‘Put your socks in the laundry bin’: we've all heard it before, but after hearing a story reported by New Straits Times, we'll be sure to never leave a dirty pair out again.
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A first pneumonia diagnosis
When a 30-year-old man named Peng arrived at No.909 Hospital in Zhangzhou, Fujian province in southeastern China, he complained of chest pain and a persistent cough. The doctors who examined him suspected pneumonia and prescribed a treatment corresponding to the diagnosis.
The only problem was that the symptoms did not disappear as hoped and the 37-year-old father needed to be examined again. By analysing an X-ray, the doctors discovered that the patient was actually suffering from a pulmonary fungal infection.
From the socks to the lungs
In order to know the origin of this infection, the doctors questioned Peng. He revealed to them that he had the habit of sniffing his socks every night when he gets home from work! A strange fetish that could either make you laugh, cringe, or leave you completely disgusted... however it may be worse than that.
Because it is his addiction to sniffing the socks worn all day that caused the disease. In fact, it was by inhaling the fungal spores that had sprouted and remained stuck in the tissue fibres that the fungus was able to spread into Peng's lungs. Dr. Mai Zhuanying from Zhangzhou No.909 Hospital told Fujian Daily that the condition could also be due to ‘lack of sleep-related to the fact that he had to look after his child and that fatigue had weakened his immune system’ making it more vulnerable to infections.
Following the diagnosis, the 37-year-old has been hospitalised and is undergoing treatment which should allow him to get back on his feet ... with, hopefully, new socks!
Check out the video and see how it all unfolded!
