Causes And Risk Factors Of Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis

Farmer's Lung

An allergy most commonly found in individuals who have an occupation in the agriculture industry is called farmer's lung. The antigen itself can be moldy grains, moldy hay, or moldy straw. The reason why individuals are exposed to these moldy materials is due to the improper drying mechanism of where the grains, straw, and hay are stored. This results in the growth of a mold colony in the material, and when the bales are separated for use, the extremely fine dust particles that shoot into the air have mold in them. Those tiny particles are so small that they can get all the way into the inner components of the lungs like the alveoli. When the body has a hyperactive reaction to such exposure, farmer's lung turns into full blown hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Each exposure to the same antigen following the initial exposure causes compounding of the severity of the allergy to it. Eventually, excessive scar tissue will develop throughout the lungs, causing permanent and irreversible damage.

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