CIRS Symptom Checklist: Could It Be CIRS?

By ClaudePublished

In shortThis checklist uses the 13 symptom clusters from the CIRS case definition. Tick the symptoms you have; the checklist counts how many clusters they fall into and compares that with the threshold of 8 clusters for adults (6 for children). It cannot diagnose CIRS, but it can help you decide whether to discuss testing with a doctor.

Contents
  1. How to read the result
  2. What to do next
  3. References
Cluster 1
Cluster 2
Cluster 3
Cluster 4
Cluster 5
Cluster 6
Cluster 7
Cluster 8
Cluster 9
Cluster 10
Cluster 11
Cluster 12
Cluster 13

0 / 13 clusters

Your symptoms fall into only a few clusters. By this criterion CIRS is less likely, but the checklist cannot rule anything out — talk to a doctor about any symptoms that worry you.

This checklist is not a diagnosis and stores nothing: your answers stay in your browser.

Tick every symptom you have had regularly over the past weeks. A cluster counts when at least one of its symptoms is ticked. The full explanation of each symptom is in the article on CIRS symptoms.

How to read the result

The consensus statement of Dr Shoemaker’s group uses symptoms in 8 or more of the 13 clusters in adults (6 in children) as one part of the CIRS case definition [1]. The threshold comes from that group’s own clinical data and has not been tested independently.

  • At or above the threshold: a reason to look further, not a diagnosis. Many other illnesses also cause symptoms in many clusters.
  • Below the threshold: CIRS is less likely by this criterion, but symptoms that began in a particular building are still worth taking seriously.

What to do next

  1. Write down when your symptoms started and whether they are worse in some buildings, such as your home or workplace. Read: symptoms of mould exposure.
  2. Take the VCS test, a quick screening test of visual contrast sensitivity used in CIRS assessment.
  3. Discuss the results with a doctor. The full diagnostic process is explained in How is CIRS diagnosed?

References

  1. Shoemaker R, Johnson K, Jim L, et al. Diagnostic process for chronic inflammatory response syndrome (CIRS): a consensus statement report of the Consensus Committee of Surviving Mold. Internal Medicine Review. 2018;4(5):1–47. PDF

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