Fungal Infection Types, Symptoms and Treatment

 

Fungal infections have become quite common after the Covid pandemic. You might be surprised to know that some funguses are already present in our body but they aren’t harmful. Only those funguses that attack our immune system and the body are considered to be harmful.

What are the different colours of the fungus?

Black fungus, Yellow fungus and Green fungus are the most common funguses that are seen. But from a technical point of view, the colour of the virus does not matter much. What matters is the severity of the infection and the exact cause.

It has been observed that if the presence of black fungus is detected fast then it can be cured else it has a high mortality rate of 30% to 40%.

Once the disease reaches its peak level, controlling it becomes a difficult task and it becomes too much expensive.

What causes fungal infections?

Fungal infections are caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes. Mucormycetes like Mucorales, genera Rhizopus,  Mucor,  Rhizopus oryzae,  Lichtheimia,  Cunninghamella, Mortierella,  Saksenaea and  Apophysomyces cause mucormycosis or the black fungus. These mucromycetes are commonly found in:

• Soil

• Decomposing organic matter

• Animal manure

• Contaminated wound dressings

• Tongue depressors

• Electroplasts

• Poor ventilation

• Contaminated hospital equipment 

     

What are the different colours of the fungus?

Black fungus, Yellow fungus and Green fungus are the most common funguses that are seen. But from a technical point of view, the colour of the virus does not matter much. What matters is the severity of the infection and the exact cause.

It has been observed that if the presence of black fungus is detected fast then it can be cured else it has a high mortality rate of 30% to 40%.

Once the disease reaches its peak level, controlling it becomes a difficult task and it becomes too much expensive.

What causes fungal infections?

Fungal infections are caused by a group of molds called mucormycetes. Mucormycetes like Mucorales, genera Rhizopus,  Mucor,  Rhizopus oryzae,  Lichtheimia,  Cunninghamella, Mortierella,  Saksenaea and  Apophysomyces cause mucormycosis or the black fungus. These mucromycetes are commonly found in:

• Soil

• Decomposing organic matter

• Animal manure

• Contaminated wound dressings

• Tongue depressors

• Electroplasts

• Poor ventilation

• Contaminated hospital equipment

 

 

Moldy Bread

 

 

 

 

 

Mold on Wet Soil 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dung

 

Black fungus isn’t something new, we(hospitals) used to have the cases of black fungus earlier too but the percentage of people getting affected by it was too less.

 

Why has the black fungus increased post covid?

Covid affects the lungs. In severe cases, it affects major organs of the body and makes our immune system weak.

People with low immunity levels are prone to infections, leave aside fungus, they are susceptible to all types of infections.

Also, the steroids given to the patient affected with covid can be the cause of fungal infection.

Fungal infection occurs when the invading fungus takes charge of the body part and it is impossible for our immune system to handle it. 

The following people are at risk of black fungus:

• Uncontrolled diabetes 

• Cancer

• Organ transplant

• Stem cell transplant

• Neutropenia 

• Long-term corticosteroid use

• Injection drug use

• Too much iron in the body (iron overload or hemochromatosis)

• Skin injury due to surgery, burns, or wounds

• Prematurity and low birthweight (for neonatal gastrointestinal mucormycosis)

• Impaired immune system

  Where can the black fungus appear on your skin?

  It can occur on any part of your body, including inside your private body parts. But mainly it is seen around the nose, mouth.

  Some common types of a fungal infection include:

  • athlete’s foot

  • jock itch

  • ringworm

  • yeast infection

  • onychomycosis, or fungal infection of the nail

  What are the symptoms of black fungus?

  Early detection of black fungus is the key to getting rid of it. Following are the symptoms for early detection of the black fungus. You should especially pay attention to it post recovery from covid.

  • Headache

  • Swelling of eyes

  • Redness of eyes

  • Pain in eyes

  • Itching of eyes

  • Change in the mobility of eyes.

  • Nasal blockage

  • Swelling around nose

  • The blackish colour of the palate.

  • Dental pain

  • Loose tooth

  • Stuffy and bleeding nose

  • Fever

      

  What are the diagnostic tests performed to detect the presence of black fungus?

  The presence of black fungus is normally detected by a clinical examination. Often the clinical examination is done by an ENT specialist. The doctor usually asks for the history of alignments so that he knows the severity of the problem. The black fungus can occur anywhere in the body. We have earlier written about “What is mucormycosis and why is it affecting Covid-19 patients?”. You can refer to that article and know more about the organs affected by the black fungus.

   

  To support the findings from clinical examination the doctor may also recommend a CT scan and MRI. The doctor may also ask for a CT scan guided biopsy. 

  ENT specialists can conduct diagnostic nasal endoscopy to ascertain the presence of fungus inside the respiratory tract. If the presence is suspected in the lungs, some other tests might be prescribed.

  The doctors can also take the patient’s swab and send it for a ‘fungal culture’. 

  What are the precautions that one must take to prevent a fungal infection?

  
  

  • An impaired immune system can be a cause of fungal infection. Try to increase immunity. This is precisely the reason why people are developing mucormycosis or black fungus after recovering from the corona.

  
  

  • Stay away from dust, wear masks.

  
  

  • Wear gloves or long pants to prevent your body parts from touching the soil.

  
  

  • Clean wounds with soap and water if they are in touch with the soil.

  
  

  • If you ever had an organ or stem cell transplant then ask your doctor to give preventive medications.

  
  

  • Don’t use the same face mask repeatedly, clean it with soap and water after 6 to 7 hours of use or maybe even frequently than this if you are perspiring too much.

  • Do not consume medicines without prescriptions from a doctor. Some drugs might cause side effects. You can always reach out to us or talk to us if you have any doubts.

  
  

  • In case you are a covid patient and using an oxygen cylinder at home then replace the oxygen mask after every use and also the humidifier.

  
  

  We hope we have cleared all your doubts regarding black fungus. Still, if you have any doubts you can contact us. Remember that fungal infections usually take too much time to get cured, sometimes can cause loss of a body part and they have a high fatality rate. So it is important to get yourself checked if you have any symptoms. Delay can be dangerous. Stay safe!