Pulmonary fibrosis (FP) is a condition in which there are scars on the lungs that make breathing difficult. Pulmonic fibrosis is a form of interstitial lung disease. Interstitial lung diseases are a group of conditions that cause inflammation and scarring around tiny air sacs (alveoli) in the lungs. Near are many different types of pulmonary fibrosis. The most common is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis or IPI. This type of pulmonary fibrosis has no known cause.
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Key points
Pulmonary fibrosis causes scarring of the lungs.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IFP) is the most common type of VET and has no known cause.
There is no cure for VET, but the disease can often remain controlled by medications, physical activity and oxygen therapy.
Some VET patients will be candidates for a lung transplant.
VET is a disease that naturally worsens over time. In some patients, it will progress quickly, while others may remain stable for a long time. No one can predict how FP will affect you. The best thing you can do is try to stay as active and healthy as possible and work closely with your doctor to manage the disease.
What are the symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis?
One of the reasons pulmonary fibrosis remains often misdiagnosed is that symptoms of VET may be similar to symptoms of other lung diseases. If you have slightly of the symptoms listed below, talk to your doctor right away and be persistent if you notice that your lung health doesn’t improve.
- Shortness of breath, especially during exercise
- Dry and persistent cough
- Fast, shallow breathing
- Gradual involuntary weight loss
- weariness
- Joint and muscle pain
- Acropachia (widening and rounding) of the tips of the fingers and toes
Who is at risk for pulmonary fibrosis?
There are more than 200 different types of FP. The most common type of VET is IPI, which means idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. It means that this type of FP has no known cause. Approximately 50,000 new cases of FPI stand diagnosed each year. Most IPI patients begin to notice symptoms between the ages of 50 and 70. It is more common in men, but the number of FPI cases in women is increasing. Risk factors for VET include:
Exposure to hazardous chemicals.
Cigarette smoke.
Autoimmune diseases, such for example rheumatoid arthritis, scleroderma or Sjogren’s syndrome.
Gastroesophageal reflux disease (ERGE), a condition in which stomach acid returns to the throat and then enters the lungs.
Family history. Be sure to ask your medic if there is a history of lung disease in your family.
Have you been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis? Follow these steps:
Talk to your doctor about available medications. Depending on the kind of pulmonary fibrosis you have, there may be medications to slow the progress of the disease and others to help relieve your symptoms.
Request your doctor if you could benefit from oxygen therapy. Starting oxygen therapy will not make you dependent or worsen the disease. It will allow you to stay active and have a better quality of life.
Ask your doctor to tell you a lung rehabilitation program, exercise program, and education to help you stay active. Pulmonary rehabilitation will help you learn about your condition and exercise at the same time. It’s also a great way to meet other people and get social support.
Talk to your doctor about getting an evaluation for a lung transplant at a transplant centre. It’s a good idea to start discussions about what a lung transplant involves and whether it’s a good option for you.
