Recently, "A man developed a fever after sweeping a grave due to inhaling mold" became a hot search topic. Experts reminded:
If you are in a humid and moldy environment, be careful about inhaling mold.
In the past few days, "A man developed a fever after sweeping a grave due to inhaling mold" and "Beware of fungal pneumonia when inhaling dust while sweeping a grave" have been on the hot searches, arousing great concern among netizens. What is fungal pneumonia? How can mold grow in the lungs? Which groups of people should pay special attention to? How to prevent it? In this regard, Li Jianmin, director and chief physician of the Third Respiratory Ward (RICU) of Hunan Provincial People's Hospital, gave a detailed answer.
Inadvertently, they contracted fungal pneumonia
According to reports, Mr. Wang, a 60-year-old man from Ningbo, Zhejiang, was admitted to the hospital after sweeping his grave on March 30. The culprit was the impurities and dust he inhaled while sweeping his grave. It turned out that because the grave had not been cleaned for a year, a lot of dead branches and leaves, as well as large areas of weeds, had accumulated. Mr. Wang hunched over and climbed up to the grave to clean up the rotten plants on it. In the process, he inhaled a lot of impurities and dust that was raised, but he didn't take it to heart. After returning home, he had a dry cough and had trouble sleeping at night. Later, he found that he not only continued to cough, but also developed chest pain and fever, so he went to the hospital for treatment.
The treating doctor carefully examined the patient's condition and found from the CT scan that the patient's lungs looked like small tree buds growing out, which was very specific and suspected fungal pneumonia. The infection has affected his respiratory function and his blood oxygen saturation dropped to 90%. In order to diagnose the condition, the doctor performed a bronchoscopy on him, and sure enough, he found a large number of white plaques on the airway wall. A test showed that it was Aspergillus, which is a type of mold. After aerosol inhalation and antifungal treatment, the mold in the patient's body was gradually killed, the chest pain symptoms were relieved, and the blood oxygen saturation returned to normal.
Coincidentally, Hunan Provincial People's Hospital also received a patient with fungal pneumonia some time ago. Uncle Yao, 60, from Taoyuan County, Changde, has a long history of heavy smoking. He lives in a humid environment and has mold in many places. On this day, Uncle Yao developed cough and phlegm after sorting and washing moldy clothes in a poorly ventilated and humid room. He didn't pay attention at the time. Unexpectedly, a week later, Uncle Yao's symptoms of coughing and sputum gradually worsened, and he developed fever, difficulty breathing and other symptoms, so he went to the local hospital for treatment. However, after being transferred to many hospitals, his condition was not well controlled and instead gradually worsened. In order to seek further treatment, he was transferred to the Respiratory Ward Three (RICU) of Hunan Provincial People's Hospital.
"After the patient was admitted to the hospital, we organized a discussion of difficult cases. After careful medical history and analysis of the condition, and through etiological examination of the alveolar lavage fluid, Aspergillus fumigatus (a type of fungus) and pneumonia were found in his lungs. Mixed infection with pathogens such as Streptococcus (common bacteria in community-acquired pneumonia)." Li Jianmin introduced that Uncle Yao had repeated inflammation of the bronchial mucosa due to long-term heavy smoking, leading to a decline in immune function, and he also sorted moldy clothes in a space with poor ventilation and a humid environment. , inhaling air containing mold, leading to the occurrence of fungal pneumonia. Through active anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, prone positioning and other comprehensive treatments, Uncle Yao was able to turn his life around.
Okay, how can mold grow into the lungs?
"Mold is a special type of fungus that can cause mildew reactions. It is common in daily life. When it enters the human body, it may cause chronic poisoning, carcinogenesis, teratogenesis, mutagenesis, aspiration pneumonia, etc." Li Jianmin said. Mold can cause infection in the human body. For example, Mr. Wang and Uncle Yao caused lung infection by inhaling dust and air containing mold. Mold can grow in food, pollen, soil, plants, homes and other environments. When the human immune system is attacked or weak, mold may enter the lungs and cause fungal pneumonia.
Typical symptoms of fungal pneumonia mainly include persistent cough, sputum production, fever, chest pain and difficulty breathing. These symptoms may initially resemble those of a common cold or flu, so they can easily be ignored. It is important to be alert for persistence and worsening of symptoms.
Mold entering the human body may also cause infections in the mouth, skin, urinary system, gastrointestinal tract, etc., and even cause systemic infections. For people with allergies, inhaling mold into the body can cause allergic reactions.
In addition to fungal pneumonia caused by fungal infection, drug reactions, chemical substances and other reasons may also cause fungal pneumonia. For example, cancer patients who take immunosuppressants or chemotherapy drugs for a long time may cause an inflammatory reaction in the lungs due to the suppressive effect of the drugs on the immune system, which may lead to fungal pneumonia. Certain chemicals have the potential to cause lung damage, which can lead to lung infections. For example, people who are exposed to a large amount of dust, smoke, polluted air and other pollution sources can easily cause lung lesions, leading to fungal pneumonia.
In addition to the above reasons, there are other reasons, such as immunodeficiency diseases, allergic reactions, organ transplantation, etc. Different causes may cause different symptoms and severity, and treatment and prevention should be actively carried out.
It’s best to wear a mask and gloves when cleaning
Mold loves moist, warm environments. Now, when the temperature is warming up, it is also the season for mold to breed. For example, cemeteries have not been cleaned all year round, and a large number of fallen leaves cover the soil. Warming temperatures have become a breeding ground for mold growth. Molds can easily breed in poorly ventilated and humid rooms, especially in corners, window sills, kitchen sinks, stoves, kitchen utensils, tableware, and glue. Mold can easily grow inside the refrigerator, inside the toilet, bathroom, washing machine, air conditioner, etc. Mold can also easily grow on books and carpets that have not been used for a long time.
"As for mold, most people with normal immunity are not susceptible to infection and disease. People with underlying diseases or low immunity, or people who live in humid environments such as bungalows and basements for a long time, or who work in farmland, cattle pens, pigs, etc. for a long time People who work in humid environments such as pens, or people who are often exposed to wild animals, poultry, and bird fur are more likely to get sick than ordinary people," Li Jianmin said.
Research shows that patients with hematological tumors, organ transplants, cancer chemotherapy, long-term use of immunosuppressants, long-term use of broad-spectrum antibiotics, patients in intensive care units, elderly patients, and patients with severe viral or bacterial infections are at high risk, and mold should be minimized. exposed. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen nutrition, exercise appropriately, and enhance immunity.
The elderly, young children, and people with underlying diseases or low immunity should stay away from dust as much as possible and have as little contact with moist and decaying soil as possible; rummaging through boxes and cabinets for cleaning, sorting out old clothes, handling items with a strong musty smell in daily life, or being outside When in dark and humid bungalows, basements and other places, wear masks and gloves, long clothes and long trousers to avoid direct inhalation of gases containing mold. "Even clothes and bedding that are not worn or unused should be exposed to the sun frequently, and do not store clothes in humid rooms to avoid the formation of mold." Li Jianmin reminded.
In addition, disinfectant water, such as 3% hydrogen peroxide, soda water, or a 1:1 mixture of water and white vinegar can be used for cleaning. Books, carpets, etc. can also be dried in the sun. When removing mold, be sure to wear a mask and Wear gloves to avoid aspiration.
Changsha Evening News all-media reporter Yang Yunlong, correspondent Wu Jing, Zeng Juanli, Xie Yanzhi