Aspergillus pneumonia is a silent, nonspecific disease. This slows down the diagnosis following many years. Common symptoms are fatigue, weight loss, sweating, cough, shortness of breath, and coughing up blood.
Aspergillosis What is that?
At the Scientific Conference with the theme “Pneumonia Aspergillosis and other forms of lung fungus” organized by the Central Lung Hospital this morning (February 28), doctors said that every year, around the world there are more than 2 million people die from fungal diseases and cause long-term illness for hundreds of millions of people.
Fungal diseases are a global health threat. However, not enough attention has been paid to access to diagnosis and treatment. The diagnosis and treatment of the disease, has the potential to prevent 1.3 million deaths from the fungus each year.
In particular, Aspergillosis is an infection caused by a very common mold, it is present in the home and in the environment. Although people often inhale this fungus from the air, it only affects people with severely weakened immune systems. For example, patients with blood cancer, cancer of other organs, following organ transplant or long-term immunosuppressive drug treatment.
This fungus can cause disease in people with existing/existing lung diseases such as patients who have ever had pulmonary tuberculosis, asthma or cystic fibrosis…
Chronic Aspergillus lung disease can be treated with antifungal drugs, regarding half of cases left untreated, death following 5 years.
In Vietnam, according to experts, there are currently no specific data on lung fungal diseases caused by Aspergillus. However, regarding 50% of patients who had ever had TB and returned to the respiratory clinic for Aspergillus pneumonia.
Signs of a fungal infection of the lungs
According to TS.BS Dinh Van Luong, Director of the Central Lung Hospital, Vietnam is the country with the fifth chronic fungal burden in the world with over 55,000 cases. The disease is common in immunocompromised, elderly, and chronically ill people. The rate of pulmonary fungal disease accounts for only 0.02% of lung diseases, but when lung fungus is not detected and treated promptly, the possibility of death is very high.
Worldwide, the survival rates of patients following 1 year, 5 years, and 10 years are 86%, 62%, and 47%, respectively. The rate of chronic pulmonary fungal infection in patients with new TB is 14% and with treated TB 56%. Many countries do not have the resources to diagnose and treat.
Persistent hemoptysis is a typical symptom of pneumonitis. Illustration
The cause of lung fungal disease is caused by fungi: Candida, Aspergillus, Cryptococcus. Among them, the most common type is Aspergillus. Most patients often come to the doctor because of prolonged hemoptysis for no apparent reason, prolonged fever with chest pain, persistent cough with sputum production, and shortness of breath such as asthma. Along with that are cases of pneumonia diagnosed with long-term antibiotic treatment that did not go away.
Aspergillus pneumonia is a silent, nonspecific disease. This slows down the diagnosis following many years. Common symptoms are fatigue, weight loss, sweating, cough, shortness of breath, and coughing up blood.
Patients are diagnosed with chronic pulmonary aspergillosis if they cough up blood that lasts for many months/years, coughs up large amounts of blood, brown sputum, shortness of breath, persistent disease, stridor, prolonged dry cough. .
If lung fungal disease is not treated for a long time, the fungal spores will spread and cause other organ diseases such as fungal meningitis – meningococcal disease, skin lesions, myositis, endophthalmitis… even blood fungal infections. Patients will die from toxic infections, exhaustion or serious complications such as hemoptysis.
According to medical experts, to prevent lung fungal disease, it is necessary to regularly exercise, eat a lot of fresh fruits, improve resistance. Avoid letting mold in the house, arrange furniture neatly, get enough sunlight, ventilate to avoid moisture. When cleaning the house, it is necessary to wear a mask to avoid inhaling fungal dust.
