Farmer's lung is a type of lung condition called hypersensitivity pneumonitis which is caused by precipitants such as moldy hay or straw.
The farmer lung is caused by and induced by the inhalation of biologic dusts that come from hay dust or mold spores or any other agricultural products.
The farmers lung results in a type III hypersensitivity inflammatory response and can progress to become a chronic condition which is considered potentially dangerous.
In some cases farmer's lung lasts several months and causes symptoms such as increasing shortness of breath, an occasional mild fever, and often, a significant loss in weight and a general lack of energy.
The symptoms of farmers lung are accompanied by permanent lung damage and gradually worsen as exposure to mouldy dust continues.
The mortality rate of farmer's lung is 0-20% and death from farmers lung usually occurs 5 years after diagnosis.
Several factors have also been shown to increase mortality rates in people with farmers lung including clinical symptoms occurring more than 1 year before diagnosis, symptomatic recurrence, and pulmonary fibrosis at the time of diagnosis.
Doctors can treat farmers lung and provide you with treatment of the symptoms of farmer's lung, but there's no cure for farmers lung.
The first step in treatment for farmers lung is to avoid continue exposure to moldy dust.
Medications and bed rest relieve the symptoms of farmers lung.
In some cases, you may need oxygen to help you breathe when you have farmers lung.
Detection of antibodies to Saccharopolyspora rectivirgula (previously known as Micropolyspora faenii) in serum to diagnose Farmers Lung using a commercial automated Fluorescent Immuno Enzyme Assay (FEIA performed on the ImmunoCAP 250 analyser).
This test is appropriate for the diagnosis of Farmers Lung.