Symptoms:

Symptoms of acute hypersensitivity pneumonitis may occur 4 - 6 hours after you have left the area where the foreign substance is found. These symptoms may include:

• Cough
• Fever
• Chills
• Shortness of breath
• Malaise (feeling ill)

Symptoms of chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis may include:

• Breathlessness, especially with exertion
• Cough, often dry
• Loss of appetite
• Unintentional weight loss

Signs and tests:

Your doctor may hear abnormal lung sounds called crackles (rales) when listening to your chest with a stethoscope.

Lung changes due to chronic hypersensitivity pneumonitis may be seen on chest x-ray. Other tests may include:

• Pulmonary function tests
• CBC
• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis antibody panels
• Aspergillus precipitins test
• High-resolution CT scan of the chest
• Bronchoscopy with washings and biopsy
• Video-assisted or open-lung biopsy