Can a dirty bird cage cause lung damage to humans?

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A few weeks ago I visited my sister. She lives 1000 miles away. When I went into her house, the smell was horrible. Aside from the fact that the whole house was just filthy, she had a bird whose cage hadn't been cleaned in who knows how long. I had no where else to go (lack of money) and had to stay there that night. Left as soon as I woke and didn't/won't return. Since then, my asthma has been out of control. Can the smell (dirty bird cage) cause permanent damage to my lungs?
did you clean the bird cage? it is possible to get some unusual (and rare) infections from bird feces (psittacosis, histoplasma, cryptococcus), but only if you came into contact and inhaled the poop. Otherwise, it was probably just all the dust and general filth in your sister's house that flared up your asthma.

sorry your sister's such a slob! hope this helps :)  (+ info)

How can a bird lung be heterogenous? Isnt that term just used for mixtures?

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Isnt the term homogenous and heterogenous just used for chemical mixtures? Is the sentence "an avian lung is heterogenous" correct? bc i have to present of the avian lung in class and the website i got my info from said the avian lung was heterogenous, and had many different parts. plz get bk to me asap.
Heterogeneous just means that the object has many variations or different forms.
And yes, bird lungs both vary wildly between species and have many different parts.
The author above seems to be including the definition of the word in their sentence.  (+ info)

Bird Fancier's Lungs and Hives (Urticaria)?

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Hello. I have developed a severe case of Hives after my wife recently moved in. It's been going on for about a month now and is accompanied by a sore throat, chills, swollen throat and sometimes a tight chest. We talked about it and it seems possible that it's her Green Cheek Conure parrot. I've lived with him before, but he's a tiny little guy. Anyway, is this just a skin allergy, or could it be Bird Fancier's Lung?
I doubt that it's simply a skin allergy. Your description of accompanying symptoms sound like angioedema, which can be very dangerous if it affects your airways (and ability to breathe)! Get in to see a doctor ASAP to get trials of medications and try to stop the condition from continuing.

http://www.chronichives.com

They are a fantastic source of information to those starting their quest, suppport, and understanding. I highly recommend them! I have had 2 bouts of chronic urticaria- first idiopathic, now DPU, cold induced, and angioedema. I am allergic to dust, pollen, cats and dogs (actually their saliva on the dander). You may be allergic to bird saliva (on it's feathers, which go everywhere!) or fumes from it's feces, who knows? It is a long road discovering what the problem is, and how to avoid it.

Best of luck to you!  (+ info)

Chronic Interstitial lung disease ( Bird Fanciers lung ) WHAT ARE REVERSIBLE IN THAT INFECTION?

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Multiple cystic lesions of air attenuation distributed throughout the lungs causing architectural distortion, predominantly in the apical segments and in the periphery.
Random diffuse areas of ground glass opacification noted (alveolitis) . Mild diffuse increase in attenuation of lung parenchyma.
Multiple diffuse areas of traction bronchiectasis and bronchial wall thickening noted.
Areas of pleural thickening noted, the major fissures appear thickened , Apical pleural thickening with fibrotic strands are seen.
Multiple subpleural areas of honey combing with interstial thickening predominantly in the basal segments.
Enlarged pulmonary artery (transverse diameter of main branch of ~39mm) Rest of the great vessel appear normal.

now i am in Steroid treatment and in 24 hr oxygen supply. My pulmonary artery comes to normal,My health condition improves well to the therapy and my Spo2 level without O2 is 94 but while on excretion it drops to 75 and slowly comes to 85 then to 88 and after 5 minutes it comes above 90.And my question is WHAT ARE REVERSIBLE IN THAT INFECTION ,How long i am in o2 therapy,i am afraid if it takes as life long therapy and How long it takes to come above 90 % as standard while at excretion and also in rest .Is i am going to die soon? my age 25 and i m a non smoker.
Consult a good pulmonologist.He will guide you in the management of your disease.  (+ info)

What causes lung damage, apart from smoking or predispositions to hereditary conditions?

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I'm aware of this... mining work/absetos/working with birds is bad for people with lung conditions. Anything else? Pneumonia can also cause lung damage if not treated with antibiotics.
Anything else?
Thanks.
No, not a hypochondriac, smile, this week i'm researching the human body, so asking related questions. you'll notice my theme of questions change from week to week. Simply check my profile and you'll see what i'm asking .
cheers.
Thanks, Puntochic, I'll check that website.
The inside of a lung is a very delicate structure; almost anything that gets in there can destroy its ability to operate, and most of the things that can be inhaled, will also damage the tissues.

The inner surfaces of the lung's air spaces ('alveoli') are wet, so moisture in the air won't harm them. Even breathing in water (eg while drowning) won't cause damage to the lung. But water usually has other things suspended or dissolved in it. So if sea water is inhaled, this can cause very severe problems even after a rescue has been successfully performed. 'Fresh' water can cause similar problems, if it is polluted. It usually is; recovery from inhaling or swallowing river water from any of the UK's major rivers (the ones that pass through cities) will require hospital supervision.

