As If Wind Instruments Weren't Gross Enough, You Can Catch Something Called 'Bagpipe Lung'

Lifetime players of woodwind, brass and other wind instruments already put up with their share of suffering for their art (whether in dealing with old reeds or uncleaned spit valves or any other part of the deal that involves lips, moisture, air and time) but now they have another, potentially fatal, pitfall to keep an eye out for: 'bagpipe lung'.

As The Guardian reports, 'bagpipe lung' — aka 'farmer's lung', 'hot tub lung' and, incredibly, 'bird fancier's lung' — is actually just a colloquial term for hypersensitivity pneumonitis, a disease that causes severe inflammation of the sufferer's lungs and brings with it gradually debilitating symptoms including shortness of breath, coughing fits and extreme limits on mobility.

The new name was suggested by doctors following a case study of the 2014 death of a 61-year-old British musician who is thought to have contracted the disease as a result of inhaling fungi that had apparently been living inside his bagpipes. It's believed to be the first fatal music-related example of the ailment.

According to The Guardian, doctors began to suspect the man's instrument of being a contributing factor after several common causes of hypersensitivity pneumonitis were ruled out, noting that a three-month visit to Australia back in 2011 — half a world away from the offending pipes and his daily habit of playing them — had seen an improvement in his condition before worsening upon his return to the UK.

North Manchester General Hospital's Dr Jenny King, who is the first author of the study, explained to the paper that, upon examining the bagpipes and discovering "mould and fungus that are known to be associated with hypersensitivity pneumonitis", the conclusion was drawn that the instrument was likely responsible for the late musician's illness and consequent death.

"[Musicians] need to be aware that there are risks that instruments can become colonised with mould and fungi and this can be related to serious and potentially fatal lung disease," King told The Guardian.

"Wind instrument hygiene is really important in preventing this and [musicians] should be stringent in cleaning their instruments regularly."