Woman’s Persistent Cough Misdiagnosed as Allergies Leads to Valley Fever Discovery

For years, a woman named Autumn, living in Houston, Texas, endured a persistent cough misattributed to allergies. Her health journey took a pivotal turn upon the revelation through an X-ray, uncovering a more serious underlying issue.

Autumn, who chooses not to disclose her full name, has faced significant health challenges throughout her life. “I was born with congenital heart defects, leaving my heart severely deformed,” she conveyed to Newsweek. “I’ve undergone multiple open-heart surgeries to enhance its functionality, for which the medical team truly excelled.”

Despite advancements in her cardiac care, Autumn expressed dissatisfaction with how physicians approached her unyielding cough, present since 2018.

Feeling unheard by a doctor is common. A 2022 MITRE-Harris Poll revealed that 52 percent of Americans felt their symptoms were ignored, dismissed, or unbelieved during medical consultations.

Initially, Autumn sought medical advice for her troubling cough, describing its characteristics: “It produced green and yellow sputum, tasted sour, akin to pneumonia.” Despite these clear symptoms, her cough was attributed to “allergies.”

During the COVID-19 pandemic, while receiving treatment for her heart condition, Autumn revisited her concerns about the cough. Despite its longstanding connection to allergies, doctors prompted her to undertake a COVID test.

“That leap in logic puzzled me. If my lungs seemingly had an infection previously, why couldn’t it be an ongoing infection, regardless of COVID history?” Autumn remarked.

Over five years, Autumn consulted two different doctors in her pursuit of effective treatment, to no avail. “I tried all the allergy medications; nothing changed,” she stated, mentioning persistent cough, colored sputum, and severe fatigue. These symptoms often were mistakenly linked to her heart condition, despite her prior regular exercise.

Following a cardiac ablation to address arrhythmia, Autumn contracted pneumonia. Though treated for pneumonia, her cough worsened, leading to the harrowing experience of coughing up blood.

Autumn reported, “I decided to consult a new doctor, who reviewed old X-rays, identified a lung anomaly, and ordered a CT scan.” This scan resulted in her diagnosis of Valley fever. This fungal infection, caused by inhaling Coccidioides spores found in some Southwestern U.S. soils, can mimic symptoms of allergies, colds, or flu, often leading to misdiagnosis.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes 5 to 10 percent of Valley fever patients develop chronic lung complications, and roughly 1 percent face a potentially life-threatening form affecting other body areas.

Scheduled for lung surgery in October to combat the fungal infection, Autumn also undergoes cardiac catheterization to monitor heart valve pressure, consequential to her lung issues.

By sharing her story, Autumn aims to encourage others to trust their instincts in seeking medical help. She urges healthcare professionals to scrutinize and counter “implicit biases” in patient diagnosis.

“Doctors frequently dismiss women’s health complaints, posing fear and frustration,” she observed. “Despite the discouraging odds, persistence in finding healthcare providers who listen is vital.”

For inquiries on the story, contact Newsweek editors Rebecca Flood and Emma Lee-Sang.