Man Obsessed With Sniffing His Used Socks Gets Fungal Infection In His Lungs

Obsessing over something consciously or subconsciously is never good. Even if you are not harming anyone by being obsessed compulsively, you might be harming your psychological state. One man from China even harmed himself physically by contracting a severe fungal infection in the lungs due to his ugly obsession of sniffing his socks after work.

via GIPHY

A 37-year-old man from with the surname Peng Zhangzhou, Fujian province, China has developed quite an odd habit. Every time he comes home from work, he… uh, takes off his socks and smells them, sweat, odor, and all. He got obsessed to a point where he does it frequently after work. Apparently, Peng is not the only one who does this, other people also do it to check if the socks are still re-usable.

via GIPHY

Little did Peng know, this habit would lead to a severe fungal infection in his lungs. At least, this was what doctors believed when they found out about the infection. It seems that the fungal infections which have formed in his socks have spread to his lungs when he inhaled them deeply.

“The infection could also be attributed to the patient’s lack of rest at home as he had looking after his child, leading to a weaker immune system,” according to Dr. Mai Zhuanying at the Zhangzhou No. 909 Hospital. Still, Peng was treated immediately and is expected to make a full recovery where his lungs would be clear of the said fungus.

via GIPHY

Peng’s mishap can be quite alarming for people. Since most of us do not know fungi can actually be inhaled into the lungs. Maybe keep that in mind next time you think of using those dirty socks again. Better yet, just use a new pair, surely that’s preferable to having mushrooms grow in your lungs.