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The OP doesn't seem particularly scared or anxious to me and it is unfair to characterize them being so. What we need to keep in mind that it is perfectly natural for people to be more afraid of or cautious of the unknown. Locals get desensitized to the particular dangers of their area. For instance, people that don't live in areas with tornadoes, earthquakes, and hurricanes often consider them with greater anxiety than those who have lived around a particular danger for a while. Those who don't live here are going to be particularly concerned about valley fever, scorpions, rattlesnakes, and severe heat in the summers, if they are things they don't deal with in the area they are from. This is all just par for course when participating on a forum where people ask questions about an area.
I showed another physician the OP's post and she agreed with me and also supported her impression based on her reaction to Lyme disease as well. Most people in Lyme endemic areas are not concerned about Lyme to the point that they check for tick bites every time they go outside. Are we going to tell every person who lives in New Engalnd to check for tick bites because they walked outside? Of course not, so when someone is fearful to the point that they are taking exaggerated precautionary measures, it does make a health care provider question a person's well being. It's one thing to check after you go camping or engage in a outdoor excursion in which your exposure to tick bites is more probable. Just because the OP doesn't appear scared or anxious to you doesn't mean that she isn't. Furthermore, I encouraged her to see her pcp or other health care provider to discuss the issue so that he or she could determine if the OP does in fact have any underlying anxiety. She may be perfectly fine but it doesn't hurt to start a discussion about it with your doctor. You lose nothing by doing so. It's better that people seek help to control any underlying anxiety than avoid doing so to avoid the public stigmatization of a real health issue.
Perhaps. But it is far more polite/courteous to drop the OP a private message to issue your concerns with their wellbeing. As opposed to just publicly offering it when the OP hadn't even asked for such. Folks are far more accustomed to taking medical advice in privacy. Not all laid out for the world to see.
But. That is my opinion. Others' will assuredly vary.
As an aside, whilst I do not live in an areas as endemic as the Northeast (I'm in the Southeast .. so lyme is common though not abundant), I do assuredly check for ticks/tick bites after spending time in the woods or high grass / camping / walking trails. Why would you not?
Perhaps. But it is far more polite/courteous to drop the OP a private message to issue your concerns with their wellbeing. As opposed to just publicly offering it when the OP hadn't even asked for such. Folks are far more accustomed to taking medical advice in privacy. Not all laid out for the world to see.
But. That is my opinion. Others' will assuredly vary.
As an aside, whilst I do not live in an areas as endemic as the Northeast (I'm in the Southeast .. so lyme is common though not abundant), I do assuredly check for ticks/tick bites after spending time in the woods or high grass / camping / walking trails. Why would you not?
Because you're told it's "oh so rare" and "doesn't usually kill,maybe just a little sick".
Kind of like the attitude about breast lumps and cancer, lumps and testicular cancer etc. way back when.
Some people have to believe they're invincible or my favorite "it won't happen to me, that only happens to other people". Until it happens to you or someone close to you.
Then it's "why didn't anyone warn us about this!"
We tried and were shouted down.
Kind of like the attitude about breast lumps and cancer, lumps and testicular cancer etc. way back when.
No one shouting anybody down but rather putting it in perspective. There is no reason to call it "death dust". That creates unwarranted hysteria. That doesn't mean I'm going walk outside during a dust storm. Of course Valley Fever is something to think about and keep in the back of your mind.
Back to your cancer statement. 1 in 8 women in the USA will develop invasive breast cancer (see U.S. Breast Cancer Statistics ). Yet only 0.4 percent of men will be diagnosed with testicular cancer at some point during their lifetime, Do you see a HUGE difference? Hence, I am not worried about getting testicular cancer. For that matter, since breast cancer in men is 100x less than women What are the key statistics about breast cancer in men? , I'm not too worried about that either. This is the only point people are trying to make. Yes. Valley Fever is real and people get it in the Phoenix area. As was discussed, percentage wise, it is not all that common. If you do get it, 60% don't even show symptoms. Less than 1% get disseminated Valley Fever such as yourself. So when you work the numbers, it's not remotely considered "death dust".
