A U.S. Navy veteran and graduate of the University of Nevada, Dr. Dennis Hooper has been practicing medicine for over three decades. After serving as a leading Navy pathologist for several years, he directed pathology and microbiology operations at a number of Texas labs and medical centers, focusing his research on the health implications of molds and mycotoxins. Dr. Dennis Hooper currently oversees his own medical consultation firm, in addition to serving as medical director and consultant at Dallas-based Real Time Laboratories.
Dedicated to discovering the environmental causes of illness, Real Time Laboratories carries out diagnostic tests to detect the presence of mold mycotoxins and other contaminants. Humans often come into contact with mold spores in both indoor and outdoor environments, including damp areas such as basements, bathrooms, and piles of leaves. While there are over 50,000 mold species, approximately 200 types, known as toxin-producing molds, can pose a serious health risk to both humans and animals due to their production of mycotoxins.
Simply seeing or smelling mold is a definite indicator of an environmental mold problem, but a number of physical symptoms can also signal a mold issue in one’s home or outdoor surroundings. Minor mold sensitivity can cause side effects such as irritation of the eyes and nose, coughing, or nasal congestion, while more serious cases of mold exposure can cause serious respiratory issues such as asthma, pneumonitis, or chronic rhinosinusitis. Researchers have also linked mold mycotoxins to prolonged problems related to the central nervous system, such as chronic fatigue, sleep disorders, frequent headaches, depression, and even cancer. Given these risks, individuals who suspect that they are suffering from toxic mold exposure should pursue both environmental and human mold evaluations to reach the root of the problem.
Dedicated to discovering the environmental causes of illness, Real Time Laboratories carries out diagnostic tests to detect the presence of mold mycotoxins and other contaminants. Humans often come into contact with mold spores in both indoor and outdoor environments, including damp areas such as basements, bathrooms, and piles of leaves. While there are over 50,000 mold species, approximately 200 types, known as toxin-producing molds, can pose a serious health risk to both humans and animals due to their production of mycotoxins.
Simply seeing or smelling mold is a definite indicator of an environmental mold problem, but a number of physical symptoms can also signal a mold issue in one’s home or outdoor surroundings. Minor mold sensitivity can cause side effects such as irritation of the eyes and nose, coughing, or nasal congestion, while more serious cases of mold exposure can cause serious respiratory issues such as asthma, pneumonitis, or chronic rhinosinusitis. Researchers have also linked mold mycotoxins to prolonged problems related to the central nervous system, such as chronic fatigue, sleep disorders, frequent headaches, depression, and even cancer. Given these risks, individuals who suspect that they are suffering from toxic mold exposure should pursue both environmental and human mold evaluations to reach the root of the problem.