Fungal Pneumonia

Fungal Pneumonia – General Information

The Fungal Pneumonia is the infection of the lungs by fungi (the fungi are eukaryotic organisms which are members of the kingdom named Fungi); the majority of the cases are produced by the fungi called Histoplasma capsulatum. The Fungal Pneumonia it is produced either by opportunistic fungi, endemic fungi or by a combination of these two. Some of specific instances of the fungal infections are: histoplasmosis (appears with pulmonary lesions), coccidioidomycosis (appears with a self-limited respiratory infection), sporotrichosis, cryptococcosis (appears with pulmonary infection), aspergillosis (usually results in invasive pulmonary aspergillosis), candidiasis (but this disease has pulmonary manifestations only in the cases in which the patients have a weak immune system).

The fungi usually enter the lung during the inhalation of their spores, although they can also enter the lungs through the bloodstream in the cases in which other parts of the body are affected. The Fungal Pneumonia can appear as a reactivation of a latent infection. Once the fungi are inside the alveoli they travel between the adjacent alveoli or between the areas of the cells through the connecting spores. Once the organism detects the infection, the immune system sends white blood cells to the lungs, because the white cells are responsible for attacking the microorganisms. These white blood cells are called neutrophils. These cells kill the microorganisms but during this procedure they release cytokines which leads to the general activation of the immune system. The general activation of the immune system leads to fever, fatigue and chills. In some of the cases the leak of fluid surrounding the blood vessels and the neutrophils enter the alveoli, leading to weak oxygen transportation.

Fungal Pneumonia – Symptoms

It is well known the fact that any medical disorder (including Fungal Pneumonia) can trigger a variety of symptoms. Therefore, some of this medical condition's most uncommon symptoms have not been listed (mentioned) here. This is why we strongly recommend you to contact your personal health care provider whenever you develop any unusual, bothersome or unpleasant symptoms. Your personal physician will be able to tell you if you are suffering from Fungal Pneumonia or from any other medical disorder. Here is a list of the most common symptoms that a person who suffers from Fungal Pneumonia, may experience: cough, chest pain, fever, chills, muscle pain, flu-like symptoms (which include: runny and stuffy nose, loss of appetite, shivering, malaise, dry cough) and difficulty in breathing. It is also well known the fact that the symptoms which each person experiences depend on how much of the lung is affected and also on the type of the infection that they have. The symptoms can appear suddenly. Other symptoms can include: breathlessness, aches and pains, a substantial loss of appetite, coughing up blood, headaches, sweaty and clammy skin, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea (but the last two symptoms are not present in all of the cases); the complications of this medical condition include: breathing difficulties which usually need hospitalization in order to be treated, spread of the infection in the person’s blood (this is called septicemia or “blood poisoning” which if it is let untreated can lead to death) and a build up fluid around the two lungs (this is called pleural effusion).

Fungal Pneumonia – Treatment

In order to diagnose the Fungal Pneumonia the doctor or personal health care provider will examine the patient and will ask him about the symptoms that he has been experiencing. The doctor will also listen to the patient’s breath sounds with a stethoscope.  He might also recommend the patient to make an X-ray in order to determine the location and also to determine the extent of the Fungal Pneumonia infection. The doctor will also take a sample of the blood for further tests, which will reveal the type of the Fungal Pneumonia the patient has and it will also help the doctor to prescribe the treatment for it.
The majority of the cases of Fungal Pneumonia are mild forms which usually resolve spontaneously without any treatment. Depending on the species involved, anti-fungal drugs may be prescribed such as: Amphotericin B, Fluconazole, Itraconazole, Ketoconazole, Rifampicin, and so on. If the fungi which produce the pneumonia are uncommon, the patients are recommended: Amphotericin B and antifungal drug therapy.

Vfend is an antifungal medication which is used to treat the infections produced by the fungus, but may also be used for other purposes. This medicine should not be used more than 28 days as it may lead to vision problems and it should also not be used in larger amounts or for a longer period of time than the doctor has recommended. In the cases in which the patient is suffering from unusual heart rhythm, a metabolic disorder, liver disease, kidney disease he must tell the doctor, as it is possible to not be able to take this drug, or he can need a dosage adjustment.

Voriconazole is used in order to treat different and serious kinds of fungal infections. It is also used to treat the patients who suffer from Fungal Pneumonia and do not respond or are allergic to other types of medicines. The patients who can not take this medicine are the followings:

• Persons who are allergic to any of the constituents of this drug
• Pregnant women
• Breast feeding mothers
• Children
• Other adults

If the patient suffers from any other medical problems he must inform the doctor, as the presence of other medical condition affects the use of this drug. The patients have to make sure that they inform their doctors of other medical conditions that they are suffering from, especially if they have a hypersensitivity to this medicine.