Pulmonary Fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis describes diseases pulmonary diseases caused by scarring in the lung tissue. There are over 200 diseases within the pulmonary fibrosis family.

• Identifying a specific cause for a patient's pulmonary fibrosis can be challenging for doctors because there may be several causes. Other times, a PF diagnosis may be categorized as "idiopathic" meaning a cause is unknown.
• Five main categories of PF causes your doctor may consider are environmental, drug-induced, radiation-induced, autoimmune, and occupational. According to the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, autoimmune and environmental are the leading causes in the U.S.
• Symptoms of PF get worse as the disease progresses. Patients will usually experience a dry, hacking cough and shortness of breath while exercising. In time, however, patients may experience shortness of breath with simple activities like getting dressed or talking on the phone.

Other symptoms include:

• Fatigue and weakness
• Chest pain
• Loss of appetite
• Unexplained weight loss
• Achy joints and muscles

To diagnose pulmonary fibrosis, doctors will look for these three signs: stiff lungs, low blood oxygen, and "crackles," describing a crackling sound heard in your lungs

Once your doctor recognizes these signs, doctors will run a series of lab tests including blood work and extensive physical exams. The doctor may perform a high-resolution computed tomography, or HRCT scan to get a detailed look at the affected lung tissue. In some cases where PF is harder to identify, doctors perform a lung biopsy in order to make the diagnosis.

There are several ways your doctor may treat your pulmonary fibrosis. The most common treatments for PF include:

• Oxygen therapy
• Medications
• Pulmonary rehabilitation, including physical exercise, breathing exercises, nutritional counseling, and more.