I had written sometime back on how laziness can affect our health, with emphasis on why we need to clean up our living quarters often as the dust that builds up along with other molds, fungi and bacteria can have an impact on our health when we inhale them. http://yourhealthattitude.com/laziness-and-your-health/

Apparently, its is also important we take care of old unused stuff to prevent a trigger some likely and even unlikely illnesses, like the bagpipe lung disease making news at the moment. Bagpipe lungs now refers to a rare but fatal condition that has led to the death of a 61 year old man.

“The deceased man is thought to have developed a bad reaction to mold and fungi lurking inside the moist interior of his bagpipes.”

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-37152871

The pathogens he inhaled from his bagpipes triggered an inflammation , the bag pipes had been left for a while and were infested with damp-loving mold and fungi which doctors have identified as causing problems, ultimately leading to the man’s death.

WHAT ARE BAGPIPES?


“Bagpipes are musical instruments which are most commonly associated with the British Isles, although they are played in other places as well. The distinctive brassy sound of a set of Great Highland Bagpipes can often be heard in Scottish heritage celebrations and parades. Playing the bagpipes well does require training and skill, or the sounds produced can be quite unpleasant when the player does not know what he or she is doing. Several companies manufacture bagpipes for sale in the United Kingdom and abroad. The bag can be made from natural or synthetic materials, but it must be airtight. The player breathes into a blowpipe to supply air to the bags. Most modern blowpipes have a one way valve to prevent air from escaping. Air flows out of the bag and through the drones and chanter to create music.”

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-are-bagpipes.htm



OTHERS AT RISK OF BAGPIPE LUNGS.

This condition might have been silently causing health challenges to other persons without them being aware of the source, it might have also led to a number of deaths, but this news brings it to the fore. Musicians who play other wind instruments are particularly being warned by doctors in the light of this news to take care of their instruments, before and after use through proper sanitizing of the said instruments. For they could be constantly breathing in this harmful pathogens which can prove fatal.

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