Pulmonary fibrosis is the formation or development of excess fibrous connective tissues in lungs. This can also be described as lung scarring. Several diseases may cause pulmonary fibrosis, such as certain medications, radiation therapy and certain diseases like scleroderma, systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis and mixed connective tissue disorder. Often, the cause of pulmonary fibrosis is unknown, that is, idiopathic.
Symptoms of Pulmonary Fibrosis:
Symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis include:
- Fatigue
- Dry cough
- Shortness of breath or dyspnea
- Painful joints and muscles
- Unexplained weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Chest discomfort
Shortness of breath is the most common symptom, particularly, during or after physical activity. These symptoms are not noticed until the disease advances and thus, becomes irreversible lung damage. Breathing problems progressively worsen and gets out of breath during routine activities, such as talking on phone, while eating and getting dressed.
Causes of Pulmonary Fibrosis
Pulmonary fibrosis causes include:
- Infections
- Cigarette smoking
- Certain medications
- Connective tissue diseases, like scleroderma and rheumatoid arthritis
- Radiation therapy
- Other connective tissue diseases include, Wegener’s granulomatosis and sarcoidosis
- Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
- Inhalation of occupational and environmental pollutants, like silicosis, exposure to some gases and asbestosis
Risk Factors of Pulmonary Fibrosis
Factors which make more susceptible to pulmonary fibrosis include:
- Sex
- Age
- Chemotherapy and radiation
- Environmental and occupational toxins
- Genetic factors
- Viruses
- Smoking
Complications of Pulmonary Fibrosis
Pulmonary fibrosis complications include:
- High blood pressure in lungs
- Low oxygen levels in blood stream
- Respiratory failure
- Right sided heart failure
Diagnosis for Pulmonary Fibrosis
It is an extremely challenging task to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis. The difference between non idiopathic and idiopathic forms of disease is not clear always and hence, classification and naming has been controversial and confusing.
Physical examination and chest X-ray are not sufficient to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis, they just exclude other conditions. Other tests include:
- High resolution computerized tomography
- Chest X-ray
- Pulmonary function tests
- Exercise stress test
- Oximetry
- Bronchoscopy
Treatments for Pulmonary Fibrosis
Lung scarring is irreversible and there is no effective treatment. Certain treatments can improve symptoms temporarily or slow’s down the disease progress. Other treatments include:
- Lung transplantation
- Oxygen therapy
- Pulmonary rehabilitation
- Certain medications like corticosteroid methotrexate, cyclosporine, prednisone and other immunosuppressants
