If the person avoids further exposure to moldy dust, the signs and symptoms usually decrease after l2 hours, but they can last up to two weeks. Serious attacks can last as long as 12 weeks. The symptoms are sometimes confused with pneumonia. It develops slowly, responding to continual exposure to small amounts of moldy dust. People who are sensitive to dust from moldy crops continue to exhibit these signs and symptoms as long as they are exposed to the dust.
Some people lose weight over several weeks.
Chronic Farmer's Lung Chronic Farmer's Lung develops after several acute attacks over a period of years. It afflicts people who have been continually exposed to large amounts of moldy dust. Sometimes, the illness lasts several months and is marked by increasing shortness of breath, an occasional mild fever, and often, a significant loss in weight and a general lack of energy. The symptoms are accompanied by permanent lung damage and gradually worsen as exposure to moldy dust continues. There is no single, simple test to distinguish between Farmer's Lung and other types of lung diseases.