Mold and Vision: What No One’s Talking About
What You Need to Know About the Hidden Toxins Affecting Your Eyes
Most eye doctors don’t ask about your living space, your past exposure to water damage, or directly about exposure to mold. But for people like Dr. Brandy Cummings, figuring out that she had exposed to mold at her workplace was the missing puzzle piece to understanding years of mystery symptoms that no doctor was able to figure out—from vision problems and dizziness to infertility and brain fog. She was told “It’s all in your head”, the way doctors talk when they really have no idea about the root cause of your symptoms or what to do about it.
Let’s look at how mold and its toxic byproducts, mycotoxins, can trigger a cascade of health issues—especially when your nervous system is already stressed or your environment is working against you.
Mold and Mycotoxins: What’s the Difference?
There are many types of mold, and you can’t always see them. It can grow behind walls, under floorboards, or even be in your food. But it’s not just the mold that causes problems—it’s the mycotoxins.
Mycotoxins are toxic compounds produced by mold. Unlike mold spores, mycotoxins aren’t alive and can’t be “killed.” Instead, they accumulate in your body and trigger immune responses, inflammation, and mitochondrial stress.
Why Some People Get Sick from Mold—and Others Don’t
Not everyone reacts to mold the same way. Genetics, nervous system regulation, and past trauma can all influence how sensitive you are. For instance, I had a bedroom with black mold under the windows in my first ever apartment in Germany, and later discovered black mold under the bed I had slept in for four years when I moved out of California craftsman house in my fifties. And in both cases, I didn’t experience any symptoms.
But not everybody is so lucky. If your body is constantly in a fight-or-flight state—or if your detox pathways are blocked—your system might see mold exposure as the “last straw,” triggering full-blown symptoms that seem unrelated on the surface.
Common Mold Symptoms to Watch For in Your Vision
Many people don’t connect the dots between their eyes and their environment. Dr. Brandy shared that symptoms can show up as:
- Dry, itchy, or painful eyes
- Blurry vision
- Ocular migraines (zigzag patterns in your vision)
- Pressure or sinus pain around the eyes
- Light sensitivity
- Failed VCS (Visual Contrast Sensitivity) test
Mycotoxins can irritate cranial nerves, trigger inflammation, and disrupt the eye’s tear film by stressing the mitochondria—the part of the cell responsible for energy production. Since the retina uses more energy than any other part of the body, it can have a direct effect on how well we see.
Read more about habits to relieve dry eyes here.
How to Test for Mold in Your Body and Home
Dr. Brandy recommends to start with testing. She uses the Vibrant Wellness Total Tox test, which checks for mold, heavy metals, and environmental toxins. A failed VCS test—available at vcstest.com—can also be a signal that something is off neurologically. That said, you also lose some ability to see low contrast as you age, something you can be proactive about with our programs.
To test your home, try the ERMI test through EnviroBiomics. Even if you can’t see any mold visibly, past water damage could still be creating an issue.
The Right Order: What to Do If You Suspect Mold Exposure
Jumping straight into a detox protocol can make things worse, especially when your stress levels have been high. According to Dr. Brandy, recovery starts with:
- Testing: Know what type of mycotoxins you’re dealing with.
- Addressing the nervous system: Your body needs to feel safe to heal.
- Optimizing your terrain: Change your environment so it doesn’t support it.
- Opening drainage pathways: Make sure your body can eliminate toxins.
- Detoxing safely: Only after the foundation is set.
Build a Mold-Safe Environment
A healthy internal terrain starts with a healthy environment. That means syncing with your natural circadian rhythm through:
- Type of light: Reduce blue light at night, use warm lighting instead.
- Timing of light: Get mitochondria boosting infrared light wavelengths by viewing natural sunlight in the morning (make sure to take glasses or sunglasses off)
- Position of light: Use peripheral lamps instead of overhead lights after sunset.
According to Dr. Brandy, these habits help your cells produce exclusion zone water, which supports detox and keeps pathogens like mold and mycotoxins at bay.
Mindset Matters: Beliefs Can Block Healing
Even with the right tools, some people stay stuck. Why? Dr. Brandy points to the 95% of our mind that’s unconscious. Limiting beliefs like “bad vision runs in my family” or “this is just part of getting older” can act like roadblocks.
She suggests starting small: pay attention to the words you use. Saying things like “I’m just hanging in there” reinforces a stuck mindset. Shift your language to shift your outcome. The conscious mind (5%) is a great Goal Setter, while the 95% of unconscious mind is the Goal-Getter.
Take the Next Step: Self-Test and Resources
Want to explore whether mold is part of your health story? Take Dr. Brandy’s free online quiz.
You can also follow her on Instagram for more tools, strategies, and inspiration.
Watch the full episode of Dry Eyes Despite Eye Drops? What No One’s Talking About
