As a plant, fungi include molds and mushrooms. Spores of many fungi are ubiquitous in the environment, and they are often suspended in the air. Some spores that fall on the skin or are inhaled into the lungs will cause slight infection, and only in rare cases will they spread to other parts of the body. A few kinds of fungi, such as most strains of Candida, can survive normally on human surface or intestine. These normal settlers only occasionally cause local infections of the skin, vagina or mouth, which is not harmful. However, some real strains sometimes cause serious infections in the lungs, liver or other parts of the body.
People with impaired immune system are particularly susceptible to fungi. For example, AIDS patients or patients receiving anti-cancer treatment are more likely to have serious fungal infections. Sometimes, people with impaired immunity will be infected by a fungus, which rarely infects people with normal immunity, but if it happens, it will also cause damage, such as mucormycosis and aspergillosis.
Some fungal infections are more common in some areas. For example, in the United States, coccidiosis always occurs in the southwest without exception; Histoplasmosis is common in the east and midwest, especially in Ohio and Mississippi River valley. Blastomycosis is found only in North America and Africa.
Because most fungal infections develop slowly, it often takes months or years for patients to realize that they need examination and treatment. These infections can be difficult to treat and usually require long-term treatment. There are many types of antifungal drugs to choose from.
-Histoplasmosis
Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by Histoplasma capsulatum, which mainly involves the lungs and sometimes spreads to the whole body.
Spores of histoplasma exist in soil, especially in some states in the eastern and midwest of the United States. Farmers and others who work in these soil containing spores can easily inhale spores. Inhaling a large number of spores may cause serious infection. People infected with HIV are more likely to suffer from histoplasmosis, especially serious infections that can spread throughout the body.
Symptoms and prognosis
Most people have no symptoms after infection. However, there are three types of histoplasmosis in infected patients: acute type, progressive spread type and chronic cavity type.
Acute symptoms often appear 3 ~ 2 1 day after inhalation of fungal spores, and patients feel unwell, fever and cough. If left untreated, symptoms usually disappear automatically within two weeks, rarely more than six weeks. This type of histoplasmosis is rarely life-threatening.
Healthy adults usually do not have progressive disseminated type. This type is common in infants and patients with impaired immune system (such as AIDS patients). Symptoms can worsen slowly or rapidly, the liver, spleen and lymph nodes can swell, and oral and intestinal ulcers are rare. Individual patients will have adrenal damage, which will lead to Eddie's illness. If left untreated, 90% of these patients will die, and even if AIDS patients are treated, they may die soon.
Chronic cavity type is a kind of lung infection, which gradually develops for more than several weeks, accompanied by cough and progressive dyspnea. Symptoms also include emaciation, severe discomfort and moderate fever. Most patients can recover within 2 ~ 6 months without treatment. However, dyspnea can be aggravated gradually, and some patients may have hemoptysis, sometimes a lot of hemoptysis. The patient eventually died of lung injury or bacterial invasion.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Pulmonary blastomycosis begins with progressive fever, chills and sweating all over the body, and may cause dry cough or expectoration, chest pain and dyspnea. Its lung infection progresses slowly, and sometimes it can be improved without treatment.
Disseminated blastomycosis can involve many parts of the body. Skin infection begins with small papules, which can be pustular papules. After a short period of time, it slowly spreads and develops into a raised punctate dermatophyte, and there are many painless small pus spots around the edge, some of which can be as small as a needle tip. When the infection involves the bone, there will be painful swelling. In male patients, epididymis (a cord-like structure attached to testis) may be swollen, painful or deeply uncomfortable due to prostate infection (prostatitis).
Diagnosis can be made by examining sputum or infected tissues such as skin specimens under a microscope. If fungi are found, they can be diagnosed by laboratory culture and analysis.
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