‘Mucormycosis – if untreated – may turn fatal’
What is Mucormycosis?
Mucormycosis, commonly known as black fungus, is a fungal infection that mainly affects people who are on medication for other health problems that reduces their ability to fight environmental pathogens.
Sinuses or lungs of such individuals get affected after fungal spores are inhaled from the air. This can lead to serious disease.
Symptoms to look out for:
- Pain and redness around eyes and/or nose
- Fever
- Headache
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath
- Bloody vomits
- Altered mental status
Risk factors
- Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus
- Immunosuppression by steroids
- Prolonged ICU stay
- Co-morbidities – post transplant/cancer
- Voriconazole therapy
How to prevent
- Use masks if you are visiting dusty construction sites
- Wear shoes, long trousers, long sleeve shirts and gloves while handling soil (gardening), moss or manure
- Maintain personal hygiene including thorough scrub bath
When to Suspect (in COVID-19 patients, diabetics or immunosuppressed individuals)
- Sinusitis – nasal blockage or congestion, nasal discharge(blackish/bloody), local pain on the cheek bone
- One sided facial pain, numbness or swelling
- Blackish discoloration over bridge of nose/palate
- Toothache, loosening of teeth, jaw involvement
- Blurred or double vision with pain; fever, skin lesion; thrombosis & necrosis
- Chest pain, pleural effusion (water on the lungs), coughing up of blood, worsening of respiratory symptoms
Do’s
- Control hyperglycemia (high blood sugar)
- Monitor blood glucose level post COVID-19 discharge and also in diabetics
- Use steroid judiciously – correct timing, correct dose and duration as per doctor’s prescription
- Use clean, sterile water for humidifiers during oxygen therapy
- Use antibiotics/antifungals judiciously as per doctor’s advice
Don’ts
- Do not ignore warning signs and symptoms
- Do not hesitate to seek doctor’s consultation to detect fungal infection
- Do not lose crucial time to initiate treatment for mucormycosis
Multi-disciplinary Team Approach to Diagnose and Treat Black Fungus
The Black Fungus Clinic at Medica Kolkata Police Hospital is a comprehensive diagnostic and treatment facility for managing the disease.
Our multi-disciplinary team:
- Dr Harsh Jain (Neurosurgeon)
- Dr Souvik Roy Chowdhury (ENT Specialist)
- Dr Saswati Sengupta (ENT Specialist)
- Dr Rajesh Majumder (Opthalmologist)
- Dr Tanoy Bose (Internal Medicine Specialist)
- Dr Nandini Biswas (Pulmonologist)
- Ms Anusheela Brahmachary (Psychologist)
- Dr Kaustav Roy (Maxillofacial Surgeon)
- Dr Akhilesh Agarwal (Plastic Surgeon)
For appointment, call: