Case Study: Son with Alpha-gal tested positive for two mycotoxins from bedroom window mold

A Clarksville family noticed a disturbing pattern with their son. At home, he experienced constant headaches, red eyes, and a blocked nose. But whenever they traveled away from the house, he was completely healthy. Within hours of returning home, the symptoms came back.

The son already had health challenges—he'd developed Alpha-gal syndrome from a tick bite, making him extremely sensitive to smells and irritants. The family worried the home environment was making things worse, but they couldn't find any visible mold anywhere in their 4,000 square foot house.

The family had their son tested for mycotoxins at the Center for Proactive Medicine. The results confirmed their fears: he tested positive for two different mycotoxins—Ochratoxin and Gliotoxin. Both are toxic compounds produced by specific mold species, and finding them in his system meant he was being exposed somewhere.

Claro conducted comprehensive testing of the 4,000 square foot home to locate the source. The son's bedroom showed a MoldSCORE of 221 with 2,700 spores per cubic meter indoors compared to just 530 outside. The living room registered a MoldSCORE of 133 with 640 spores versus 530 outside.

During inspection, the team discovered the culprit: a south-facing wall around the bedroom window was missing caulk, and visible mold was growing on the drywall behind where curtains had been hanging. The outer wall was brick, creating a perfect moisture trap. The fabric curtains touching the wall had created condensation, and the missing caulk allowed moisture infiltration from outside. This combination created ideal conditions for the mold producing the Ochratoxin and Gliotoxin that were making the son sick.

For a child already dealing with Alpha-gal syndrome and heightened sensitivity to irritants, this constant mold exposure was creating unbearable symptoms every time he was home.

The homeowner immediately addressed the moisture source, repairing the missing caulk around the window and running dehumidifiers for 24 hours to ensure the wall was completely dry. The curtains were removed from contact with the wall to prevent future condensation issues.

Once the moisture problem was fixed, Claro treated the home comprehensively, with special attention to the son's bedroom where the contamination had been concentrated. Post-treatment testing confirmed complete remediation: total culturable fungi dropped to less than 13 CFU/m³ throughout the home.

The bedroom's 2,700 spores were eliminated. The living room was clean. The mold producing Ochratoxin and Gliotoxin was gone. Within days, the son's symptoms began improving. The headaches stopped. His eyes cleared. His nose wasn't constantly blocked. For the first time in months, he could be comfortable in his own home.

This case demonstrates how critical proper window sealing and moisture control are—especially in bedrooms where people spend hours breathing the same air every night. For children with existing health conditions like Alpha-gal syndrome, even moderate mold exposure can create severe symptoms. The difference between sick at home and healthy away wasn't coincidence—it was environmental contamination that proper testing and remediation finally solved.