Valley Fever Preventions, Signs and Symptoms

Valley Fever is an infectious disease that spreads in desert areas. In the United States, Valley Fever is most likely to occur in the state of Arizona. In fact, 60% of all Valley Fever cases occur in this state. It is caused by Coccidioides fungi. This is a fungus that lives just below the surface of the desert soil and can go as deep as 3 feet. When strong winds blow, the fungus blows up with the dirt and is more easily inhaled by humans. Valley Fever then occurs and it can be a very painful condition. The condition can last for up to a year.

Valley Fever is becoming more and more prevalent in certain areas of the country, especially Arizona. Knowing the signs and symptoms may help you catch it early on so that your case doesn't become more complicated than it has to be. The longer you let any illness go, the worse it becomes.

Signs and symptoms of Valley Fever include fever, coughing, feeling of heaviness on the chest or feeling of having a heart attack, chills, night sweats, headaches, tiredness, difficulty breathing, painful joints and a rash. The rash will sometimes turn up in the form of red bumps, which are very painful. With time, they will turn a brownish color. You could even get blisters in the area of the rash. All of these symptoms are difficult to deal with and can cause you the inability to function in your day-to-day life.

Valley Fever is just one more reason that you should take care of yourself at all times. The healthier your lifestyle, the less chance you have of contracting Valley Fever. If you do contract it, you will be less likely to have severe symptoms of it and it will clear up far faster than it would if you didn't live a healthy lifestyle. That goes for any disease that you might possibly get.

If the disease becomes disseminated (grows beyond the lungs), it can be deadly. Valley Fever needs to be treated with anti-fungal drugs in order to cure the problem. Some people have to stay on those drugs for the rest of their lives. Some groups of people are more susceptible to this type of Valley Fever though. This would include African-Americans, Asian and Filipino people. Women in their third trimester of pregnancy are also at high risk for disseminated Valley Fever. People who live in the Southwest territory of the United States, along with Central and South America and Mexico are vulnerable the Valley Fever because those are mainly desert areas with this fungi in the soil.

The most important thing to keep in mind is that you must take care of yourself at all times. If you are in an area where there have been a large number of reported cases of Valley Fever, try to avoid being outside during especially windy times. Go to the doctor immediately if you are showing any of the signs or symptoms of Valley Fever to get treatment. Don't put it off. That could be a very deadly decision.