Fungal infection in lungs usually means there is fungus in the lungs. Fungal infections in the lungs are especially difficult to diagnose. Fungus cells mimic human cells and that makes it difficult to find the exact cells and treat them. Weakened bodies actually become fertile grounds for these fungi to develop into infections. Fungus in lungs occurs when you inhale fungal spores, which happens by the millions. These infections are called endemic fungal infections and are related to either certain species of animals or to certain geographic area, where the spores of different fungi are found. Some examples are coccidiomycosis, histoplasmosis and blastomycosis.Of these three, coccidiomycosis, also called valley fever, occurs in Arizona in USA. But what is valley fever? Valley fever is caused by a fungus that is found in the soil in Arizona, USA.
This fungus is exposed to the air when the soil is moved like in an earthquake or in construction. It is inhaled and becomes an infection in damp weather. It caused largely in the area where the fungus is present and occurs when there is a lot of dust in the air. There are three kinds of coccidiomycosis - primary pulmonary coccidioidomycosis, disseminated coccidioidomycosis and primary cutaneous coccidioidomycosis. Each of these types affects the skin and the lungs in varying degrees.Valley fever in an acute form has manifestations like severe pneumonia, lung nodules, and other disseminated diseases depending on how the fungus has spread through the body. This can include skin ulcers, abscesses, bone lesions, urinary tract problems, severe joint pain and heart inflammation. The symptoms of valley fever are flu-like and treatment includes basic drug therapy. The treatment of fungus in lungs is usually drug based.What is valley fever caused by? It is caused by inhaling this fungus. It usually happens to people who live in these areas or visit the area. The diagnosis of valley fever is done with the help of a test that tests fluids from your body.
Since it is difficult to diagnose fungal infections, they often get treated for other infections, especially bacterial infections. If you do not respond to medication for bacterial infections, it may be time to consider valley fever. If it is a mild case of valley fever, no major drug may be needed. Lots of rest and fluids will do the trick like in cold and flu. But doctors might want to prescribe anti-fungal drugs. Anti fungal drugs often have side effects like diarrhea too but these side effects would cease once you stop taking the drug. But as there is a very real threat of valley fever degenerating into different harmful conditions for the person, it is advisable therefore to seek a doctor's care. In really bad cases, there can be surgical removal of cavities of lungs or even draining of joints or lungs for abscess. Home remedies are spoken about but not very effective for valley fever. Garlic is often recommended for lung infections. While it will improve and strengthen your lungs, it will not cure valley fever and should not be treated as a cure.As the infection spreads through the air, you should ideally not visit that place again till completely better. Even once cured, you should keep your mouth covered when you head back. Keep indoors whenever chance of infection is high and keep the doors and windows close, when you star in the area. Though this virus spreads through the air, it is not a contagious disease and does not spread through person-to-person contact. Often, after one attack, one is not cured completely and disease could reappear in the person. There is not much that you can really do to prevent it.
answered by G M