Jeff Burbrink
Most folks picture farm life as clean country air and wide-open spaces, the kind of place where lungs should thrive. But the truth is, farming can be tough on your breathing. From dusty grain bins and silage gases, and the dust at harvest time, there’s no shortage of things in the air that damage your lungs. We are only given one set of lungs. It’s best to protect them.
Last week, driving home from training at Purdue, I could see plumes of dust rising from fields that were miles away. The dry weather has created dusty harvest conditions, and I worry some of my farmer friends might get sick. Thankfully, modern combines have cabin filters than can remove much of the dust in the cab. But those filters are only good for a while, so frequently changing them out is wise.
Farmer’s Lung is one of the better-known respiratory diseases in agriculture. It’s caused by breathing in mold spores from hay or silage. The spores are incredibly small, you could fit about 250,000 of them on the head of a pin, so it doesn’t take long to inhale millions.
Symptoms usually show up four to six hours after exposure. Farmers often describe it as feeling like they’re coming down with the flu: shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, fatigue, chills, fever, and an unproductive cough. The worst of it can last a couple of days, but the fatigue sometimes lingers for weeks. A mild, one-time exposure might pass without long-term effects, but repeated bouts can cause lasting damage.
If you think you might have Farmer’s Lung, don’t brush it off. Call your doctor and make sure they understand the kind of work you do. Many health professionals aren’t familiar with ag-related illnesses, so it helps to mention your exposure to hay, grain, or silage dust.
Organic Dust Toxicity Syndrome (ODTS) is another condition shows up in people working around heavy clouds of dust, whether in a combine, silo, grain bin, or livestock barn. Other names for it include “grain fever” or “toxic alveolitis.” Symptoms hit within a few hours: fever, chills, cough, fatigue, muscle aches, and loss of appetite.
Sound familiar? It’s easy to mistake for the flu or pneumonia.
ODTS and Farmer’s Lung share many symptoms, but they work a bit differently. ODTS doesn’t cause an allergic reaction, it’s the sheer volume of dust and toxins irritating the lungs. Still, the result is the same: a miserable couple of days and the potential for long-term damage if you keep breathing that air.
The best prevention is similar: wear a respirator, keep your work area well ventilated, and avoid unnecessary dust exposure when cleaning or unloading.
I know respirators aren’t anyone’s favorite piece of equipment. They can be hot, awkward, and easy to ignore. A properly fitted N95 or N100 mask or respirator in dusty conditions can save your lungs, and your life. Once you get in the habit, slipping one on becomes as automatic as putting on gloves or boots.
Good lungs are hard to come by, and you only get one pair. Take care of them.
Jeff Burbrink is the agriculture and natural resources extension educator for LaGrange County Purdue Extension. Contact him at 499-6334 or jburbrink@purdue.edu.Contact him at 499-6334 or jburbrink@purdue.edu.
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