Updated November 21st, 2019 at 20:15 IST
Man diagnosed with 'Feather Duvet lung' after new bedding caused him to fall extremely ill
A man diagnosed with 'Feather Duvet lung' after he became severely ill; doctors finally identified the cause as repeated dust inhalation from duck feathers
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Martin Taylor, 43 was diagnosed with 'Feather Duvet Lung' after experiencing months of fatigue and breathlessness. Doctors believe Taylor developed an acute allergy to the dust from feathers in his pillow or duvet. Taylor had recently switched from a synthetic duvet to a feather one.
Feather Duvet the cause
Martin Taylor, 43, who was diagnosed with 'feather duvet lung' has claimed that before being diagnosed his symptoms worsened to the point where he was unable to stand or walk for even a few minutes without fearing that he might pass out. The medics at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary where Taylor is being treated said that he was barely able to do anything more than sleep all day and night. According to Taylor, going up the stairs had become a 30-minute activity for him as he could only manage one or two stairs before he needed to sit and rest. Doctors said that Taylor suffered from a condition in which his lungs became severely inflamed as a result of the body’s immune response to something that he had breathed in.
Read: Aspirin May Reduce Harms Of Air Pollution On Lungs: Study
While medical professionals are trained to see if patients have pets, in this case, the doctors were able to rule out the fact that Taylor's pet dog and cat as a possible reason for his illness. Taylor had thought that a small bit of mould in his bathroom could be what was affecting him but doctors quickly dismissed the mould as a potential cause, as well.
Blood tests conducted on Taylor identified antibodies to bird feather dust and his chest x-ray was consistent with hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP).
Full recovery
Taylor also told the Doctors that he had recently swapped a synthetic duvet and pillows for feather-filled bedding. The 43-year-old was diagnosed with feather duvet lung which is a type of HP caused by breathing in dust from duck or goose feathers which are present in duvets and pillows. Doctors said that repeated exposure could cause permanent damage to the lungs. But thankfully Taylor's symptoms began to clear after two days and he returned to full health within a year.
The rarity of Taylor's condition is not known.
Read: Healthy Lungs: Know How To Protect Yourself From Air Pollution
Read: Shocking! Man Donates Organs, Hospital Rejects Unhealthy 'black' Lungs
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Published November 21st, 2019 at 17:25 IST
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