What are the symptoms of bird fanciers lung?

Initial symptoms of BFL include shortness of breath (dyspnea), and dry cough. These may be worse after sudden exertion or when exposed to temperature change, which can resemble asthma, hyperventilation syndrome or pulmonary embolism. Chest pain (such as a tight chest), chills, crackly chest, and fever may also occur.

Is bird fanciers lung common?

Bird fancier’s lung (BFL) is one of the most common types of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Nevertheless, the criteria for diagnosing this condition are not standardized.

What are the symptoms of Farmer’s lung?

Symptoms include:

• Cough that won’t go away.
• Depression.
• General aches and pains.
• Night sweats.
• No appetite and gradual weight loss.
• Occasional fever.
• Shortness of breath that gets worse over time.
• Weakness and loss of energy.

What is bird fancier’s lung?

Bird fancier’s lung is an immunologically mediated lung disease caused by inhalation of bird dropping extracts and antigens in feathers. Early recognition of the disease and prevention of long-term antigen exposure are necessary to avoid the progression of chronic bird fancier’s lung.

What causes farmer’s lung disease?

Farmer’s Lung is an allergic disease usually caused by breathing in the dust from moldy hay. However, dust from any moldy crop – straw, corn, silage, grain, or even tobacco – can also cause Farmer’s Lung.

Can birds give you breathing problems?

General Discussion. Psittacosis is an uncommon infectious disease that is most often transmitted to humans through exposure to infected birds, especially parrots, cockatiels, parakeets and similar pet birds. Psittacosis can affect the lungs and may cause inflammatory illness of the lungs (pneumonia).

How long can you live with Farmer’s lung?

The mortality rate from farmer’s lung is reportedly 0-20% and death usually occurs 5 years after diagnosis. Several factors have been shown to increase mortality rates including clinical symptoms occurring more than 1 year before diagnosis, symptomatic recurrence, and pulmonary fibrosis at the time of diagnosis.

How long does it take to develop farmer’s lung?

Acute Farmer’s Lung is easy to notice and occurs in about one in three cases. It starts as an intense attack about 4 to 8 hours after the person breathes in a large amount of dust from moldy crops.

Is bird fancier’s lung fatal?

Although patients with chronic bird fancier’s lung have been reported to have a high mortality (4), the pathological findings of fatal bird fancier’s lung have seldom been de- scribed, and granulomas were not identified in four reports (3,5–7).

What causes bird lung?

Bird Fancier’s Lung is a type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, an immunologically mediated lung disease due to repetitive exposure of air-borne avian antigen. This was first described in 1965 and is known as one of the most common causes of hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

What does pneumonitis feel like?

An attack of acute hypersensitivity pneumonitis usually occurs four to six hours after a short period of intense exposure to the substance you are allergic to. You may feel as if you have caught the flu when an acute attack occurs. Common symptoms include fever, chills, muscle aches, headache and cough.

What is the difference between bird fanciers lung and farmers lung?

Bird fanciers lung and farmers lung are both types of allergic alveolitis (or hypersensitivity pneumonitis as it is known in the USA). Although the disease is the same (alveolar inflammation) the cause is different (avian proteins for bird fanciers lung and fungal antigens for farmers lung). It is important to find out which is the cause for you.

What is bird breeder’s lung?

Known variously as bird breeder’s lung, pigeon breeder’s lung, or hen worker’s lung, this form of hypersensitivity pneumonitis is due to antigens in bird droppings. Tables 5 and 6list these and some other cases of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, along with the antigen involved.

What is farmer’s lung?

A type of hypersensitivity medically known as alveolitis, farmer’s lung can lead to breathing problems, a severe cough, fever, and in chronic or severe cases, even permanent physical damage.

What causes bird fancier’s lung?

The main causative agent for Bird Fancier’s Lung is the bloom or dust that is present in the feathers of birds which when inhaled causes this disease.