Coccidioidomycosis (CCMD) is an infection that affects the lining of your lungs, the mucus membranes of your mouth, and your stomach
It is caused by a fungus that normally grows in warm and moist areas of your body. You might not know that you have CCMD until you experience coughs that seem to come back time again, even after you have gone through an antibiotic treatment. If you suspect you have CCMD, you should seek medical advice immediately.
Coccidioidomycosis generally occurs in people with an abnormal buildup of mucous membranes in your lungs. The condition is very serious because it can damage your respiratory system and interfere with your ability to breath. Chronic coccidioidomycosis is a chronic form of this disease. You can get the chronic version of this condition years or even months after contracting the first case of this condition, sometimes even up to 20 years after the onset of the first symptoms. In some cases, stomach infections (endoscopic sinusitis) can also cause chronic coccidioidomycosis.
Common symptoms of this condition include fever, cough, wheezing, chest pain, and shortness of breath. In the most severe cases of coccidioids, people experience abdominal pain, weight loss, and foul-smelling nasal discharge. The condition usually lasts for about six months, but in some cases it can last longer. While there is no specific cure for coccidiolis, medications can often help relieve symptoms.
If you think you may be experiencing these symptoms, you should make an appointment with your family doctor to rule out more serious health problems. Even if you do not have the more serious conditions listed above, your doctor will most likely prescribe antibiotics for you. They are usually given in conjunction with other treatments and are used in conjunction with lifestyle changes such as proper diet and exercise to help relieve the condition.
In some cases, doctors recommend surgical procedures such as pericardial mesothelioma in severe cases. Pericardial mesotheliomas are masses of tissue that develop around the pericardium, the sac that holds the heart valves and blood vessels of the heart. These lesions can cause severe damage to structures surrounding organs and lead to shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, heart palpitations, fatigue, and pain when swallowing. Other complications can occur if the infection spreads to other parts of your body, especially your liver and kidneys.
In rare cases, your doctor may recommend surgery to remove the lesions that are causing the problem. If the condition is caused by an underlying medical condition, such as cancer or another type of infection, your doctor may suggest surgery to treat the underlying condition and allow the patient to recover faster. Your doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics to help control the condition while the disease is under control. Sometimes your doctor may want to perform surgery on the source of the coccid infection. However, if the source of the infection is in another part of your body, the fungus can grow so badly that removing the source of the infection is not a solution.
If you are concerned about your health and are unsure of what to do, talk to your doctor immediately. Before you get sick, your doctor can evaluate your symptoms and decide if you are at risk of developing coccidiolis. In this case, your doctor may refer you to a dermatologist who specializes in skin infections. A dermatologist can determine the best treatment option and even recommend additional tests to rule out other, more serious conditions.
In addition to making an appointment with a health care provider, you should take a look at the links below for some helpful information on coccidiolis. If you are unsure of what is causing the symptoms or if the symptoms are consistent with another illness, you should talk to your doctor.
