As spoiled hay dries, it darkens, crumbles easily, and is extremely dusty. This dust that contains bacteria and mould spores is extremely fine. People can breathe these spores into the innermost regions of the lungs alveoli where the problem begins. The spores that cause Farmer's Lung are not infectious. Instead, they trigger an allergic reaction. Allergic reactions are produced by the immune system, the body's defence system that normally protects against infectious diseases.
The immune system reacts when special substances called "antigens" enter the body. Antigens are usually found on germs such as infectious bacteria or viruses.
The immune system reacts to neutralize these germs and prevent infections. Antigens are also found on harmless material such as mould spores. Sometimes the immune system will react against these by producing a harmful reaction e. Farmer's Lung develops in two steps, as other allergic reactions do.
The first time a person inhales a large amount of dust and spores from moldy hay, the immune system often responds by producing specific antibodies against the antigens. Antibodies are chemicals that circulate in the blood and attack specific antigens.
Once the body has produced these antibodies, there is a chance that further exposure to moldy dust can generate a hypersensitive type of allergic reaction. This reaction is typical of Farmer's Lung. A hypersensitive reaction is triggered when antigens in the lungs react with antibodies that circulate in the blood; this sets off a complicated reaction normally intended to protect the lungs from infections.
Certain types of white blood cells move into the lungs to attack the antigens. Then, other types of white blood cells move into the lungs, releasing chemicals and poisons that increase blood flow and kill lung tissue close to the antigens. This response causes swelling, inflammation and damage to lung tissue, resulting in noticeable breathing problems.
There is little information on the exact number of people with Farmer's Lung in Canada. Studies show that incidence varies from place to place. The disease seems to occur in about 2 to 10 percent of farm workers, depending on the region.
In some areas, blood tests have shown that 20 to 40 percent of farm workers have antibodies that react with antigens responsible for Farmer's Lung. This test indicates that people have had at least an initial exposure to moldy dust.
The disease is most common in regions with wet weather at harvest time. Farmer's Lung is also more common on dairy farms, especially those not equipped with automated equipment for handling hay or feed. Incidents of Farmer's Lung occur most often in late winter or early spring when stored hay or grain is used to feed livestock.
Farmer's Lung is a risk for adults who breathe dust from moldy hay or other moldy crops. Children rarely develop Farmer's Lung. The degree of risk depends on the amount of dust that has collected in the person's lungs. There is little danger working with loose hay in an open field. However, the risk increases when farmers or farm workers are breaking open bales of moldy hay or straw inside closed barns or sheds.
A person can inhale an extremely large amount of dust within a very short time while working indoors. Other people exposed to dust from moldy hay, straw or grain include grain handlers, stable employees, poultry workers, attendants of zoo and circus animals and pet shop workers. Studies also show that Farmer's Lung is a risk for city dwellers who visit stables, even occasionally. The signs and symptoms of Farmer's Lung vary tremendously. The allergic response of the afflicted person depends on the sensitivity of the individual and the amount of moldy dust entering the lungs.
For example:. Severe trouble breathing means:. Moderate trouble breathing means:. Mild trouble breathing means:. Disc batteries are small, round batteries used in toys, cameras, watches, and other devices. Because of the chemicals they can release, they can cause serious problems if they are swallowed or get stuck in an ear or the nose.
Small magnets used in household items and objects that contain lead such as bullets, buckshot, fishing weights and sinkers, and some toys also can cause problems if swallowed. Based on your answers, you may need care soon. The problem probably will not get better without medical care. Based on your answers, you need emergency care. Call or other emergency services now. Sometimes people don't want to call They may think that their symptoms aren't serious or that they can just get someone else to drive them.
But based on your answers, the safest and quickest way for you to get the care you need is to call for medical transport to the hospital. Based on your answers, you may need care right away. The problem is likely to get worse without medical care. The following home treatment may help relieve discomfort after you swallow an object into your digestive tract.
