How to Treat Blastomycosis

The condition blastomycosis is caused when a person is exposed to blastomyces dermatitidis, a type of fungus that thrives in moist soil made up of decomposing materials. You can contract the disease if you inhale the spores that develop within the contaminated soil. People with certain professions are more at risk for developing blastomycosis, including farmers, hunters and park rangers. You will require treatment if you are exposed to blastomycosis.

Instructions

• 1

  Make an appointment with your doctor if you suspect that you have blastomycosis. Symptoms include fevers, chills, fatigue, chest, cough and can sometimes lead to meningitis. In some cases, patients may not have any symptoms.

• 2

  Go through testing to determine if you have blastomycosis. Your saliva or urine will be sent to the lab for analysis in order to look for presence of the fungus. If it is determined that you have the condition, immediate treatment is required to avoid complications.

• 3

  Start on an antifungal medication. If the disease has not progressed and is still in the early stages, the drug itraconazole may be prescribed by your doctor. For serious cases where blastomycosis has started to affect the central nervous system, amphotericin will likely be given to the patient.

• 4

  Finish the course of antifungal medication to ensure that the fungus has been removed from the body. Your doctor may recommend that you take the antifungal medication for seven to 14 days. While taking the medications, make sure you get plenty of rest and drink a lot of water. You'll need to attend a follow-up appointment in order to retest for the disease.