Serious lung disease easily mistaken for a summer cold (1)

She was 56 years old. It started with small cough. She went to see a doctor and was diagnosed as a summer cold. But one month later, it changed to heavy and strong cough. Also she started to feel difficulty of breathing and shortness of breath so that it became difficult to climb up stairs. Her husband and son started coughing as well. But their condition started getting better soon, but her condition got worse. There were differences about the condition among family members.

​Then she went to a respiratory specialist and was diagnosed as Summer-type Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis, which is a type of pneumonitis that occurs as an allergic reaction caused by breathing in a substance of 1/300 mm increasing in summer. If the inflammation is repeated and it becomes chronic pneumonitis, the cells in lungs are gradually destroyed, resulting in disabling you for taking in oxygen. In the worst case, respiratory failure leads to death. Even if death is avoided, the destroyed cells in lungs won’t be recovered so you will possibly need ventilator throughout your life.
 
The substance causing Summer-type Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis is something possible to appear in all houses in the coming season. That is Trichosporon which is a type of molds, and likes dampness and increases somewhere woods are used. In the case of the above woman, the floor of the bathroom rotted because a water pipe under the floor was leaking. Since the color of trichosporon is white or yellow so it is not noticeable, it increases at places where water is used such as a bathroom or a kitchen and also increases in a bed absorbing sweat.
 
In the case of the above family, all three of them had Summer-type Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis.  Her husband and son had mild symptoms because they went out for work and were not at home for a long time, but she had severe symptoms because she stayed home for a long time. After the renovation of the bathroom, her condition was improved.