Mucormycosis is an uncommon, sometimes serious, complication brought about by black fungus infection. It can develop on the mucus membranes in the mouth after people come into contact with the harmful spores floating around in the air. It can even develop on the mucus membranes in the nose after a person comes in contact with an airborne spore. This article will focus on the symptoms and causes of mucormycosis.
Mucormycosis is caused by fungi that attack the mucosal membranes of the lungs, such as the alveoli (the tubes that connect the lungs to the stomach), the tracheal area, the lymph nodes, and the tissue lining the nasal cavity. These are some of the most common organs that are attacked by fungi. Mucormycosis can affect anyone, but it tends to occur more often in people with weaker immune systems. It can also happen to anyone without any apparent respiratory problems. Mucormycosis is considered chronic when the fungi continue to attack the same areas of the body even after an illness has been cured.
Mucormycosis is usually not life-threatening. Most cases cause no symptoms, and the majority of people who develop infections clear up on their own in a few days to a week. An uncommon case of mucormycosis can be responsible for serious inflammation of the lungs called pneumonitis. Pneumonitis is the inflammation of the tubes used for breathing, and the disease is very common in people with weak immune systems, such as babies and people with HIV/AIDS.
Black fungus and mucormycosis infections are caused by a type of fungi called Mycoplasma genitalium, and there are several species in this family. One of the most common species infects humans is M. Rhodes. Most of the time, these types of infections are not serious. The infection most commonly occurs in women and causes no symptoms.
However, some people with diabetes become more prone to these infections. There is an increased chance of contracting mucormycosis when a person has impaired circulation to the respiratory tract, such as with diabetes. When the respiratory tract is impaired circulation, the infection is easier to spread through the air and cause an infection. This makes people with diabetes vulnerable to infection.
Your health ministry will not consider you as having contracted black fungus if you did not have prior contact with someone who was affected by the condition. If you suspect that you have an infection, see your doctor. There are medications available that can help treat the condition. If you already have a condition, see your doctor and ask him or her to prescribe medication. Your health ministry may refer you to a specialist, if necessary.
A number of studies in India, where patients with chronic illnesses are taken on long-term voyages to other countries, have found that patients with diabetes and those who frequently travel have higher risks for contracting a variety of serious diseases, including bacterial infections, HIV, and hepatitis. Among the diseases that the travelers commonly caught were: brain abscesses, meningitis, encephalitis, meningitis, laryngeal tuberculosis, and chronic pulmonary disease. Among the bacterial infections, they found that patients with diabetes were five times more likely to get Streptococcus pneumoniae, which is associated with meningitis; women were three times more likely to get Staphylococcus aureus, which is associated with chronic pulmonary disease. Among the other fungal infections, they found that patients with HIV/AIDS were five times more likely to get a type of infections they commonly catch in their home country. The study was funded by the National Research Council of India.
As noted earlier, diabetes makes the body more prone to other fungal infections. It also tends to make the immune system less effective in fighting infection. Because of these factors, many researchers have been looking into how to improve the health of diabetics and people who frequently travel to other countries. The current study adds to the growing body of knowledge about the connection between diabetes and fungus. Although the link has not been definitively made, this research provides yet another piece of the puzzle that is the relationship between a weakened immune system and yeast.