Well I am not sure this is where I need to post this or not. But, my husband and I were just in Tucson AZ for some job interviews for him. He has his job basically lined up which is good. But, we found out about Valley Fever while we were there. My youngest daughter has lung problems and that is one of the reasons that we are moving to Arizona. I would just like to get some advice from you moms there if you have had any experience with it or your thoughts on it all. I dont want this to stop our move but I want to make sure it is the right thing to do for her health. I am going to be talking to her lung dr next week about it and go from there. Hubby wants me to make sure it is going to be a safe move for her before we continue with our plans. We are not going til next May but that gives me a year to get it all done.
Someone please help,
Lori
Valley Fever is a problem
Valley Fever is a problem all over Arizona, not just in Tucson. The bacteria that causes it lives in the soil and transmitted when the dirt is stirred, like in new construction projects.
I contracted Valley Fever a year after I moved to the Phoenix area when I was 13. I had a high fever, body aches and was unbelievabley tired. It lasted for about a month and then made a repeat perfomance (but to a lesser degree) every summer until I was a young adult.
People who are born here do still come down with it, but if you live here already, I wouldn't let it stop you from moving to Tucson.
sure, fine, whatever
I've lived in the PHX area
I've lived in the PHX area for 10yrs, and no one in my family has had valley fever. No one I work with has had it either.
It's common, but it's not that common.
There are common sense things to avoid it. Don't buy in a new construction neighborhood, don't let your daughter take up gardening as a hobby. Wash off the dog after it's been playing in the dirt (I have heard of dogs getting valley fever because many like to dig). I'm not sure that it would affect a person with lung issues more than a person without, but I could be wrong on that.
I hadn't heard of valley fever until after I moved here, but I wouldn't let it influence my decision to move here.
I had bad sinus problems before I moved here (I am allergic to molds), which went away after I moved (I;ve recently developed local allergies to citrus blossoms, but that's a different issue). So depending on what triggers your daughters your daughter's lung problems, she could get a lot better.
Does everyone in Arizona get
Does everyone in Arizona get Valley Fever?
It is estimated that about one third of the people in the lower desert areas of Arizona have had Valley Fever at some point. Your chances of getting Valley Fever are about 1 out of 33, but the longer you live in the Desert Southwest the higher your chances of infection. There are about 100,000 new cases of Valley Fever each year. You don't have to live here to get it--people visiting or traveling through the area have been infected, too.
Are some people at higher risk of getting Valley Fever?
Valley Fever doesn't seem to play favorites, with all kinds of people at equal risk. Once infected, however, certain groups seem to have more instances of it spreading to other parts of their bodies; as far as gender is concerned, men are more likely than women, and African Americans and Filipinos are more likely when considering race. People with problem immune systems are also at risk.
Construction workers, farm workers or others who spend time working in dirt and dust are most likely to get Valley Fever. You are also at higher risk if you are caught in dust storms, or if your recreation, such as biking or 4-wheeling, takes you to dusty areas. One thing you can do to minimize your risk of getting Valley fever is to wear a mask if you have to be out in blowing dust.
What are the symptoms of Valley Fever?
About two thirds of the people who are infected never notice any symptoms, or experience mild symptoms and never even get treatment. Those who have sought treatment showed symptoms including fatigue, cough, chest pain, fever, rash, headache and joint aches. Sometimes people develop red bumps on their skin. In about 5% of the cases, nodules develop on the lungs which might look like lung cancer in a chest x-ray. A biopsy or surgery may be necessary to determine if the nodule is a result of Valley Fever. Another 5% of people develop what is referred to as a lung cavity. This is most common with older people, and more than half of the cavities disappear after a while without treatment. If the lung cavity ruptures, however, there may be chest pain and difficulty breathing.
Is there a cure for Valley Fever?
There is no vaccine at this time for Valley Fever. Most people are able to fight off Valley Fever on their own without treatment. They don't get it again. For those that seek treatment, anti fungal drugs (not antibiotics) are used. Although these treatments are often helpful, the disease may persist and years of treatment may be required. If a lung cavity ruptures as mentioned above, surgery may be necessary.
I wouldn't let it stop you
I wouldn't let it stop you from moving but you'll definately want to consult with your doctor and find a doctor here right away.
I've lived here for 41 years and never contracted it, nor do I know anyone who has. It it not uncommon, but not as scary as it sounds.
Susie is a discussion leader in the east valley for arizonamoms.com. She has two sons, ages 6 and 2.