Now according to http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HealthInfo/di...alleyFever.pdf ,risk groups for disseminated (seriously ill) valley fever include those with
weakened immune systems (cancer, HIV, etc). Also there are higher risks for serious illness such as the elderly, persons of African, or Filipino descent, and women in the third trimester of
pregnancy.
I'm not in the medical field (but I stayed at the Holiday Inn Express last night). These numbers were available by 2 minutes of googling.
So to answer the OP's question:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sarp1
Hey all,
....My question is more on the practical side: how do residents deal with the fact that they're under constant exposure to the pathogen?
Answer: Stop reading articles designed to scare you into clicking on their link. It's blown out of proportion.
So should one be concerned about Valley Fever in Sedona? Going for a visit in a few weeks and planning a pink jeep tour - I would imagine that stirs up dust.
So should one be concerned about Valley Fever in Sedona? Going for a visit in a few weeks and planning a pink jeep tour - I would imagine that stirs up dust.
They won't be doing donuts in the desert on your pink jeep tour - you're talking about one day of exposure vs. people who live here being exposed for years or decades..
Thanks everybody for the responses. It sounds like it's not a big deal, which I'm glad to hear.
I'm not trying to criticize Arizona in any way. Heck, I'm from the area with one of the highest rates of Lyme disease in the nation. If someone were to ask me about Lyme disease, I would tell them to get into the habit of checking themselves for ticks after every outdoor activity. I know someone who became seriously ill just from picking up a tick at a playground. If you check yourself, however, you can usually remove the insect before any pathogens are transmitted. I was just wondering whether or not Arizonans had to do anything similar for Valley Fever. It sounds like just being healthy is all that you really need to do.
I didn't think much about it until my little Chihuahua got sick and the vet ran tests for Valley Fever. It turned out he didn't have it, but it was a wake up call to pay more attention to symptoms and causes. It's good to be aware.
Then one day my secretary was complaining that she thought her husband was 'faking an illness.' She started describing this flu that he had on and off for months. I pulled out the information on Valley Fever and asked her if it matched any of that. She said yes and called him. His doctor had not tested for it. He tested positive - but didn't get the test until he asked about it. Because it had gone on undetected for awhile, and because he already had a compromised immune system, it hit him hard. Last I heard, it lasted for several years, and he is still on serious medication.
A friend of mine who was a healthy 26 year old woman with no autoimmune problems liked to go jogging early in the mornings around her complex out near Anthem. It was a brand new development and she jogged in all kinds of weather. She is half Korean, so fits the demographic of those at risk. She came down with it 3 years ago. She can't jog anymore. She's on all kinds of meds, and frankly looks like hell.
I've lived here 12 years and have hundreds of friends and acquaintances. Those are the only two people I know of who have contracted it. As one poster said, it's not a problem until it is. It's a roll of the dice, just like life. Some people get hit by cars, some don't. People get hit by lightning, most of us don't.
My sense is that if you are out in some of the brand new housing developments, you may run into more of a problem than if you are in an established area. What I understand is that the fungus lives for a long time underground. So when a new housing or industrial development is being put in, they dig deep and may disturb, and thus distribute, the spores. This is where the dust storms come in. A particularly nasty dust storm might roll across that new development and pick up the spores, sending them all over the region.
So - what can you do? When the dust storm warnings come up, take them seriously and get to shelter. If you are worried, you could put a scarf over your mouth and nose to filter any dust. If you dig in an area in your yard that has never been disturbed or excavated, you could wear a face mask during the excavation. You could avoid jogging or walking near construction sites, especially on windy days. You can learn your own body and pay attention. If you develop flu like symptoms, especially after potential exposure, you can ask the docs to run a test. Some people may give you a hard time for that, but, it ain't their body. It's yours. So ask for the tests if you are nervous about it. Obviously if you are asking for the tests every week, you'll be a nervous wreck and it will cost you an arm and a leg! Don't be paranoid, just pay attention to your body. And stay healthy! Get enough sleep, take vitamins if you aren't eating right. Don't overdo the drinking and partying.
