Monsoon storms can carry threat of valley fever
Jul 17, 2014, 5:00 AM | Updated: 8:07 am
PHOENIX — The monsoon storms are making life very busy at Valley doctors’ offices, but it’s what could develop next month that has them concerned.
Most of the patients visiting Scottsdale Healthcare on McKellips Road this week have come in with typical symptoms.
“The sunshine and the little rain for this year, people’s allergies keep flaring, said Dr. Clifford Gazda. “And now, as we’re getting into monsoon season, we’re getting a lot of people with not just allergy symptoms, but deeper cough-like symptoms.”
While it may not be as a big an issue today, Gazda is worried for patients who notice a persistent cough, coupled with muscle fatigue and other symptoms in the next four weeks.
“Some people get night sweats as well, particularly in the evening, and the fevers,” he explained.
If it won’t let up, he suspects it could be coccidiomycosis spores — or valley fever — that’s taken a firm hold in your lungs.
If left untreated, he warned it could cause far more serious problems.
