if a patient already has mold toxicity, they are more affected by Lyme disease.
The harm caused by Lyme disease creates opportunities for mold to be even more destructive.
It is important to note that it’s also possible for a person to be treated for Lyme, appear to have a recovery, and then have a recurrence of Lyme symptoms once exposed to a water-damaged building (5). If mold or Lyme is suspected in an individual, they should be tested for BOTH conditions and treated appropriately.
While CIRS and Lyme can be overwhelming conditions, we emphasize that there is hope! If you suspect that you have one or both of these conditions, please contact us. We can help.
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