A cause – and thus a possible treatment – cannot be found quickly for every condition. A 43-year-old Scotsman also had to find out how long the search for possible triggers can drag on: The non-smoker had suffered from shortness of breath for months, was constantly tired and generally did not feel well. The doctors first suspected that the respiratory tract was inflamed, and the patient was better off in the short term thanks to appropriate treatment. But then the condition of the Scots suddenly deteriorated again, he had to be on sick leave for two weeks.
The riddle was in bed
The blood picture, chest X-rays and examinations of the kidneys and liver of the man remained unremarkable, as the doctors reported in the specialist magazine "BMJ Case Reports". Finally, a doctor asked the patient more closely about his living and living conditions – and found the solution to the riddle in his bed. The Scotsman had bought a new duvet and a down pillow the previous year – and his symptoms came from a rare lung disorder called hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
Rare case of a "feather bed lung"
Due to the disease, the patient is allergic to spores from mold and bacteria. In this particular case, dust from the goose or duck feathers in the patient's bedding triggered the symptoms. The doctors in this case therefore called the lung disease "feather duvet lung", in which the alveoli became inflamed. It is rare that the down filling of the bedding triggers such severe allergic reactions, but the doctors warn against taking the disease lightly: at worst, it can lead to incurable scarring of the lung tissue, a so-called lung fibrosis.
Dr. Owen Dempsey, who treated the Scots with, told the Guardian: "I believe there are many more cases that we doctors are not aware of and because we are not aware of them, they are ignored." It is therefore important that, in the future, medical professionals not only classify possible complaints about possible respiratory complaints, but also ask about the contents of the bedding.
Bye bye down!
And the Scotsman? He felt better quickly after banning the feather filling from his bedding. After a month, the symptoms had largely subsided without him taking any medication. After half a year he was completely healthy.
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