I Have Been Having Shortness Of Breath And Wheezing For

Posted on Tue, 14 Jan 2020

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 14 Jan 2020 Answered on

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Question : I have been having shortness of breath and wheezing for the last few weeks. My husband and I cleaned out the horse barn and I think we breathed in moldy hay dust. My husband became very congested and went o the doctor. He got steroids,antibiotics, and had to take breathing treatments for two weeks. I didn’t think I breathed in enough to hurt my lungs but the shortness of breath started after that. I went to the doctor and he scheduled a breathing test for tomorrow. Neither my husband nor I thought about the hay when we saw the doctor and didn’t tell him about it. We thought of it later. Could breathing in moldy hay dust cause the shortness of breath I am experiencing? How long does it take for this to clear up? I am using an inhaler of Spireva. It helps some but doesn’t stop the wheezing.

Answered by Dr. Drkaushal85 (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
Yes, moldy hay dust inhalation can cause bronchitis.

Detailed Answer:
Thanks for your question on Ask a doctor forum.
I can understand your concern.
Yes, inhalation of moldy hay dust can cause breathing difficulty, wheezing.
Actually inhalation of moldy hay dust cause bronchitis. Bronchitis in turn causes bronchospasm and all the symptoms.
So bronchodilators and anti inflammatory drugs are given in treatment.
This is usually recovering in 1-2 months. Avoid any further exposure to the allergen.
PFT (Pulmonary Function Test) is must for the diagnosis of bronchitis. It not only diagnose bronchitis but also tell about severity of the disease.
And treatment is based on severity.
So get done PFT.
Hope I have solved your query. I will be happy to help you further. Wish you good health. Thanks.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj