Amid the latest farm machinery, technology, information and education at Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island Sept. 13-15, physicians from UNMC will be on hand to provide free lung disease screenings to farmers. Farmers also will receive free respirator masks that can minimize exposure to potentially hazardous materials.
Considered to be one of the top farm shows in the country, the event is located six miles west of Grand Island on Husker Highway.
Doctors, who will be located in the Farmer Tent, will use spirometers to test lung function. Results will be shared immediately and farmers will be referred to their physicians for follow-up.
“Farmers are at risk for lung disease, including things like asthma like syndromes, worsening of asthma, mucus membrane irritation syndrome and chronic bronchitis,” said Jill Poole, M.D., UNMC assistant professor of internal medicine and allergist. “A lung function test tells us how the lungs are functioning and if there may be underlying lung disease.”
Susanna Von Essen, M.D., UNMC professor of internal medicine, has been volunteering at Husker Harvest days since 1992. She said over the years, she and her team have identified many different lung problems through screenings.
“We always find some people that didn’t know they had a problem or the extent of their problem. They just knew they had shortness of breath walking to the mailbox or while doing their work. We do a lung function test and find out they definitely have abnormalities for which they need to get medical attention.”
She said sometimes they find a rare lung disorder – Farmer’s Lung.
“It’s usually in people who are exposed to a lot of moldy materials or otherwise hay or grain that’s been spoiled,” Dr. Von Essen said. “Sometimes you can also have it from being around chickens or turkeys. that can be very serious and definitely needs to be diagnosed and treated.”