Man’s severe cough is first sign of horror fungal lung infection from sniffing his own smelly socks
A MAN’S peculiar habit of sniffing his dirty socks after wearing them landed him in hospital, as he developed a fungal lung infection.
The first sign of the nasty lung condition was a severe cough he just couldn’t seem to budge.
The man, from Chongqing in southwestern China, who was given the pseudonym of Li Qi in local media reports, was racked by coughing fits so bad, they kept him up at night.
He bought himself cough syrup, but to no avail.
His hacking continued and he developed blood shot eyes.
Eventually, the man visited the Southwest Hospital of the Army Medical University.
He underwent CT and MRI scans, which showed signs of inflammation and infection in the lower part of his right lung.
Liang Peiqiang, chief physician of the Department of Respiratory Medicine at the Southwest Hospital of the Army Medical University, told the People’s Daily Health Client: “The results of subsequent bronchoscopy showed that Li Qi was suffering from a fungal lung disease caused by aspergillus infection.”
Breathing in tiny spores of aspergillus mould can cause an infection called aspergillosis, which tends to affect the lungs and cause breathing difficulties.
The mould tends to grow in moist environments such as soil, compost and rotting leaves, as well as plants and trees.
But it can also crop up in dust, damp buildings, bedding and air conditioning systems.
Medics interviewed the patient and it emerged he had a habit of smelling his funky socks after taking them off at the end of the day.
“After hearing what he said, we realised that this habit of Li Qi might be the culprit that caused his lung inflammation,” Dr Penang said.
The team tested his socks and found that aspergillus spores had indeed spread through them.
Luo Hu, deputy director of the hospital explained that the socks had been the perfect breeding ground for the fungus.
“Worn socks mainly contain sweat, salt, urea, etc.
“Wearing shoes for a long time forms a closed, humid, and warm space, which is easy to breed fungi.
“If you smell or absorb fungus-filled socks, the fungi may enter the lower respiratory tract through the mouth and nose.
“If the body’s immune function is low, it may cause diseases such as fungal pneumonia.”
The man was given anti-fungal meds and has since been discharged from hospital.
Symptoms of aspergillosis
Symptoms of aspergillosis include:
- Shortness of breath
- A cough – you may cough up blood or lumps of mucus
- Wheezing
- A high temperature
- Losing weight without trying
- Feeling tired
If you already have a lung condition, your symptoms may get worse.
You should see a GP if:
- You have a cough for more than 3 weeks
- You have a lung condition that’s getting worse or harder to control with your usual treatment
- You have a weakened immune system and symptoms of aspergillosis
Source: NHS
We’re always breathing in microscopic fungi spores, which can multiply and spread inside our lungs.
This rarely causes disease in healthy people as our immune system usually gets rid of them.
But people with asthma may get irritation and inflammation of their airways.
Meanwhile, the fungi might directly infect the lungs of people with weakened immune systems