In laymen's terms, molds produce mycotoxins. These substances, although unseen by the naked eye, are ingested and then enter the body through the skin, mucous and airways. Once ingested, mold has the requirements to colonize and spread. In doing this, it can compromise the immune system and damage everyday processes of the body. Mold and yeast are interchangeable only in their dimorphic state, which is often a big misconception, although both are fungi. There has been a theory of a connection between Autism Spectrum Disorder onset and Candida Albicans in the body. New studies are being conducted during the first quarter of 2006. Updates will follow.

Fungi, which include yeasts, moulds, smuts and mushrooms, are responsible for causing four types of mycotic (fungal) disease:

. Hypersensitivity - an allergic reaction to moulds and spores;

2. Mycotoxicosis - poisoning by food products contaminated by fungi

3. Mycetismus - the ingestion of preformed toxin (toadstool poisoning)

4. Infection (systemic) - (Mycotoxicosis; the subject below)

The following are a list of the most common symptoms of fungal exposure (bear in mind, people never fit all of below criteria). Most people with some forms of Mycotoxicosis meet at least 8 (recent symptoms) of the following criteria:

Fibromyalgia/mps (and several correlated symptoms)
Respiratory distress, coughing, sneezing, sinusitis
Difficulty swallowing, choking, spitting up (vomiting) mucous
Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
Burning in the throat and lungs (similar to acid reflux and often misdiagnosed as such)
Asthmatic signs; wheezing, shortness in breath, coughing, burning in lungs, etc.
Irritable bowel syndrome, nausea, diarrhea, sharp abdominal pains, stomach lesions
Bladder, liver, spleen, or kidney pain
Dark or painful urine
Dirt-like taste in mouth, coated tongue
Food allergies/leaky gut syndrome/altered immunity
Memory loss; brain fog, slurred speech, occasionally leading to dementia
Vision problems
Swollen lymph nodes
Large boils on neck (often a sign of anaphylaxis)
Yellowing of nails, ridges, or white marks under nail
Thyroid irregularities, sometimes leading to complete dysfunction; adrenal problems
Headaches
Anxiety/depression, heart palpitations - confusion, PTSD
Extreme blood pressure, cholesterol, or triglycerides irregularities
Ringing in ears, balance problems (very common), dizziness, loss of hearing (aspergillus niger)
Chronic fatigue (also included under this classification directional confusion)
Intermittent face flushing; almost always systemic, Called the Mylar Flush (neurological))
Night head sweats, and drooling while sleeping, profuse sweating
Multiple chemical sensitivity; only upon exposure to Stachybotrys and Chaetomium
Nose bleeds (stachybotrys)
Bruising/scarring easily; rash or hives, bloody lesions all over the skin (Often systemic, see images; skin)
Reproductive system complications; infertility, changes in menstrual cycles, miscarriage
Sudden weight changes (Detoxifier genotypes tend to gain weight, non-detoxifier genotypes tend to lose weight)
Cancer
Hair loss, very brittle nails, temporary loss of fingerprints (in rare cases)
Joint/muscle stiffness and pain
Irregular heart beat/heart attack
Seizures, inadvertent body jerking, twitching, inadvertent facial movements or numbness in face
Hypersensitivity when re-exposed to molds, which can lead to anaphylaxis
Anaphylaxis upon re-exposure to mycotoxin producing molds
Death, in extreme cases