Pulmonary Fibrosis: Scarred Lungs, Symptoms and Treatment

In pulmonary fibrosis, the tissue deep in your lungs becomes scarred over time. It grows thick and stiff, so it is hard to catch your breath, and your blood may not get enough oxygen.

Causes

• Environmental pollutants.
• Some medicines.
• Some connective tissue diseases.
• Interstitial lung disease, a large group of diseases that inflame or scar the lungs.

In most cases no cause is found. That is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Symptoms

• Shortness of breath.
• A dry, hacking cough that doesn't go away.
• Fatigue.
• Weight loss for no known reason.
• Aching muscles and joints.
• Clubbing: the tips of the fingers or toes widen and round.

Diagnosis

Your doctor may use your medical history, imaging tests, a biopsy and lung function tests.

Treatment

There is no cure, but treatment can ease symptoms and improve quality of life:

• medicines;
• oxygen therapy;
• pulmonary rehabilitation;
• a lung transplant.

Sources

Based on "Pulmonary Fibrosis," MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of Medicine, drawing on the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; a work of the United States government in the public domain.