Pulmonary Fibrosis (original) (raw)

Also called: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, IPF

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Summary

Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the tissue deep in your lungs becomes scarred over time. This tissue gets thick and stiff. That makes it hard for you to catch your breath, and your blood may not get enough oxygen.

Causes of pulmonary fibrosis include environmental pollutants, some medicines, some connective tissue diseases, and interstitial lung disease. Interstitial lung disease is the name for a large group of diseases that inflame or scar the lungs. In most cases, the cause cannot be found. This is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath
• A dry, hacking cough that doesn't get better
• Fatigue
• Weight loss for no known reason
• Aching muscles and joints
• Clubbing, which is the widening and rounding of the tips of the fingers or toes

Your doctor may use your medical history, imaging tests, a biopsy, and lung function tests to diagnose pulmonary fibrosis. There is no cure. Treatments can help with symptoms and improve your quality of life. They include medicines, oxygen therapy, pulmonary rehabilitation, or a lung transplant.

NIH: National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Start Here

• Introduction to Pulmonary Fibrosis (American Lung Association)

• What Is Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis? (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

• What Is Pulmonary Fibrosis? (Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation)

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pulmonary Fibrosis (National Institutes of Health)

• How the Lungs Work (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish

• Blood gases (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Lung diffusion testing (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish

• Pulmonary function tests (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish