Chronic cough could be associated with mold in musical wind instruments

Musical wind instruments can be a perfect place for mold growth: warm, humid inside surfaces during playing of the instrument, often not cleaned thoroughly, create a “biofilm” on the inner surface. Cases of chronic cough have been linked to inhalation of mold spores during trombone playing in one instance, and saxophone playing in another. The harmonica, which is played during both inhalation and exhalation, may be another potential source of mold exposure. In the case of the trombone player with an allergic lung condition triggered by mold from his trombone, cleaning of the instrument regularly with 91% isopropyl alcohol resulted in marked improvement of symptoms for 20 months, except when he neglected to clean the trombone for over a month.

Chest 2010 Sep; 138(3):754-6. Metersky ML, Bean SB, Meyer JD, Mutambudzi M, Brown-Elliott BA, Wechsler ME, Wallace RJ Jr. Trombone player’s lung: a probable new cause of hypersensitivity pneumonitis.

Chest 2010 Sep; 138(3): 724-6. Metzger F, Haccuria A, Reboux G, Nolard N, Dalphin JC, De Vuyst P. Hypersensitivity pneumonitis due to molds in a saxophone player.