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Causes

By Mayo Clinic staff

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Illustration showing airways and air sacs of the lungs Airways and air sacs of the lungs

Pneumonitis occurs when some irritating substance causes the tiny air sacs (alveoli) in your lungs to become inflamed. This inflammation can interfere with the delivery of oxygen to your bloodstream.

A variety of irritants, ranging from airborne molds to chemotherapy drugs, have been linked to pneumonitis. But for most people, the specific substance causing the inflammation is never identified. Pneumonitis causes may include:

  • Drugs. A variety of drugs used to treat other conditions can cause pneumonitis, including some antibiotics, several types of chemotherapy drugs and medications that keep your heartbeat regular. An overdose of aspirin can cause pneumonitis.
  • Molds. Specific varieties of mold-related pneumonitis have received nicknames, such as "farmer's lung" or "hot tub lung."
  • Birds. Exposure to feathers or bird excrement is a common cause of pneumonitis.
  • Radiation treatments. Some people who undergo radiation therapy to the chest, such as for breast or lung cancer, may develop pneumonitis. Pneumonitis also can occur after whole-body radiation therapy, which is needed to prepare a person for a bone marrow transplant.
Risk factors Symptoms

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References
  1. Dorland's Illustrated Medical Dictionary. 31st ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:1496.
  2. Rosenow EC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. April 14, 2011.
  3. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/hp/hp_all.html. Accessed March 31, 2011.
  4. Rose CS, et al. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis. In: Mason RJ, et al. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/192068760-2/0/1288/0.html. Accessed March 31, 2011.
  5. King TE. Epidemiology and causes of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (extrinsic allergic alveolitis). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 31, 2011.
  6. Machtay M. Pulmonary complications of anticancer treatment. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/208746819-4/0/1709/0.html. Accessed March 31, 2011.
  7. Selman M, et al. Diagnosis and management of the idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. In: Mason RJ, et al. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/192068760-2/0/1288/0.html. Accessed March 31, 2011.
  8. King TE. Diagnosis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (extrinsic allergic alveolitis). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 31, 2011.
  9. King TE. Treatment and prognosis of hypersensitivity pneumonitis (extrinsic allergic alveolitis). http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed March 31, 2011.
DS00962 June 3, 2011

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