Why feeding pigeons poses a big risk to your lungs

Can the supposedly harmless pigeons resting on your terrace or window ledge cause breathlessness? Yes, say doctors. The fungus present in bird droppings can lead to ailments such as Bird Fancier’s Lung, a form of hypersensitivity pneumonitis. Sometimes, the damage can be extreme and irreversible. “Bird Fancier’s Lung may even lead to the need for a lung transplant. Two such transplants were recently done in Mumbai,” says Dr Ashish Rohatgi, a leading pulmonologist in Delhi.

Medical experts say that while several cases of respiratory ailments may be a result of the aftereffects of Covid-19, the spread of pigeon colonies in cities is another factor causing lung issues—from breathlessness to severe fibrosis. “Whether for sport or religious reasons, there has been a tradition of breeding and feeding pigeons in India. Go to Old Delhi and you will see families with pigeons on their terraces. People put feed on their window ledges and the pigeons arrive, eat and leave their droppings. When these accumulate, they cause trouble,” says Dr Rohatgi.

The droppings contain fungi like aspergillus, which can make those with compromised immunity or pre-existing diseases sick. “The fungus is airborne, and when inhaled can cause histoplasmosis, which can lead to interstitial lung disease and lung fibrosis,” he says. Histoplasmosis is an infection caused by breathing in spores of a fungus found in bird droppings.

Lung disease can cause scarring of the lungs, affecting a person’s ability to breathe and get enough oxygen into the bloodstream. Dr Rohatgi says Covid survivors can develop respiratory complaints even a year after recovery. Depending on the part of the respiratory tract affected, it could be tracheitis, pharyngitis, laryngitis or bronchitis. “Recurrent infections or ailments like the Bird Fancier’s Lung make people incapable of breathing properly. Their routine life gets impacted,” says Dr Rohatgi.

The most suitable way to prevent disease caused by bird droppings is to stop feeding and breeding birds. If that is not entirely possible, people should wash and clean their outdoors frequently to avoid accumulation of droppings.

Exercise, Dr Rohatgi says, is also important. “Swimming and cycling are the best because they can be done by people irrespective of their age,” he says. Otherwise, walking or any form of exercise is recommended. Breathing exercises drawn from yoga and pranayama should be practised regularly.

Warm water and concoctions were the norm during the pandemic but even as people leave those routines behind, Dr Rohatgi advises one to sip on warm water a few times a day and inhale steam. “It’s important to realise that breathlessness is subjective—grade 1 to grade 2 breathlessness is usually missed by patients, and it’s only when they are subjected to pulmonary function tests that their lung functions are found to be significantly deranged. The alarm signals are persistent cough, chest tightness and getting breathless after a couple of flights upstairs. Then it’s time to see a doctor,” says Dr Rohatgi.

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