Is Mold Toxicity Really a Problem for Our Patients? Part I-Respiratory Conditions.

The concept of mold toxicity being an unrecognized cause of chronic disease has been around the integrative medicine (IM) community for quite some time. Clearly there is considerable interest in the public with a Google search revealing more than half a million hits. In the first part of this editorial, I address the research evaluating this concept for respiratory conditions, the incidence in the population, diagnosis, and intervention. In the second part of my editorial, I will address the far more complicated and controversial nonrespiratory mold-related conditions (tentatively next issue, as I will be attending the SpiritMed Environmental Medicine conference, which is providing a full day on this issue). As usual, I am taking my own fresh look at the concepts and research.