Don't Get Saxophone Lung: Clean Your InstrumentIf you blow into your instrument, you may want to give it a good cleaning from time to time. The Huffington Post reports on a man who developed an allergic pulmonary disease, known as "Saxophone Lung," after not cleaning his instrument for 30 years.
Other case studies have also illustrated what can happen if you don't regularly clean your instrument. The New York Times reported on two of them; in one, a trombone player's stubborn 15-year cough only went away when he used rubbing alcohol to clean his instrument. In another, a saxophonist's shortness of breath cleared up after he started cleaning his mouthpiece.
In addition, a General Dentistry study published in 2011 showed a wide variety of bacteria, yeast and mold present in 13 previously played high school band instruments.
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