Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease characterized by the appearance of fibrosis, that is, scars in the tissue of the lungs, causing them to become more rigid, hindering breathing capacity and causing symptoms such as shortness of breath and dry cough, for example.
In many cases the cause of the disease is not found, being classified as Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis, but some factors that increase the chances of developing the disease are exposure to occupational dust, such as silica and asbestos, smoking, pollution, autoimmune diseases or side effect of use of certain medications, such as Amiodarone or Nitrofurantoin, for example.
Pulmonary fibrosis cannot be cured because these damages to the lung cannot be repaired. However, the disease can be controlled through treatment that involves physiotherapy and the use of medicines prescribed by the pulmonologist such as immunosuppressants, Pirfenidone or Nintedanib. See how this medicine works and how to use it by clicking here.
Main symptoms
In an early stage, pulmonary fibrosis may not cause symptoms. As the disease progresses, signs and symptoms such as:
- Shortness of breath; Dry cough or with little secretion; Excessive tiredness; Lack of appetite and weight loss without apparent cause; Muscle and joint pain; Blue or purple fingers; Deformity in the fingers characteristic of the lack of oxygen in the body, called " fingers on drum stick ".
The severity and speed of onset of symptoms can vary from person to person, especially according to the cause, and in general, it evolves over months to years.
When suspecting pulmonary fibrosis, the pulmonologist will order tests such as computed tomography, which assesses the presence of changes in lung tissue, spirometry, which measures the lung's ventilation capacity and other tests, such as blood tests, which rule out other diseases, such as pneumonia. In case of doubt, a lung biopsy may also be performed.
It is important not to confuse pulmonary fibrosis with cystic fibrosis, which is a hereditary disease, which presents in children, in which some glands produce abnormal secretions that mainly affect the digestive and respiratory tracts. Check out how to identify and treat cystic fibrosis.
How the treatment is done
The treatment of pulmonary fibrosis must be guided by a pulmonologist and usually includes drugs with antifibrotic properties, such as Pirfenidone or Nintedanib, corticosteroid drugs, such as Prednisone, and drugs that reduce the immune system's response, such as Cyclosporine or Methotrexate, and may relieve some symptoms or delay the progression of the disease..
Physiotherapy is essential to perform pulmonary rehabilitation, in which programmed exercises are performed with the aim of improving the patient's breathing capacity, who remain more active and have fewer symptoms.
In addition, in the most severe cases, the doctor may also recommend using oxygen at home as a way to help increase blood oxygenation. The disease can become very serious for some people, and in these cases, a lung transplant may be indicated.
Find out more about treatment at: Treatment for pulmonary fibrosis.
What causes pulmonary fibrosis
Although a specific cause for pulmonary fibrosis is not determined, the risk of developing the disease is greater for individuals who:
- They are smokers; They work in environments with many toxins, such as silica dust or asbestos, for example; They undergo radiotherapy or chemotherapy for cancer, such as lung or breast cancer; They use certain medications that are at risk of causing this effect, such as Amiodarone Hydrochloride or Propranolol, or antibiotics, such as Sulfasalazine or Nitrofurantoin, for example; They have lung diseases, such as Tuberculosis or Pneumonia; They have autoimmune diseases, such as Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis or Scleroderma.
In addition, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis can be passed from parents to children, and genetic counseling is recommended if there are many cases of the disease in the family.