Do not use syrup of ipecac. It is no longer used to treat poisonings. If you have syrup of ipecac in your home, call your pharmacist for instructions on how to dispose of it and throw away the container. Do not store anything else in the container. Call your doctor if any of the following occur during home treatment:. To prevent children younger than 4 years from swallowing or inhaling objects:.
For more information about how to prevent accidental poisoning, see the topic Poisoning. Keep the poison control centre number for your area readily available. Practice the following suggestions when eating, and teach them to your children.
Children may copy your behaviour. To be prepared for a choking emergency, take an approved first aid course such as those that are sponsored by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross. To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.
You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions:. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor.
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Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. Topic Overview When you swallow food, liquid, or an object, what is swallowed passes from your mouth through your throat and esophagus into your stomach. The situation may be more serious when: Signs of choking complete airway obstruction are present.
When the windpipe is blocked, air cannot move in and out of the lungs and the person cannot talk, cry, breathe, or cough and may turn blue or purple in the face. A blocked windpipe is a life-threatening emergency. The choking rescue procedure Heimlich manoeuvre is used to clear an obstruction in adults and children older than 1 year.
Rescue back blows and chest thrusts are used in babies younger than 1 year. Signs of a partially blocked windpipe are present. When the windpipe is partially blocked, some air can still move in and out of the lungs. The person may gag, cough, or have trouble breathing. Coughing will often pop out the food or object and relieve the symptoms. The choking rescue procedure is not recommended when the windpipe is partially blocked.
An object is stuck in the esophagus. A poisonous object has been swallowed, such as a wild mushroom, a plant, or a chemical. For more information, see the topic Poisoning. A button disc battery, magnet, or object with lead has been swallowed. A swallowed object doesn't show up in the stool within 7 days. These include: Sharp objects, such as open safety pins, bones, toothpicks, needles, razor blades, or broken glass.
Long objects. Large objects that may get stuck in the digestive tract and require removal. Check Your Symptoms Have you swallowed or inhaled an object? How old are you? Less than 12 years. Are you male or female? Why do we ask this question? The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have. If you are transgender or non-binary, choose the sex that matches the body parts such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina you now have in the area where you are having symptoms.
If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice once as "male" and once as "female". This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you. Have you swallowed or inhaled something that might be poisonous? Did you pass out completely lose consciousness?
If you are answering for someone else: Is the person unconscious now? Are you back to your normal level of alertness? After passing out, it's normal to feel a little confused, weak, or light-headed when you first wake up or come to. But unless something else is wrong, these symptoms should pass pretty quickly and you should soon feel about as awake and alert as you normally do. Did the loss of consciousness occur during the past 24 hours? Are you having trouble breathing more than a stuffy nose?
Would you describe the breathing problem as severe, moderate, or mild? The symptoms in an adult or older child are different than the symptoms in a young child or baby. Have you swallowed a disc battery, a magnet, or an object that contains a lot of lead , such as certain toys or a fishing sinker? Have you swallowed an object that was sharp like a toothpick, pin, bone, or needle or long? Long means at least 5 cm 2 in.
Do you have pain in your throat, chest, or belly after swallowing or inhaling an object? How bad is the pain on a scale of 0 to 10, if 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain you can imagine?
Signs of pain in an adult or child are different than signs of pain in a baby or toddler. Have you had mild pain for more than an hour? Within the past 2 days, did an object get caught in your throat and cause you to choke? The problem probably will not get better without medical care. Based on your answers, you need emergency care. Call or other emergency services now. Sometimes people don't want to call They may think that their symptoms aren't serious or that they can just get someone else to drive them.
But based on your answers, the safest and quickest way for you to get the care you need is to call for medical transport to the hospital. Based on your answers, you may need care right away. The problem is likely to get worse without medical care. The following home treatment may help relieve discomfort after you swallow an object into your digestive tract.
Do not use syrup of ipecac. It is no longer used to treat poisonings. If you have syrup of ipecac in your home, call your pharmacist for instructions on how to dispose of it and throw away the container. Do not store anything else in the container.
