Pneumonitis

What is Pneumonitis?

Pneumonitis means inflammation of lung tissue due to a wide variety of causes. It is not a specific disease but a finding that suggests presence of an underlying problem. Treatment depends on the cause.

Although lung infections (pneumonia) caused by bacteria or other organisms result in inflammation of lung or pneumonitis, doctors generally use the term to refer to non-infectious causes of lung inflammation.

Untreated or chronic inflammation of lung tissue can cause scarring of lung tissue with stiffness and loss of its normal elasticity resulting in permanent lung damage.

What are the Types of Pneumonitis?

Pneumonitis can be acute or chronic.

Acute pneumonitis may result from sudden massive exposure to a chemical that irritates lung tissue with swelling of lung tissue and fluid collection in the air spaces. This interferes with ability of the lungs to absorb oxygen inhaled from the atmosphere into the blood and deliver to tissues and remove carbon dioxide waste from the body to be exhaled out. Therefore, in certain cases, death occurs due to severe lack of oxygen in the tissues.

Chronic pneumonitis results from low levels of exposure to the irritant over prolonged periods of time, with resultant inflammation and scarring of lung tissue. Once again this interferes with absorption of oxygen and removal of carbon dioxide leading to respiratory failure and death.