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Understanding Mold/CIRS Treatments For Patients And Families
WHAT EVERY PATIENT AND THEIR FAMILY SHOULD KNOW ABOUT MOLD/CIRS RESEARCH
Continual scientific research plays a crucial role in enhancing the well-being of individuals affected
by Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (CIRS). This research encompasses medical
diagnostics, treatment methodologies, patient outcomes, and cost-effectiveness, all aimed at
providing better care options for those with CIRS. CIRS is a complex and often debilitating
condition triggered by exposure to mold and biotoxins, leading to chronic inflammation and various
health issues.
Our goal in creating this page is to empower individuals to make well-informed decisions about
their CIRS care. We've structured the information to mirror the conversations healthcare providers
have with patients and their families.
WHERE DO DOCTORS AND OTHER HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS GO TO LEARN ABOUT CIRS?
Healthcare professionals seeking comprehensive education on CIRS can find the world's most
extensive repository of medical research and advanced diagnostic and treatment techniques at the
American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M). A4M offers a six-week intensive course led by
renowned experts, Dr. Andrew Heyman and Dr. Ritchie Shoemaker. Successful completion of the
course earns healthcare providers 70 Continuing Medical Education credits (CMEs) from the George
Washington University School of Health Sciences.
As of now, there is no equivalent curriculum, depth of research, or third-party recognition for CIRS
medical training anywhere else globally. Graduates of the A4M program have the option to become
Proficiency Partners by passing an examination offered by Dr. Shoemaker and to be listed on Survivingmold.com. Proficiency Partner certification is not recognized by a third-party medical education institution and does not earn CME's for those who complete it. Currently, less than 5% of A4M CIRS program graduates have chosen to pursue Proficiency Partner registration. The decision to become a Proficiency Partner is a personal one, influenced by various factors.
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At EBHC, both Mr. Lashley and Dr. Michelle completed the A4M program in its inaugural year, 2020.
While Mr. Lashley chose not to pursue Proficiency Partner status, Dr. Michelle did. All EBHC Nurse
Practitioners and Physician Assistants are required to complete the A4M training. Additionally,
EBHC has developed its own in-house program based on A4M requirements to provide year-round
education to its staff. This combination ensures that EBHC can offer the latest in CIRS medicine to
new patients and expand its medical team all year round.
Since its inception in 2020, more than 400 licensed healthcare providers have successfully
completed the A4M CIRS program. This indicates a growing interest and commitment to improving
CIRS care within the medical community.
MOLD IS KNOWN TO BE HARMFUL TO HUMANS
Mold's harmful effects on human health have been well-documented in both US and western
medicine. Over 1,000 published articles in medical literature confirm the link between mold
exposure and human illness. CIRS introduces a subset of patients who are affected by biotoxins in measurable ways, and research has led to the development of specific protocols for successful treatment. There are now over 1,700 medical articles on CIRS, more than 50 peer-reviewed medical journal publications, and two randomized controlled trials dedicated to CIRS diagnostics and treatment.
CIRS DIAGNOSTICS AND TREATMENT
CHANGED DRAMATICALLY IN 2020
In 2020, a significant advancement occurred in CIRS diagnostics and treatment. Prior research,
conducted over several years leading up to 2020, was translated into practice, leading to the
obsolescence of older methods. This shift included the elimination of specific lab tests, treatment
ingredients, and steps. The research also introduced more accurate ways to identify CIRS patients
and distinguish them from other conditions. Importantly, it clarified effective and consistent
treatment approaches, providing a faster and more cost-efficient path to predictable outcomes.
The discoveries were so stark compared to previous CIRS research, that those of us in the EBHC
community refer to everything from 1996 to 2019 as “CIRS 1.0”, and the medical diagnostic and
treatment methods applied since 2020 and “CIRS 2.0.” The difference in methodologies and
outcomes is sufficient to justify that distinction, in our view. If you work in our clinic or are a
patient, you will hear us refer to an outdated approach as “CIRS 1.0” and a more proven and
current approach as “CIRS 2.0” As with any new software version or technology version, the best of the original is included in the upgrade. Therefore, the aspects of CIRS 1.0 that were scientifically proven and sustained continued scrutiny are baked into the CIRS 2.0 total medical approach.
Below you can find just some of the key discoveries CIRS 2.0 delivered in 2020 and that are
continually being built upon with ongoing medical research.
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Which symptoms are directly attributed to mold or biotoxin exposure?
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Does everyone get equally sick from equal mold / biotoxin exposure? If not, why not?
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What factors other than exposure can increase a person’s susceptibility to biotoxin/mold exposure?
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How does a practitioner assess a new patient to determine if they meet the most current diagnostic criteria?
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How does a practitioner determine and quantify the extent of a biotoxin injury?
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Which lab tests that may have been useful in the past are no longer considered accurate enough and are now a waste of patient money?
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Which former treatment tools (prescriptions, supplements, nutraceuticals, devices,therapies, etc.) are now understood to be a waste of patient money and time, and why?
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How does a practitioner accurately and scientifically determine that a patient is making authentic progress in care?
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What are the scientifically known time frames for a patient to make progress in a particular stage of treatment and what factors delay or shorten that timeframe?
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What are the co-existing factors that a patient may have that make treatment more complicated, take longer, or cost more?
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Which treatment steps are required to achieve optimal resolution? ·
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Which treatment steps that have may have been popular in the past are now considered useless and a waste of patient time and money? Why?
