Diagnosis of Farmer's Lung

How Is Farmer’s Lung Diagnosed?

Diagnosing Farmer’s Lung can sometimes be challenging due to the similarities with cold and flu-like symptoms, however there is a range of methods that might be used to identify the condition.

Questions

Some of the first questions your doctor will ask you will be about your family history, your work history and your lifestyle. If you come from a farming background, if you work, or have worked in agriculture or live in an agricultural area, these facts could be important in your diagnosis.

Lung and breathing tests

Your doctor is likely to arrange or perform a series of tests on your lungs including:

• A Chest X-ray – where small amounts of radiation are used to produce images of the lungs so that any inflammation or issues can be identified
• Computerised Tomography (CT) Scan – computerised tomography combines many X-ray images taken from different angles to create detailed cross-sectional images of the lungs, enabling the doctor to see far more details within the lungs themselves.

These tests will enable the doctor to see if there is any visible damage within the lungs.

Further tests will be used to establish how well the lungs are working, these could include:

• Spirometry – measuring the amount of air that is inhaled and exhaled within a set period of time
• Bronchoscopy – inserting a flexible tube fitted with a camera down the throat and into the lungs to take pictures and samples of the lung tissue
• Surgical Lung Biopsy – if a doctor needs more samples from within the lung than can be taken during a bronchoscopy then a surgical procedure to obtain these samples may be necessary.

Blood tests

As well as testing the lungs, your doctor is likely to take some blood tests to establish if there are the certain antigens present within the blood that can trigger the allergic reactions. In addition to this they will be looking for antibodies that the body could have produced to help fight the allergen – these tests can help to establish if you have been exposed to specific types of dusts, and hence aid in diagnosing the condition as an industrial disease.

The clearest presentation of Farmer’s Lung comes as a result of inhaling Actinomyces and Aspergillus species; both of which are bacteria that can be found in the lungs of those affected by the condition.

If it can be proved that the condition has been brought on due to exposure to certain dusts within the workplace then it is likely that you will be able to make a claim for compensation.

Contact us today for free, no obligation advice regarding your Farmer’s Lung claim – either by calling us free on 0800 122 3130, or by requesting a free call back, whereby one of our team will contact you at a time of your choosing to discuss your situation. When you contact us you are under no obligation to continue with the case unless you wish to do so.

We’re here to help – contact us today.