About Pulmonary Fibrosis

What is pulmonary fibrosis?

In pulmonary fibrosis there are scars in the lungs. These scars consist of connective tissue which comes in the place of lung tissue. Breathing is thereby difficult. The body eventually gets too little oxygen.

In most people with pulmonary fibrosis is the first condition deteriorated. They quickly become out of breath, have coughing, poor appetite, and a vague pain in the chest. They are also getting faster tired and have little energy. As the disease gets worse, the lips or the skin may be blue from lack of oxygen.

Pulmonary fibrosis is usually because someone long inhaled pollutants. Asbestos or rock dust. Other causes lung diseases such as tuberculosis or severe pneumonia.

Treatment depends on the cause and severity of lung fibrosis. For mild pulmonary fibrosis, you will receive medication to reduce inflammation. In severe pulmonary fibrosis you get extra oxygen. In very severe fibrosis, a lung transplant may be needed.

Pulmonary fibrosis is no longer about it, because the scar tissue cannot be restored. In about half of patients do to with medication to stop further deterioration.

What causes pulmonary fibrosis?

Usually, the cause of pulmonary fibrosis is the inhalation of harmful substances. Examples of such harmful substances, asbestos and rock dust, metal powder, mold and dust from bird droppings.

Other possible causes of pulmonary fibrosis are:

1. Tuberculosis (TB).
2. Severe pneumonia.
3. Certain medications and poisons.
4. Irradiation.
5. Autoimmune diseases.
6. Sarcoidosis.

In half of the people with pulmonary fibrosis, the cause is never found.

How is pulmonary fibrosis diagnosed?

1. To assess pulmonary fibrosis, your physician first makes a chest X-ray. This picture is usually scar tissue in the lungs can be seen clearly. If the X-ray is not clear enough, she also makes a CT scan of the chest.
2. Then, she pulmonary function testing. In addition, she looks much air can fit into your lungs. It fits very little air in the lungs of a person with pulmonary fibrosis.
3. With a compliance investigation she watches how smoothly your lungs are.
4. They measure whether there is enough oxygen in the blood.
5. If they are not quite sure whether you have pneumonia, the pulmonologist do a bronchoscopy. In this study, she looks through a thin tube with a camera into your lungs. They can also remove a small tissue sample to examine it.