Call your doctor if any of the following occur during home treatment:. To prevent children younger than 4 years from swallowing or inhaling objects:. For more information about how to prevent accidental poisoning, see the topic Poisoning. Keep the poison control centre number for your area readily available.
Practice the following suggestions when eating, and teach them to your children. Children may copy your behaviour. To be prepared for a choking emergency, take an approved first aid course such as those that are sponsored by the American Heart Association or the American Red Cross.
To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment. You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions:. Blahd Jr. Author: Healthwise Staff. Medical Review: William H. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated, disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use.
Learn how we develop our content. To learn more about Healthwise, visit Healthwise. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. It looks like your browser does not have JavaScript enabled. Please turn on JavaScript and try again. Important Phone Numbers. Topic Overview When you swallow food, liquid, or an object, what is swallowed passes from your mouth through your throat and esophagus into your stomach.
The situation may be more serious when: Signs of choking complete airway obstruction are present. When the windpipe is blocked, air cannot move in and out of the lungs and the person cannot talk, cry, breathe, or cough. A blocked windpipe is a life-threatening emergency. The choking rescue procedure Heimlich manoeuvre is used to clear an obstruction in adults and children older than 1 year. Rescue back blows and chest thrusts are used in babies younger than 1 year. Signs of a partially blocked windpipe are present.
When the windpipe is partially blocked, some air can still move in and out of the lungs. The person may gag, cough, or have trouble breathing. Coughing will often pop out the food or object and relieve the symptoms. The choking rescue procedure is not recommended when the windpipe is partially blocked. An object is stuck in the esophagus. A poisonous object has been swallowed, such as a wild mushroom, a plant, or a chemical.
For more information, see the topic Poisoning. A button disc battery, magnet, or object with lead has been swallowed. A swallowed object doesn't show up in the stool within 7 days. These include: Sharp objects, such as open safety pins, bones, toothpicks, needles, razor blades, or broken thermometers. Long objects. Large objects that may get stuck in the digestive tract and require removal.
Check Your Symptoms Have you swallowed or inhaled an object? How old are you? Less than 12 years. Are you male or female? Why do we ask this question? The medical assessment of symptoms is based on the body parts you have.
If you are transgender or non-binary, choose the sex that matches the body parts such as ovaries, testes, prostate, breasts, penis, or vagina you now have in the area where you are having symptoms. If you have some organs of both sexes, you may need to go through this triage tool twice once as "male" and once as "female".
This will make sure that the tool asks the right questions for you. Have you swallowed or inhaled something that might be poisonous? Did you pass out completely lose consciousness? If you are answering for someone else: Is the person unconscious now? Are you back to your normal level of alertness? After passing out, it's normal to feel a little confused, weak, or light-headed when you first wake up or come to. But unless something else is wrong, these symptoms should pass pretty quickly and you should soon feel about as awake and alert as you normally do.
Did the loss of consciousness occur during the past 24 hours? Are you having trouble breathing more than a stuffy nose? Would you describe the breathing problem as severe, moderate, or mild? The symptoms in an adult or older child are different than the symptoms in a young child or baby. Have you swallowed a disc battery, a magnet, or an object that contains a lot of lead , such as certain toys or a fishing sinker?
Have you swallowed an object that was sharp like a toothpick, pin, bone, or needle or long? Long means at least 5 cm 2 in. Do you have pain in your throat, chest, or belly after swallowing or inhaling an object? How bad is the pain on a scale of 0 to 10, if 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst pain you can imagine?
Signs of pain in an adult or child are different than signs of pain in a baby or toddler. Have you had mild pain for more than an hour? Within the past 2 days, did an object get caught in your throat and cause you to choke?
Are you coughing or wheezing? Are you coughing up blood? This means blood that is coming up from your chest or throat. Blood that is draining down from your nose into your throat because of a nosebleed, for example is not the same thing. Were back blows or the Heimlich manoeuvre used to dislodge the food or object from the throat?
Are you gagging or having trouble swallowing?
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