Medindia
Personalized health information & news! Register
Medindia » Disease & Condition

Pulmonary Fibrosis

Medically Reviewed by Dr. Simi Paknikar, MD on Mar 12, 2016


What is Pulmonary Fibrosis?

Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition of the lung wherein the lung tissue gets scarred making it difficult to breathe. It is an autoimmune disease wherein the body's immunity fights against lung tissue and damages it. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) where no cause is known for the disease, is the most common form of the disease. It is estimated that there are between 80,000 and 135,000 patients who suffer from this form of IPF in Europe.


It is an autoimmune disease wherein the body's immunity fights against lung tissue and damages it.

IPF has no cure yet. Many people live only for about 3 to 5 years after diagnosis. The most common cause of death related to IPF is respiratory failure. Other causes of death include pulmonary hypertension, heart failure, pulmonary embolism, pneumonia, and lung cancer.

IPF is known to run in families and may have a genetic predisposition. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is not a curable disease and has a poor prognosis and the only treatment that benefits is lung transplantation and currently IPF is the most common indication for such transplantation in the United States. Recent studies show that both the lungs should be replaced rather than doing a single lung transplant for the condition.

The lungs consist of elastic air sacs through which exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide takes place. Scarring of the lung tissue reduces the elasticity of the sacs and makes gas exchange difficult.

What are the Causes of Pulmonary Fibrosis?

Pulmonary fibrosis can be caused by various reasons.

What are the Symptoms of Pulmonary Fibrosis?

Pulmonary fibrosis is associated with various symptoms and signs like:


How Do You Diagnose Pulmonary Fibrosis?

Pulmonary fibrosis is diagnosed based on history given by the patient and physical examination done by the clinician. There are also various tests and investigations to be done to support and confirm the diagnosis. Investigations include:


How Do You Treat Pulmonary Fibrosis?

No definitive treatment for pulmonary fibrosis has been found till date. Management includes:

Pulmonary Fibrosis Prognosis

Life expectancy is approximately 3 years on an average, but it varies from few months to many years based on disease progression. The prognosis or likely outcome for the patient may be obtained by serial lung function testing.

Health Tips

Cigarette smoking may be linked to pulmonary fibrosis and thus abstinence from smoking is an important factor in decreasing the incidence of pulmonary fibrosis. Smoking addiction can be dealt with by nicotine patch, early intervention, counseling, group discussions, etc.

References:

  1. Types, Causes and Risk Factors of Pulmonary Fibrosis - (http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/pulmonary-fibrosis/symptoms-causes-and-risk.html)
  2. Pulmonary fibrosis - (http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pulmonary-fibrosis/basics/causes/con-20029091)
  3. Davidson�s Principles of Medicine

Cite this Article

Please use one of the following formats to cite this article in your essay, paper or report:

  • APA

    Dr. Aarti Singh. (2016, March 12). Pulmonary Fibrosis - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prognosis. Medindia. Retrieved on Dec 19, 2024 from https://www.medindia.net/health/conditions/pulmonary-fibrosis.htm.

  • MLA

    Dr. Aarti Singh. "Pulmonary Fibrosis - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prognosis". Medindia. Dec 19, 2024. <https://www.medindia.net/health/conditions/pulmonary-fibrosis.htm>.

  • Chicago

    Dr. Aarti Singh. "Pulmonary Fibrosis - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prognosis". Medindia. https://www.medindia.net/health/conditions/pulmonary-fibrosis.htm. (accessed Dec 19, 2024).

  • Harvard

    Dr. Aarti Singh. 2016. Pulmonary Fibrosis - Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Prognosis. Medindia, viewed Dec 19, 2024, https://www.medindia.net/health/conditions/pulmonary-fibrosis.htm.

View Non AMP Site | Back to top ↑