What are the symptoms of black mold and what does it look like?

How credible is the claim that airborne mold exposure can cause irritable bowel syndrome symptoms?

• Links to claims: http://www.moldinspector.com/top-100-mold_health-symptoms.htm Abdominal pain and other IBS symptoms are high up on the list. http://www.acupuncturetoday.com/mpacms/at/article.php?id=30391 Individuals actually suffering from toxic mold exposure routinely are misdiagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. Irritable bowel syndrome is another common misdiagnosis. Symptoms can mimic autoimmune and neurological disorders. Perimenopausal- and menopausal-age women suffering from mold-related symptoms often are misdiagnosed, with their symptoms being attributed to menopausal changes. Sometimes physicians unable to find any cause to the patient's ongoing complaints inform the patient that nothing is wrong, and they are placed on antidepressant medication. http://www.healthy-house.co.uk/information-on-mould-candida-ibs-and-inhalant-allergies Other General Symptoms Obesity unresponsive to dietary restriction Symptoms of IBS including bloating There are a lot of sources that make this claim.  Are there any actual scientific/medical studies that indicate that this is the case?  Are the claims credible even without such studies?

• Answer:

  After searching for irritable bowel syndrome and mold on Pubmed I only came across one 2005 paper http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15647635 which stated The possible role of Candida and yeasts in non-immune compromised  individuals is disputed and is the subject of this review. Even if the  involvement of yeasts in the aetiology of IBS still remains unclear,  there is increasing evidence for yeasts being able to cause IBS-symptoms  in sensitized patients via Candida products, antigens and  cross-antigens. But more research is needed before antifungal treatment  can be recommended as a first line treatment for IBS. So, no "hard" evidence, no later scientific papers on the matter on Pubmed. Both sites the OP named looks very much like unscientific promotional sites wanting to sell their product, be it an air cleaner, or "diagnostic" services.