IS YOUR HOME MAKING YOU SICK?

The Clinical Definition of Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) is a chronic illness acquired following the exposure to the interior environment of a water-damaged building (WDB) with resident microbes including, but not limited to, filamentous fungi, bacteria, including actinomycetes and mycobacteria; and their toxins and inflammagens, including, but not limited to, hemolysins, beta glucans, mannans, and spirocyclic drimanes. 

Simply put, CIRS is a building-acquired chronic illness that is caused by exposure to certain organic/biological substances in the indoor environment.

WHAT CAUSES CIRS?

CIRS is primarily caused by the presence of excess moisture or humidity in the indoor built environment.  Examples of excess moisture include past or present water damage events, unknown or hidden water leaks, elevated humidity indoors, improperly functioning HVAC systems, insufficient ventilation, etc.  In the indoor built environment, excess moisture leads to the proliferation of indoor mold and bacteria growth, as well as at least 28 other known inflammagens that can affect the indoor environment. 

Since mold and bacteria are usually the first colonizers in the indoor environment, the presence of either of these in the indoor environment indicates that a “toxic brew” of multiple biological agents is present or may become present. This “toxic brew,” including mold and bacteria, can produce harmful byproducts such as mycotoxins, endotoxins and exotoxins.  Exposure to these biological agents can then cause chronic inflammation that affects multiple systems of the human body.  Not everyone exposed to these biological agents will develop CIRS, but a portion of the population will indeed develop CIRS, with CIRS cases varying from mild to nearly debilitating.

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS OF CIRS?

CIRS symptoms are often wide ranging and affect multiple systems/organs, so it is most helpful to present with multiple symptoms or “Clusters” of symptoms that are associated with CIRS.   Some of the more common symptoms associated with CIRS are fatigue, headaches, light sensitivity, memory recall and word finding issues, concentration problems or brain fog, joint stiffness, muscle pain, spasms,skin sensations, tingling, electric shock sensation,respiratory problems, breathing problems, shortness of breath, cough, thirst, abdominal pain, diarrhea, red eyes, sweats, mood swings,  body temperature regulation or hot flashing, and more.  No single symptom listed above should  be thought of as an indicator of CIRS.  Remember that a grouping of symptoms, or a Cluster of symptoms, along with blood/urine testing are the foundation of a proper CIRS diagnosis.  Medical diagnosis is certainly needed to confirm a potential diagnosis of CIRS. 

IS MY HOME MAKING ME SICK?

It is our opinion that the qualifying and most important question to ask is this – Do you get sick or feel worse immediately upon entering your home or shortly after entering your home?  Asked in another way – Do you feel better the longer you are away from your home, such as while at work or on a vacation away from home? 

In nearly all CIRS projects that we service, the answer to this question is a resounding yes, and is usually an extremely solid indicator that we will ultimately find an inflammagenic indoor environment.  Furthermore, answering yes to the question above is very useful because, in our experience, most CIRS patients are not living in indoor environments that are obviously water damaged or moldy.

WHAT SHOULD I DO?

We are here to help!  As the premiere CIRS testing and cleaning firm in Arkansas, we will restore your home quickly and will ensure that your home is a healthy and healing place for as long as you live there. 

First, if you think that your home is making you sick, you should leave the home and stay out of it to the extent possible.   Remain out of your home until testing has confirmed that your indoor environment is not inflammagenic.

Second, consult with a physician who is experienced in treating CIRS patients, and work with the physician to establish a CIRS diagnosis, and then establish a treatment plan such as the Shoemaker 12 step protocol. 

Third, schedule MaxxResto to perform a full visual assessment of your property, along with specialized environmental testing to confirm whether you indoor environment is inflammagenic or not. 

Fourth, if your indoor environment is confirmed to be inflammagenic, schedule MaxxResto to perform a medically important cleaning of your home using our proprietary MaxxMethod.  The MaxMethod is perhaps the most comprehensive and effective cleaning protocol used, as it is designed to remove the vast majority of inflammagenic material from the indoor environment, including tiny airborne particles and biological fragments that are impossible to capture without specialized equipment and techniques. 

Fifth, schedule MaxxResto to make corrections and improvements to the previously inflammagenic environment so that your home will remain a healthy and healing home.  We have an array relatively inexpensive solutions that will help keep your environment anti-inflammagenic and that will help to maintain indoor environmental conditions that are not conducive to the development of inflammagenic conditions in the future.