Pulmonary fibrosis is a group of serious lifelong lung disease that affect the Reapiratory system. It causes lung scarring (tissues scar and thicken over time), making it harder to breathe. . It impacts the connecting tissue in the lung and the alveoli (air sacs inside the lungs).
The lung damage gradually gets worse over time( progressive disease ).
Pulmonary fibrosis may cause shortness of breath when patient do routine tasks that never seemed tiring before. No cure exists. Medications may slow down scarring and help preserve lung function. Many things factor into how long and well people can live with pulmonary fibrosis. The disease may get worse quickly (over months) or very slowly (over years). Oxygen therapy and staying active may relieve symptoms.
Alveoli-
Alveoli are tiny, delicate air sacs in lungs. They help get oxygen into the bloodstream when inhale.
In pulmonary fibrosis, the thin walls of these air sacs start to scar and thicken. When that happens, it’s harder for the air sacs to do their job and get oxygen to the rest of the body.
idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is the most common type of interstitial lung disease.
Causes pulmonary fibrosis-
Many things (like smoking) can lead to pulmonary fibrosis. Often, the cause remains unknown (idiopathic ).Some types of pulmonary fibrosis may run in families.
Risk factors- smoking
Older age-between ages 50 and 70.
• Smoking: Cigarette smoking increases risk of getting pulmonary fibrosis.
• Working around dust or fumes
• Other medical conditions- such as the autoimmune disease ,rheumatoid arthritis or a viral infection
• Other factors- Radiation exposure
Symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis-
Pulmonary fibrosis doesn’t affect everyone in the same way.Sometimes these symptoms are signs of the common cold or an upper respiratory infection.
Symptoms –
• Shortness of breath, shallow spurts.
• Dry cough
• Fatigue (extreme tiredness)
• Shortness of breath, especially during or soon after exercise.
• Weight loss
• Clubbing
• Cyanosis- bluish skin or gray or white skin around the mouth or eyes (in dark-skinned people) from too little oxygen in the blood.
DIAGNOSIS AND TESTS
Diagnosis-
medical history
physical examination
• Blood tests
• Imaging tests- A chest X-ray or a CT scan
• Breathing tests /pulmonary function tests
• Oxygen desaturation study
• Biopsy
MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT-
Unfortunately, lung damage due to pulmonary fibrosis is permanent (not reversible). Getting diagnosed and starting treatment as early as possible may help patientd lungs work better, longer.
Most pulmonary fibrosis treatments focus on symptoms and improving patients quality of life.
Physican may recommend one or more treatments-
• Medication
• Oxygen therapy
• Pulmonary rehabilitation
• Lung transplant: A lung transplant replaces one or both diseased lungs with a healthy lung from a donor.
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