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What are the most scientifically accurate methods for measuring true recovery frommold/biotoxin-related illness?
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What are the mistakes a patient can make that make treatment less effective or ineffective, thus sabotaging the process? Why do they make these mistakes and how can we help them make different decisions?
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What are the mistakes a practitioner can make that expend patient resources but do not lead to sustainable recovery due to inaccurate diagnosis or inadequate treatment and how do we prevent those mistakes?
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What are the long-term consequences for a patient who is not treated at all or is not properly treated?
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What scientific advances can be proven to reduce the time required for successful treatment, or the cost of treatment?
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How does medical treatment relate to assessment and remediation of the patient’s home or work environment?
If you want to hear the answers to these important questions, check out Truth and Trust.
How EBHC Uses Mold / CIRS Research
We learn it. We implement it. We don’t settle for less.
Through our relationship with Dr. Heyman, EBHC receives immediate access to the latest
discoveries and insights and the individual(s) associated with them.
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EBHC assists in funding and actively participating in new research to help those who suffer from
CIRS. We maintain an active research pipeline, and we are expanding our research collaborators in
2024. The research EBHC supports is designed to be accepted into high-level peer-reviewed
medical journals.
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EBHC communicates with patients so they can understand treatment expenses and clearly
distinguish from what is required to complete treatment successfully and what may be helpful with
some symptoms/functions but will not resolve underlying issues independent of the treatment
protocol.
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Few things can make a CIRS patient feel more betrayed than when they are given advice by a
practitioner and think they are purchasing something that will heal them, only to see no
improvement and later learn that in fact there was never any research to support that expectation.
EBHC believes in clarity of expectations. We tell you which items are supported by research to
complete a treatment objective that results in healing, and which items we recommend may
improve function or symptom relief now but are not long-term game-changing tools. EBHC uses
medical research to protect the integrity of the trust patients place in us to set true evidence-based
expectations.
Will There Be a CIRS 3.0?
Yes, there will be a CIRS 3.0. Dr. Heyman reveals the potential for a groundbreaking discovery in
video 15 of our TRUTH & TRUST series – a discovery that may usher in the era of CIRS 3.0. This
could bring hope for a cure at a genetic susceptibility level, even for hyper-sensitive patients with CIRS, multiple chemical sensitivity, and/or Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS).
The quest for better health and improved care cannot end. The EBHC team is honored to be
trained by and work alongside some of the greatest medical minds in history as it relates to CIRS
and biotoxin illness. EBHC is committed to being an active participant in and champion of all the
advances that CIRS 2.0 represents today and 3.0 represents tomorrow, celebrating the scientists
and practitioners who give life to those discoveries.
How EBHC Encourages CIRS Patients To Use Research
Align with a medical professional trained in the latest research: Work with a qualified healthcare
provider who has completed the A4M CIRS curriculum in CIRS since 2020. It is good to be an
informed and empowered patient, but the duty of research should not be on your shoulders. You
are sick, and healing from CIRS is made harder by worry and instability. Work with someone who
already possesses the most comprehensive research and has already faced the intellectual
questions for you.
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Eliminate sources of confusion and misdirection: EBHC recommends only using social media
privately offered by an A4M credentialed, CIRS 2.0 provider to their patients. Publicly available
social media that EBHC has reviewed does not reflect the latest research or distinguish between old
and new science, thus doing more to confuse and misdirect the suffering public.
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The average person cannot be expected to know the difference between a recommendation based
on zero science, severely flawed science, old, outdated science, or good science mis-applied.
Therefore, it is best to seek community and support from medically licensed sources with advanced
training in CIRS who can make those distinctions and guide you with clarity. In our experience, this
approach offers patients and their families a simpler path and a lower stress journey too.
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Keep tough topics simple so you can focus on what matters: Consider using EBHC's TRUTH &
TRUST interactive video series to support your knowledge and journey. You can find helpful
information from Dr. Heyman on how to choose a mold doctor, what questions to ask, and learn
many other helpful tips to help you succeed in your CIRS treatment journey. At EBHC, this entire
program is provided to our concierge CIRS patients at no additional cost. We want to foster
empowerment and knowledge as patients move through treatment steps. This is one of the ways
we achieve that objective using a no-stress approach.
US Military Veteran Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Study
Every day, 22 U.S. military veterans tragically end their lives—a stark statistic that may only scratch the surface of a deeper crisis. Intriguing new research led by Dr. David Ross, Dr. Andrew Heyman, and Dr. Michelle van der Westhuizen, under the oversight of an Institutional Review Board, is uncovering a potential link between these suicides and exposure to biotoxins such as mold, which are prevalent in military settings. This exposure, alongside the prevalent risk of traumatic brain injuries from military duties, could be altering brain structures and functions, leading to severe mental health issues and an increased suicide risk. Using cutting-edge imaging techniques, this pivotal study seeks to map the brain changes and neuropsychiatric symptoms induced by biotoxins, particularly when combined with traumatic brain injuries. Supported by the Environmental Brain Health Clinics of America and the Virginia Institute of Neuropsychiatry, this research could revolutionize our approach to mental health challenges in veterans, offering new pathways for prevention and treatment. Discover more about how this vital work could help safeguard our veterans and transform mental health paradigms by delving deeper into the study's findings and implications on our US Military Veteran TBI Study page..
To schedule a FREE 15 min complimentary consultation, please click here.