My dog has been living with
My dog has been living with Valley Fever for a while, and from what I've been told people that aren't from Arizona have a higher chance of getting it. My dog I believe came from Mexico. She likes to dig and that is how she got it, and yes we are in a new built subdivision. Just stay out of the monsoon winds.
Lisa - Mom to her spunky little Scarlette
Not only did I have Valley
Not only did I have Valley Fever myself, but three years ago I lost my dog to it. We built a pool and six months later, he was diagnosed.
sure, fine, whatever
Back in the 1980's my
Back in the 1980's my sister's neighbor contracted Valley Fever and died. He was African American and it went to his brain. It was very sad and sort of sudden as they didn't realize what he had. I have heard that African Americans are more likely to die from it - rare, but it can happen.
I have also heard that at some point everyone gets it, but it can be mild and you probably don't even know you have it. Don't let it scare you away from Arizona, but check out everything about it that you can. Better to know about it and not need it than to need it and not know it.
KarilouMomof2 is a discussion leader for arizonamoms.com living in Tempe. Her daughters are 9 and 6.
Don't mean to scare you, but
Don't mean to scare you, but since your daughter has a lung issue already, you should know that she would most likely have a more difficult time fighting Valley Fever if she were to contract it.
My ex-husband nearly died from it about a year ago. One of the symptoms is pneumonia, so his doctor incorrectly diagnosed him with pneumonia and fed him several rounds of stronger and stronger antibiotics, but he got sicker and sicker. By the time it was determined he had Valley Fever, the fungus had eaten a hole in one of his lungs. That's basically a kiss of death because once the fungus leaves the lungs, it travels to other organs, often the brain. Fortunately, he got the anti-fungal medication in time and he had to be on it for 9 months and totally change his diet. He lost like 20 or 30 pounds because he couldn't have any carbs because they feed the fungus. He's of Korean descent, and African-Americans and Asians have a higher susceptibility rate of getting Valley Fever and then having a much harder time recovering from it. One pulmonologist told us that it is related to the color of your skin -- the darker, the more likely you'll get Valley Fever.
Once you have Valley Fever, you always have it. My ex-husband will always have a dark patch (fungus) on his lung x-rays. It will always be in his system. We are so fortunate he didn't have to have his lung removed, which can happen when people have a severe case of Valley Fever.
Besides Valley Fever, Phoenix has an extremely high pollution rate. We have our famous "brown cloud" that hangs over the city. Especially in the summer, we get high pollution warnings constantly and are told to avoid being outside if we have allergies, lung issues, asthma, etc. That's not fun.
I've lived in AZ for 9 years now and I and my 3 kids love it here. However, if one of them had lung issues, I absolutely wouldn't live here. One negative result of moving here from Texas is that two of my kids have developed mild asthma. Our pediatrician guesses it's because of the high pollution. I had no idea there was such pollution here until we moved here.
I don't mean to be all gloom and doom -- I do love it here. I just want you to be informed so you can make the best decision for your family.
Warmly,
Kristin
DesertMom
http://ppdsurvivor.blogspot.com
Hello, First off I wanted to
Hello,
First off I wanted to clear up some false rumors about Valley Fever.
It is not a bacteria and or virus, it is a Mold or Fungus Spore called Valley Fever is a lung infection. A fungus becomes airborne when dust around construction areas and agricultural areas is transported by the wind. When spores are inhaled, Valley Fever can result. The medical name for Valley Fever is coccidioidomycosis.
It is very common and is getting worse with people with compromised immune systems and animals such as dogs, sheep and cattle can become infected, even marine animals.
You don't have to roll around in the dirt to get it, it travels many miles, even thousand of miles in the air especially in windy conditions. You then become infected in your lungs just by breathing it in (the air borne fungus spores). It enters your body through your lungs and can cause severe lung damage and shortness of breathe along with inflammation on your whole body, skin, vital organs and joints throughout your body.Can also cause brain and spinal meningitis (inflammation infection of the brain and spinal fluid is the later stages depending on the person's immune system) And can cause heart problems, inflammation of the heart and lungs and can even lead to death if you have a serious infection! It is very serious especially if you have a lowered immune system, diabetes, HIV etc. and we need to make people and the medical doctors and AMA more aware of this so we can get a vaccine made and a cure made for this common disease!
Many people do not know they even have it, they think it is just a common cold or flu and doctors do not test for it, you have to request your doctor to test for it. Veterinarians know more about it then most medical doctors! It is a common health problem in animals, not just humans. You will have it for the rest of your life, most people become immune, unless you become less immune to it resulting in a relapse of serious health problems. You can make head way with this disease with proper nutrition and diet!
I hope this helps and please Google it online to find out more information on this topic!