The eye doc said it wasn't anything serious and told me to research it if i wanted to know more about it, but all I've found is that it's caused by bat **** or something and it can lead to blindness as i get older because it causes scaring on my eyes. I've never been around bats or their ****, so i'm a little worried. when i talked to my doc he said i've probably had it since i was born. If i've had it since i was born, why would they just notice it now...i've been to the eye doctor many times in the past 20 years and have never had any problems. oh yeah and it said it can cause some breathing problem too?...i'm confused and a little worried. Histoplasmosis [his-toh-plaz-MOH-sis] is a fungal infection that varies in symptoms and seriousness.
Histoplasmosis usually affects the lungs and causes a short-term, treatable lung infection. When it affects other parts of the body, it is called disseminated histoplasmosis. Disseminated histoplasmosis can be fatal.
The histoplasmosis fungus lives in soil, especially soil that is enriched with bat or bird droppings.
People get histoplasmosis when they breathe in dust that contains the fungus.
Histoplasmosis is treatable with fungus-killing medicines.
To prevent histoplasmosis: 1) avoid exposure to dust from soil that might be contaminated with bat or bird droppings, and 2) avoid disturbing accumulations of bat or bird droppings.
Histoplasmosis is an infection that varies in symptoms and seriousness. It usually affects the lungs. When it affects other parts of the body, it is called disseminated histoplasmosis.
Histoplasmosis is caused by Histoplasma capsulatum, a fungus. The fungus produces spores that can be inhaled when they get into the air. Spores are hardy forms of the fungus that can live in the environment for a long time.
The histoplasmosis fungus is found throughout the world. The fungus grows naturally in soil in some areas of the United States, mostly in the midwestern and southeastern states and along the Ohio and Mississippi River valleys. It thrives in soil that is enriched with bat or bird droppings
Most infected persons have no symptoms. When symptoms occur, they vary widely, depending on the form of the disease.
The lung infection can be short-term (acute) and relatively mild, or it can be long-term (chronic) and serious. Symptoms of the acute lung infection are tiredness, fever, chills, chest pains, and a dry cough. The chronic lung infection is like tuberculosis and occurs mostly in persons who already have lung disease. It can progress over months or years and can scar the lungs.
Disseminated histoplasmosis results in a variety of serious symptoms and can involve all body organs. The liver and spleen usually become enlarged, and sores in the mouth or gastrointestinal tract can develop. Disseminated histoplasmosis can be fatal.
Symptoms of acute disease usually appear in 5 to 18 days (usually 10 days) after exposure
Diagnosis can be made by laboratory culture or a blood test. A skin test is available but is useful only for outbreak investigations, not for diagnosis
Acute histoplasmosis can keep getting worse or can become chronic. Acute histoplasmosis can also spread from the lungs to other organs and lead to the disseminated form of the disease, especially in persons with weakened immune systems.
Persons with mild disease usually get better on their own. Severe cases of acute histoplasmosis and all cases of chronic and disseminated disease are treated with fungus-killing medicines. Wel, nice question really.
I deduce that your questions are the following:
1. How did you get it? (If you got it at birth, why did it show up now? so late?)
2. Would it cause blindness?
Well here goes:
Histoplasmosis is caused by fungus. This fungus grows in soil, particularly if soil is contaminated with bird droppings (including but not limited to bats). It infects humans via inhalation (breathing route) as follows:
Humans are exposed in areas of endemic infection:
1. Excavation of the soil during construction
2. Exploration of bat-infested caves
First infection is in lung and is SILENT, if you are healthy. (only shows up if your immunity is weak). Infections in healthy people, however, stay silent and spread to different organs SILENTLY including eyes; only to show up when much damage has been done.
In case of repeated MASSIVE exposure to organism (such as bat caves, chicken house), one can develop breathing problems though by suffering from pneumonia. Otherwise, as long as you have patent immunity, you wont have much of problems with breathing.
You should be alarmed at the diagnosis of your eye doctor. The scar of histoplamosis is not a problem but if new blood vessels grow on this scar (something known as choroidal neovascularization), it is a serious problem and may lead to visual loss.
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