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If you have hypersensitivity pneumonitis, you can take steps to control the condition and prevent complications by receiving routine follow-up care, monitoring your condition, preventing new acute flares and complications, and learning about and preparing for serious complications.

Treatments for hypersensitivity pneumonitis usually include avoidance strategies and medicines such as corticosteroids or immunosuppressive that reduce inflammation. Other supportive therapies include oxygen therapy, bronchodilators, or opioids. Occasionally, lung transplants are used to treat severe chronic disease in some patients.

To diagnose hypersensitivity pneumonitis, your doctor will collect your medical history, assess exposure history to possible causative substances, perform a physical exam, and possibly order diagnostic tests and procedures such as: blood tests, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL), computed tomography (CT), inhalation challenge tests, lung biopsies, lung function tests, precipitin tests, or chest x-rays.

Signs and symptoms vary between acute, subacute, and chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis and may include flu-like illness including fever, chills, muscle or joint pain, or headaches; rales; cough; chronic bronchitis; shortness of breath; anorexia or weight loss; fatigue; fibrosis of the lungs; or clubbing of fingers or toes. Complications of chronic disease may include irreversible lung damage, permanently reduced lung function, pulmonary hypotension, or heart failure.

There are no screening methods to determine who will or will not develop hypersensitivity pneumonitis and the only prevention is to avoid common environmental sources of substances known to cause this condition.

Risk factors for developing hypersensitivity pneumonitis include age, environment or occupation, family history and genetics, lifestyle habits, other medical conditions, and possibly sex or gender.

Hypersensitivity pneumonitis is caused by repeated exposure to environmental substances that cause inflammation in the lungs when inhaled. Substances include: bacteria, fungi or molds, proteins, or chemicals.

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