Don't Be Amrish Puri From DDLJ: Why Pigeons Are Bad News For Your Lungs

Pigeon feathers and droppings can cause various respiratory and lung issues.

(Photo: Garima Sadhwani/FIT)

Do you remember that iconic opening scene in Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge where Amrish Puri feeds pigeons in London? Turns out, there are several reasons why this scene should not be your inspiration to feed pigeons in real life.

To put it straight out, pigeons are bad news for your lungs.

The Pune Municipal Corporation in Maharashtra recently announced that it will impose a Rs 500 fine on anyone found feeding pigeons in open spaces. 

The authority’s assistant medical health officer Dr Kalpana Baliwant had told media:

“A month ago, we publicly appealed to people not to feed pigeons in public places. We have now decided to take punitive action against the violators to discourage public feeding of the birds.”

(GIF: Twitter)

Municipal authorities in Thane and Panvel have also resorted to imposing fines to prevent people from feeding pigeons.

Why are pigeons such a menace to human health? We reached out to experts for answers.

Risking Respiratory & Lung Disorders

Dr Sushila Kataria, Senior Director of Internal Medicine at Gurugram’s Medanta Hospital, says that pigeon feathers and pigeon droppings can cause a host of health issues for people.

These issues might not just be limited to allergies or asthma (causing or elevating the condition) but might also lead to chronic conditions such as hypersensitivity pneumonitis (HP).

Dr Jayalakshmi TK, Consultant, Pulmonology, Apollo Hospitals, Navi Mumbai, shares that one of her patients, a 25-year-old physical trainer, who didn’t have any medical history and was otherwise fit, had trouble breathing for over a year and a half.

Her diagnosis showed that she had HP and her blood report showed a strong positive for pigeon antigens.

If someone is diagnosed with HP, the disease can progress quickly, causing the patient to rely on oxygen support, and can cause death within 4-5 years, says Dr Kataria. 

HP is an interstitial lung disease that can affect the whole organ and eventually lead to lung fibrosis.

She says, “The patient will have a hypersensitivity and hyperreactivity to pigeon antigens.”

The symptoms of HP include:

• Cough

• Breathlessness

• Fall in oxygen saturation

• Exhaustion or trouble doing routine activities

While HP can occur in three stages, the symptoms remain more or less the same, with only the severity increasing. Dr Jayalakshmi explains:

• The first stage is the acute stage which can last for 2-3 months. During this, the CT scans might show white lungs due to the inflammation of the organ. The condition of the patient can be improved at this stage by giving steroids and anti-inflammatory medication.

• The second stage is the sub-acute stage which can last for 4-6 months. The interstitial part of the lung or the central lining will be thickened in this stage which will cause problems for oxygen transport. The patient won’t be able to take in oxygen properly because the oxygen saturation starts dropping.

• The third stage is the chronic stage when the symptoms are persistent and severe. This is also the stage where reversibility of the condition becomes difficult. Even with steroids, nebulisers, bronco-dilators, or immunosuppressive medication, the patient might show improvement only partially. 

But… There’s More...

However, respiratory issues are not all there is to worry about. Dr Kataria shares that pigeon droppings contain bacteria and fungi and can potentially lead to:

• Histoplasmosis – Infection caused by breathing in spores of a fungus often found in birds 

• Cryptococcal meningitis – Fungal infection that spreads from the lungs to the brain

• Psittacosis – Infections that spread from birds to human beings

Psittacosis, says Dr Kataria, is difficult to diagnose and can be life-threatening if not given help at the right time. 

Diagnosis & Treatment

If you have any of the above-mentioned symptoms, you might have to undergo the following to diagnose the problem.

• Blood tests

• CT scan

• Allergy test

• Chest X-Rays

• Lung function test

And more often than not, if the condition is chronic, the patient might have to be removed from the environment for treatment. 

“Treatment can be done with medications or steroids. But I have patients who’ve had to move places because they faced respiratory issues. You have to remove the source of the allergy otherwise you’d have to rely on steroid tablets, nebulisers, oxygen support, dialysis, etc.”

Dr Sushila Kataria

An Ecological Disbalance

Another problem, that often goes unnoticed, is that pigeons are territorial birds that shoo away most other species from the surroundings such as sparrows or parrots – which eat mosquitoes and ants, for instance.

Explaining why this is a problem, Dr Kataria says:

“This can dis-balance the ecosystem and can cause a host of other health problems. Pigeons cause the displacement of other birds that might eat ants, mosquitoes, and other insects. Therefore, mosquitoes population may also increase along with pigeons, and that can come with its own health hazards."

Who Is At Risk?

Not everyone is at risk though. People who are immuno-compromised, have a history of respiratory issues or asthma, or are chronically exposed to pigeon antigens could be at risk.

HP is also known as Bird Fancier's Lung because it is common in people who keep birds as pets.

However, a 2020 study, titled Bird Fancier’s Lung: An Underdiagnosed Etiology of Dyspnea, which is available on Pubmed Central, said that Bird Fancier's Lung often remains an under-diagnosed condition. The study stated:

"Despite being one of the most common type of hypersensitivity pneumonitis, it is often an under-diagnosed condition. Early recognition of the disease and prevention of long-term antigen exposure are necessary to avoid the progression of chronic bird fancier's lung."

What Should You Do

On an individual level, you can do these things:

• ICYMI, don’t feed pigeons

• Cover your balconies with nets

• Disinfect the open areas of your houses and buildings

• Clean pigeon droppings without coming in contact with them

• Clean your AC ducts regularly

• Install air purifiers

• Do not clean the droppings if you have are immuno-compromised

But, it’s also important for governments and authoritative bodies to draw policies that might help in controlling the growth of pigeon populations.

Dr Kataria emphasises the need for leaders to make people aware of the health concerns that might come their way because of the unchecked growth of pigeons.