'Choking on vomit' is often mentioned as a cause of death, especially associated with the deaths of heavy drug users, but it's not particularly accurate. Even if somebody is drugged heavily enough to impair their movement, vomit is usually too liquid to block their airway. But because the liquid will contain a lot of stomach acid and digestive enzymes, it can cause massive damage to the delicate inner lung surface. Basically, it digests lung tissue in the same way that it would digest food.

Anything that can be carried around by the air ('aerosol materials') can also cause lung damage. The most common of these are produced by vehicle engines. Carbon Monoxide interferes with the circulation of oxygen by destroying the blood's ability to transport it, rather than by damaging the lungs. But other pollutants produced by 'internal combustion' engines (such as ozone, nitric and nitrous oxides, and sooty 'particulate exhaust' from diesel & biofuel engines) will react with the lining of the lung, and damage it.

A very prominent source of air pollution is smoking. this introduces a lot of different chemicals into the lung (intentionally, because this is how the beneficial-feeling nicotine is obtained from the tobacco), and many of these damage the lung in a range of different ways.  (+ info)

How can I increase my lung capacity?

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I am on my school's track team, and I also play trumpet in band. If I could increase my lung capacity, I could hit two birds with one stone. What should I do in each situation to shorten the process?
I already know how to breathe with my diaphragm.
Increasing lung capacity occurs through diligent and sustained practice, just like improvement in any skill. Of course, lung capacity decreases with age, and the decline usually begins in the late twenties or early thirties, although some athletes maintain peak lung capacity even in their late thirties or even forties. We will soon see how Lance Armstrong fares in the Tour de France. The seven-time winner is attempting a comeback at age thirty-seven.

Any aerobic activity will improve lung capacity. This includes team sports like soccer and basketball, and individual sports like running and cycling. If you breathe hard during the activity, it is most likely aerobic. An example of a breathing-hard activity that is not aerobic-sprinting. This is considered anaerobic; you use more oxygen than you can take in during the process.

One exercise you can do anywhere to improve lung capacity is to simply focus on your breath, taking long, deep breaths and holding them, then exhaling very slowly. Most of us don't pay attention to our breathing, and our breathing becomes shallow as the way of least resistance. Focus on bringing postive energy deeply into your lungs and expelling all the negative energy out. This will relax you too, and you can be increasing your lung capacity while watching television or before going to sleep.

Playing a wind instrument like a trumpet is an ideal way to increase your lung capacity. The most challenging trumpet gigs are playing in circuses, where wind instruments are a constant background. You may want to get some circus music to listen to, to try to play along with the band. This will test both your volume and endurance.

Choose a cardiovascular exercise you love, and stick with it. For me, it is long-distance unicyling, which is the middle ground between running and bicycling, representing the best of both. Unicycling is easier on your back and knees, yet provides the same kind of aerobic conditioning effect.

Resources for further research have been posted below.

All my best to you in your efforts to increase your lung capacity. Don't forget to try to minimize air pollution as well, to test your home for radon mold, etc. Don't take up cigarette smoking either.  (+ info)

Would a bird be bad for my asthma?

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Hi. I really want a bird and i am trying to convince my parents to get me one but they say no because i have an abscess in my lung which is like asthma. so would a parakeet make my asthma worse?
if you were to inhale dried bird poo dust, you could get an infection...  (+ info)

What do you think the lung tissue of a smoker looks like in comparison to a healthy lung tissue?

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What do you think the lung tissue of a smoker looks like in comparison to a healthy lung tissue?
Normal lungs are pink and inflate/collapse normally. It might feel like a soft sponge. In an early smoker without COPD, the lungs will develop a grayish-black discoloration due to tar and soot deposits. With continued smoking, the lung will begin to scar (fibrose), and the lung architecture will become distorted. The lung may take on a rice-krispies-like texture. In severe emphysema, long-term fibrosis may lead to large air pocket formation (bullae), which can expand over time.  (+ info)

What does my lung looks like after smoking for 6 months?

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I never smoke before but recently I have.
I smoked weed everyday for 6 months, totaling about an ounce of weed in 6 months. So does my lung look black like a heavy smoker's lung, will I get lung cancer? If I quit now would my lung goes back to the normal color if it already is black like a smoker's lung?
Your lungs are not black, get that out of your head. Something like that takes years and years of smoking. Your lungs are most likely fine. You will regain something like 10% of your lung capacity back every month when you quit because the "tissue" in your lungs will regenerate.  (+ info)

Can a local tumor in the lung spread to develop bone metases without affecting the rest of the lungs?

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My father has been diagnosed with non-small carcinoma in the right lung. The doctors also found a lesion in the back bone L4 which is reported as neoplastic. A biopsy on the lung tumor was performed and confirme malignancy. On that basis they are presuming that the bone lesion is also a malignant cancer tumor. However, what seems to be strange is that the CT scan results for the rest of the right lung, the left lung, abdomin, intestines, bladder, prostate, pancreas are totally clear. His oncology blood markers are also clear. The bone scan apart from the suspected lesion at L4 is totally clean, and his blood test results are acceptable. His general health conditions are good. He was on a diet, stopped it and gained 3KGS within a span of 10 days. He simply does not show any of the symptoms of a stage IV cancer patient. The doctors said they cannot operate because of the bone lesion. Had it been only in the lungs they would. We are concerned that they might be making the wrong connection
definitely get a second or third opinion.. this is too important!  (+ info)

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