Mucormycosis - Prevention, Symptoms, and Treatment

Mucormycosis and black fungus as it is commonly known as a fungal infection that has been spreading across several recovering COVID patients in Patna. An important thing to note is that while mucormycosis is related to COVID, it is not contagious and thus, the black fungus cannot spread from person to person. What is essentially exposure to mucor, a substance found in decaying food and soil can affect the brain and lungs. The medication used to treat COVID patients may cause a mucormycosis infection, raising the common concern of identifying what the symptoms of mucormycosis are. Listed below are a few of mucormycosis black fungus infection symptoms and causes that everyone must look for:

1. Shortness of Breath.
2. Nausea and vomit with blood.
3. Confused or altered mental state.
4. Redness, irritation, and pain around the eyes or nose.
5. Headaches and migraines.
6. Chest pain.

While the black fungal infection symptoms listed above must also be considered, there are a few other signs of illness that can be monitored to ensure that no COVID patient is susceptible to mucormycosis. These other mucormycosis black fungus symptoms include:

1. Sinusitis causing nasal or sinus congestion that may then lead to nasal discharge that is black or bloody. The black mucus could act as an indicator that the patient has breathed in fungal spores that can cause mucormycosis, a clear sign of mucormycosis fungal infection symptoms.
2. One-sided facial pain that is often localized pain concentrated on or around the cheekbone. Other mucormycosis fungal infection symptoms related to the face may manifest as swelling or numbness.
3. Blackish discoloration or lesions on the nasal bridge, nasal palate, or the upper inside of the mouth are black fungus symptoms.

To try and prevent contracting mucormycosis, patients must keep the following measures in mind-some of which will be applicable to COVID patients and others include guidelines for all to follow to avoid mucormycosis COVID symptoms.

1. Use face masks when visiting dusty areas or construction sites to prevent the production of excess mucus and to prevent accidentally inhaling fungal spores that might cause mucormycosis symptoms.
2. Mucormycosis is caused by mucor, a substance that is found in decaying plants, vegetables, and fruits as well as in gardens with exposure to soil, manure, and plants. Thus, to stay safe and avoid black fungus symptoms, wear proper shoes, long trousers, full-sleeved t-shirts, and gardening gloves when out in nature or dealing with soil and manure.
3. One must also maintain proper hygiene such as thorough scrub baths, consistently washing your hands, and changing clothes often.

The black fungal infection treatment and management for patients in Gurugram consists of several steps, mainly trying to eliminate the source of fungal spores, reduce steroid consumptions and continuously monitor the health of the patient to reduce mucormycosis COVID symptoms. The management for mucormycosis can be broken down into the following four steps:

1. Controlling diabetes and diabetic ketoacidosis – In diabetic ketoacidosis, the body begins to break down fat compounds too fast, causing excess acidity that transfers into the blood as well. Mucormycosis may affect patients who already have uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and thus, must be controlled to avoid excessive and harmful mucormycosis symptoms.
2. Reduction of Steroids – Mucormycosis COVID symptoms are usually caused by the medication prescribed, some of which are steroids. To treat mucormycosis, the first step would include immediately reducing steroid intake to reach the goal of continually decreasing it.
3. Surgical debridement – Surgical debridement is the process of removing all infected tissue to help heal wounds and for patients with mucormycosis, this would involve the physical extraction of all infected areas to protect the rest of the body from contracting black fungal infection symptoms.

With all of the mucormycosis fungus symptoms listed above, you can be safe in your knowledge of black fungus and take precautionary steps accordingly. For those infected with mucormycosis or those exhibiting black fungus symptoms, Paras Hospitals in Patna are there to take care of all patient needs and to further help identify exactly what are the symptoms of mucormycosis.

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