Chronic Inflammatory Response (CIRS)

What Is Chronic Inflammatory Response (CIRS)?

Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS) is the body’s inflammatory response to a biological trigger such as mycotoxins, bacteria, and fungi from water damaged buildings, algae bloom, chemicals, bacteria, certain spiders, ticks, or volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that results in long-term dysregulation of the immune system. Though we are all constantly exposed to different toxins, these particular toxins can trigger an inflammatory response in some patients due to a genetic predisposition that prevents the body from detoxing naturally. Approximately twenty four percent of the population carries this genetic patterning.

In people with normally functioning immune systems, toxins are tagged and identified by the immune system, broken down, and then removed from the blood by the liver. By contrast, in individuals with variations in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA-DR) genes, toxins trigger an impaired immune response. Normally, inflammation works to fight off an infection or a harmful substance that has entered the body, but in a CIRS patient, the toxins can build up over time and cause a systemic flare.

 Mycotoxins and CIRS

Mycotoxins are typically found in any building that has water intrusion, especially crawl spaces.

Buildings with a flat roof or structures located on a hillside and cinder block basements are all at a great risk for water damage. Though food products like grains can develop mold through processing and storage, mycotoxins from dietary sources are typically not the cause of biotoxin illness. More recent findings in the field of biotoxin illness research have determined that endotoxins and actinobacteria (bacteria and fungi) are responsible for over half of cases of what is generally labeled as mold exposure.

 CIRS Symptoms

 There are thirty-seven symptoms that are common in CIRS patients. Most of the symptoms have a neurological component due to the ability of the toxins to cross the blood-brain barrier. Some of the symptoms are:

·      Fatigue

·      Body aches, weakness

·      Headaches,

·      Light sensitivity

·      Joint pain, morning stiffness, muscle cramps

·      Disorientation, metallic taste

·      Sinus congestion, shortness of breath

·      Impaired memory and decreased word finding

·      Skin sensitivity, tingling sensation

·      Red eyes

·      Blurred vision

·      Mood swings

·      Ice pick pain

·      Mood changes like anxiety

·      Difficulty concentrating

·      Vertigo and static shocks

·      Excessive thirst, cough, confusion

·       Increased urinary frequency

·       Appetite swings

·      Dysregulated body temperature

·       Abdominal pain

·       Diarrhea

·      Numbness

How does mold exposure affect the body?

The science behind why these symptoms occur is important in understanding CIRS. In addition to CIRS causing overall inflammation, the body goes into conservation mode by slowing down its metabolic rate. This hypometabolic state can cause:

·       The body to not make as much DNA, or protein, and the mitochondria produce less energy

·       Hormones in the hypothalamus to malfunction due to inflammation blocking the receptors 

·       Abnormal levels of antidiuretic hormone (ADH), the hormone that balances the water in the body, can cause a free release of too much water from the body, resulting in dizziness, vertigo, thirst, and polyuria (increased urination). 80% of CIRS patients have abnormal ADH levels

·       Reduced production of Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), the hormone that helps generate other hormones such as estrogen and testosterone, causing different kinds of hormone imbalances 

·       Lower levels of oxygen in the blood, which impair the body’s ability to remove toxins. The more the toxins circulate in the body, the more inflammation in the body

·       Significant inflammation which can result in cognitive issues and memory changes

Testing and Diagnosis

Diagnosing CIRS:

 1.     A thorough clinical history, in addition to determining symptom clusters, which helps to identify exposure to toxins. 

2.     A Visual Contrast Screening (VCS) test, which measures the ability to see visual contrast. The VCS determines oxygen and blood flow to the retina and optic nerve since reduced oxygen affects the ability to see contrast. If the VCS is positive, then bloodwork is completed to examine the patient’s genetic predisposition and check inflammatory markers. 

4. Laboratory data: to determine inflammatory and immunologic response.

5. Genomic Expression: Inflammation Explained (GENIE), which identifies genes that have been turned on or off in response to the toxin. The GENIE test can help to differentiate between toxins from tick borne illness, bacteria, and mycotoxins. 

Treatment

In my practice, I follow Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker’s twelve step treatment protocol, which has been used for over twenty-five years to treat patients with biotoxin illness. The protocol starts with removing the patient from exposure to toxins, reducing inflammation and toxins, and then addressing damage from the inflammatory cascade. Once a diagnosis has been made, we take a series of steps to address the removal of the biotoxins. The most important step is determining the source of exposure and remediating the space. It is not possible to reverse all the inflammatory responses in the body while you are drowning in a cascade of inflammation. The steps continue from there to address any dysfunction caused by the CIRS inflammation. Shoemaker’s protocol is a methodical one that needs to be followed in sequence with close evaluation.