You don't need to spend all your life in Phoenix wearing a face mask. But if it makes you feel better, you could toss one in the car in case you get caught in a dust storm and need it.
Othern' that, you'll probably be ok. Lord willin' and the coyotes, scorpions, snakes, bad guys and cockroaches don't get ya!
I didn't think much about it until my little Chihuahua got sick and the vet ran tests for Valley Fever. It turned out he didn't have it, but it was a wake up call to pay more attention to symptoms and causes. It's good to be aware.
Then one day my secretary was complaining that she thought her husband was 'faking an illness.' She started describing this flu that he had on and off for months. I pulled out the information on Valley Fever and asked her if it matched any of that. She said yes and called him. His doctor had not tested for it. He tested positive - but didn't get the test until he asked about it. Because it had gone on undetected for awhile, and because he already had a compromised immune system, it hit him hard. Last I heard, it lasted for several years, and he is still on serious medication.
A friend of mine who was a healthy 26 year old woman with no autoimmune problems liked to go jogging early in the mornings around her complex out near Anthem. It was a brand new development and she jogged in all kinds of weather. She is half Korean, so fits the demographic of those at risk. She came down with it 3 years ago. She can't jog anymore. She's on all kinds of meds, and frankly looks like hell.
I've lived here 12 years and have hundreds of friends and acquaintances. Those are the only two people I know of who have contracted it. As one poster said, it's not a problem until it is. It's a roll of the dice, just like life. Some people get hit by cars, some don't. People get hit by lightning, most of us don't.
My sense is that if you are out in some of the brand new housing developments, you may run into more of a problem than if you are in an established area. What I understand is that the fungus lives for a long time underground. So when a new housing or industrial development is being put in, they dig deep and may disturb, and thus distribute, the spores. This is where the dust storms come in. A particularly nasty dust storm might roll across that new development and pick up the spores, sending them all over the region.
So - what can you do? When the dust storm warnings come up, take them seriously and get to shelter. If you are worried, you could put a scarf over your mouth and nose to filter any dust. If you dig in an area in your yard that has never been disturbed or excavated, you could wear a face mask during the excavation. You could avoid jogging or walking near construction sites, especially on windy days. You can learn your own body and pay attention. If you develop flu like symptoms, especially after potential exposure, you can ask the docs to run a test. Some people may give you a hard time for that, but, it ain't their body. It's yours. So ask for the tests if you are nervous about it. Obviously if you are asking for the tests every week, you'll be a nervous wreck and it will cost you an arm and a leg! Don't be paranoid, just pay attention to your body. And stay healthy! Get enough sleep, take vitamins if you aren't eating right. Don't overdo the drinking and partying.
You don't need to spend all your life in Phoenix wearing a face mask. But if it makes you feel better, you could toss one in the car in case you get caught in a dust storm and need it.
Othern' that, you'll probably be ok. Lord willin' and the coyotes, scorpions, snakes, bad guys and cockroaches don't get ya!
I have a distant relative who vacationed in AZ, not sure where in the state or what they did but they went home and he got deathly ill with valley fever, like 8 weeks in ICU. Took forever to diagnose because it was a few weeks after they returned And the doctors weren't looking for valley fever in the state they live in. So he is On Life-long medicine. His wife was fine and she said he was just unlucky enough to get it on a visit. While that may be rare, it is sort of scary to outsiders. Then googling it doesn't help. Glad to know from locals that it isn't that prevalent. So do incidents like Fridays haboob make the rates go up? The web seems to correlate weather changes to higher rates.
What about pets that are 100% indoors -- like a parrot?
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