Gross: Musical Instruments That Can Infect You with Fungus
Ever hear of “saxophone lung?” Me, neither. But it’s a very serious lung malady that can cause years of distress.
It’s caused by a fungus that can grow inside reed instruments like saxophones, oboes and clarinets if they’re not cleaned regularly and properly.
The result is what doctors called “hypersensitive pneumonia” which leads to allergic pulmonary disease. In other words, the lungs have an ongoing and continous allergic reaction to the mold.
Saxophone lung was the topic of a recent meeting of scientists. You can read all about it at NBC News.
