Aspergillosis

Aspergillosis – General Information

Aspergillosis – Symptoms

Aspergillosis – Treatment

There is no official effective treatment for Aspergillosis, but there is a large variety of treatments available for this type of disorder. Usually, to treat Aspergillosis, doctors prescribe several medicines that include oral corticosteroids, antifungal drugs, and typical therapies which can lead to an improvement in the severity of the disease. When doctors prescribe oral corticosteroids, the goal is to treat the allergic bronchopulmonary type of the disease and to prevent any existing asthma or cystic fibrosis from becoming more severe. The perfect way to achieve this is the use of oral corticosteroids. Antifungal drugs are not effective enough for the allergic type of the disease and it may be used in combination with a treatment with corticosteroids in order to help reduce the dose of steroids and improve the lung function. Another way to treat Aspergillosis is the antifungal medication treatment, in which these drugs are the main treatment for the invasive pulmonary type of the disease. In the last years the only drug chosen by the doctors has been amphotericin B, which is an antifungal antibiotic and it works by killing the fungus and preventing the reproduction, but now, the best medication is considered voriconazole, which is an azole antifungal and it usually works by blocking fungal cell wall growth leading to the death of the fungus. This medicine is now preferred because it is more effective and can cause fewer side effects.

Generally, antifungal drugs may cause severe problems such as kidney and liver damage, and they usually interact with other drugs given to patients who have weakened immune systems. Another way to treat Aspergillosis is using the therapy of watchful waiting. These kinds of diseases usually do not require special treatment, and are sometimes only closely supervised. When the disorder causes life threatening bleeding symptoms, the treatment options are few. Due to the fact that antifungal drugs are not effective against this type of disorder, surgery is the first option in treating the disease. The surgical approach is considered risky, and, in most of the cases, the doctor can recommend another option, which generally involves threading a small catheter inside the artery that supplies blood to the cavity containing the fungus ball. This kind of procedure can stop massive bleeding symptoms, but it doesn't prevent it from recurring. It is almost impossible to avoid Aspergillosis entirely, but if the patient has had any transplant or he or she is undergoing chemotherapy, he can try to stay as much as possible away from the main sources of mold such as construction sites, compost piles or stored grain. Hospitals, for one hand, in the last years, take very aggressive measure to protect patients by using barriers around areas under construction or any possible source of infection, monitoring air and air filters for spores, decreasing the exposure to carpet cleaning or vacuuming, and safely maintaining ventilation systems. If the patient suffers of asthma or cystic fibrosis, it is very important to notice any changes in the symptoms and to see a doctor right away, because if any symptoms do appear, the disease must be treated early.