About this topic
Histoplasmosis is an infection of the lungs. This infection is caused by a germ called a fungus. The fungus grows as a mold in the dirt. Bird and bat droppings make the dirt a good place for the germs to grow. The infection spreads by breathing the germ spores in the air. The spores come from dirt being moved around. You cannot catch this illness from some other person or animal. Some cases are mild and go away without treatment. Other cases will need treatment. ‚
What care is needed at home?
- Ask your doctor what you need to do when you go home. Make sure you understand everything the doctor says. This way you will know what you need to do.
- Avoid smoking. Stay away from people who smoke.
What follow-up care is needed?
- Your doctor may ask you to make visits to the office to check on your progress. Be sure to keep these visits.
- You may need to keep taking drugs for a long time. Make sure that you check often with your doctor.
What drugs may be needed?
The doctor may order drugs to: ‚
- Treat the infection
- Keep the infection from coming back
- Lower fever
- Treat cough
Will physical activity be limited?
- You may have to limit your activity. Slowly increase your activities. Talk to your doctor about the right amount of activity for you.
- A few days after full recovery, you can return to your normal activities.
What problems could happen?
- Fluid buildup in the lungs
- Heart problems
- Long-term lung diseases
- Infection and swelling of the brain and spinal cord
What can be done to prevent this health problem?
- Wear a face mask to avoid inhaling dust.
- Stay inside your home during a dust storm.
- Wet the soil before you start digging or working in the soil.
- Wear a face mask when exposed to bird or bat droppings.
- If you are working at high risk areas, try to get a pre-exposure skin test or blood tests.
- If you have a weakened immune system:
- Avoid contact with bird or bat droppings.
- Avoid exploring caves.
- Avoid raising birds or cleaning bird cages.
- Avoid traveling to places where histoplasmosis is common.
- Avoid smoking.
When do I need to call the doctor?
- Signs of infection. These include a fever of 100.4 ‚ °F (38 ‚ °C) or higher, chills, very bad sore throat, ear or sinus pain, cough that will not go away, more sputum or change in color of sputum.
- Blood in sputum
- Chest pain that gets worse when you take a deep breath
- Tiredness
- Health problem is not better or you are feeling worse
Teach Back: Helping You Understand
The Teach Back Method helps you understand the information we are giving you. The idea is simple. After talking with the staff, tell them in your own words what you were just told. This helps to make sure the staff has covered each thing clearly. It also helps to explain things that may have been a bit confusing. Before going home, make sure you are able to do these: ‚
- I can tell you about my condition.
- I can tell you what changes I need to make with my activities.
- I can tell you what I will do if I have chest pain when I take a deep breath or blood in my sputum.
Where can I learn more?
Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety ‚
http://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/diseases/histopla.html ‚
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention ‚
http://www.cdc.gov/fungal/histoplasmosis/definition.html ‚
FamilyDoctor.org ‚
http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/diseases-conditions/histoplasmosis.printerview.all.html ‚
Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer
This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚
Copyright
Copyright ‚ © 2015 Clinical Drug Information, LLC and Lexi-Comp, Inc. ‚