Did you know that breathing in pet hair can negatively impact your lung function? This post is all about how your lung functions are impacted by hair and other airborne particulates and what you can do to help prevent these issues from happening.
What is groomers lung?
When you’re clipping, trimming, and shaving an animal’s hair, it’s no wonder that tiny hairs and bits of hair fly off when you cut them. Some of these floating particles may get inhaled by you.
If you’re inhaling tiny particles of animal fur and/or dog dander, these materials can accumulate in your body over time. Your body, especially your lungs, aren’t able to “process” this stuff, so it can cause an illness called “groomer’s lung.”
Did you know that breathing in pet hair can negatively impact your lung function? This post is all about how your lung functions are impacted by hair and other airborne particulates and what you can do to help prevent these issues from happening.
What is groomers lung?
When you’re clipping, trimming, and shaving an animal’s hair, it’s no wonder that tiny hairs and bits of hair fly off when you cut them. Some of these floating particles may get inhaled by you.
If you’re inhaling tiny particles of animal fur and/or dog dander, these materials can accumulate in your body over time. Your body, especially your lungs, aren’t able to “process” this stuff, so it can cause an illness called “groomer’s lung.”
Is groomers lung real?
Pet groomer’s asthma is a chronic condition that affects your breathing. Tiny, sharp pieces of hair get deep into your airways, causing an inflammatory response and scarring.
According to Groomers 2018 Blaster Safety Survey of 112 groomers, 83% of you spent over 2 hours blasting or drying per working day, with 37% spending 4 hours or more. All of that time, fine cut hair, dandruff, nail grindings, and microbes can become airborne and be circulated around the room to be inhaled by you, so it’s important that you are protecting yourself. Source: groomers-online.com
Can you cure groomers lung?
It’s arguable that one of the worst parts of groomers lung is that once you’ve got bronchitis, you’re going to feel its effects for the rest of your dog grooming career. There’s no cure for it either. Therefore, it’s important that you keep yourself healthy so that you don’t develop bronchitis during your dog grooming career.
We recommend choosing a tight-fitting respirator that really suits your face, with an incredibly fine mesh like fabric that will block out small particles. An excellent choice for this would be the easy breathing, 3M N95 particulate respirator. This mask has V-shaped pleats that expand to provide a comfortable seal while giving you a spacious feel backed with 3M technology for at least 95% filtration efficiency against certain non-oil based particles like dust and pet hair.
What does groomers lung feel like?
There are some common signs that you should be aware of when experiencing these conditions. of Groomer’s Lung, as the name says, attacks the respiratory system so wheezing and coughing are usually signs of it. Chest pain or difficulty breathing and shortness of breath during grooming is also a sign.
How to prevent groomers lung?
1. Wear a mask
Most pet professional groomer don’t wear masks or face coverings when they’re working, but it’s one of the most important safety tools you can use to protect yourself.
During the grooming process, When using your electric shears or hair trimmers, always use a close-fitting, high-quality mask to protect your lungs from pet hair and dander.
Be aware that face shields are not enough protection for pet groomers, since it leaves a large gap between your face and the air around you. Choose a soft cloth face cover made from a lightweight, breathable material to help you stay cool and comfortable during the day.
Ideally, you should change your mask every single day to avoid buildup of hair and particles in used masks. If you wear the same mask, you may end up breathing in the hair and other debris that has collected on your mask throughout the course of the week.
An excellent choice for this would be the easy breathing, 3M N95 particulate respirator.
2. Keep Your Workspace Clean
One method for minimizing the risk of grooming lung is to keep a clean, sanitary workplace. The fewer particles floating around, the lower the chances are that you’re going to breathe some of them in.
If you’re working at a place where there isn’t good airflow, consider using an industrial air scrubbing system or a powerful air purifier. We suggest the MOOKA H13 HEPA Air Purifier. You can also use a clippers vacuum that continually sucks up the hair as it works, trapping it inside rather than allowing it to fly around.
Clean your area regularly, and keep it vacuumed clean at every client. When vacuuming up fur, be sure to wear your mask to avoid inhaling any of those tiny particles. Miele Classic C1 Turbo Team PowerLine can help you this job.
3. Improve your lighting
It’ll also help if your workspace has good light. You might want to consider adding some under-counter LEDs that you can move to your table while you’re working so it’s easier to see. The main thing is to keep from having too much glare so you can see better and spot any stray hairs that need to be removed.
4. Educate your pet lovers about at home care
Taking some time to talk with your clients and get to know them better may help you educate them to an ideal at home care.
For example, brushing sessions or regular brushing between visits to your office will reduce the number of hairs on your work surfaces, the floors, your clothing, and the air. Therefore, there’ll be significantly less hair on these items when they come back for another visit.
Groomers Lung Treatment
Groomers Lung doesn’t have any specific treatments but with the right medications and proper breathing techniques, your symptoms should improve.
If you’ve been diagnosed with groomer’s lung, you’ll need to speak to your physician about any potential treatments. Groomer’s lung is much more serious than simple pet allergies, which makes it much harder to treat.
You might be prescribed some kind of immunotherapy that helps your immune system fight off the inflammation. Typically, this type of treatment requires a series of injections until your immune system has developed enough defenses to prevent future episodes.
In my experience, it is very helpful to learn breathing techniques where you through unique practices, are able to change your body chemistry, infuse yourself with energy, and focus your mind.
I am a fan of the Wim Hof Method. You can learn his method through his book The Wim Hof Method: Activate Your Full Human Potential.
“This method is very simple, very accessible, and endorsed by science. Anybody can do it, and there is no dogma, only acceptance. Only freedom.” (Wim Hof).
