What Is Pulmonary Fibrosis?
Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic lung disease that causes the tissues of the lung to become scarred and damaged. The scarred tissues often become stiff and limit the ability of the lungs to function well. The condition often affects the alveoli, small air sacs in the lung. This makes it difficult to get enough air into the bloodstream and causes shortness of breath.
This disease is a progressive condition with causes that are often difficult to narrow down. In some cases, however, pulmonary fibrosis is caused by autoimmune diseases or exposure to hazardous substances like asbestos. Sometimes it is caused by chemotherapy from cancer treatment. Pulmonary fibrosis without a known cause is known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis [1].
The damage caused by this lung disease is irreversible, but doctors treat the condition with some therapies. The treatments cannot stop the disease from worsening; most help slow the progression and improve the quality of life for people with the condition. The treatment used to treat the condition often depends on how far the disease has progressed and the cause. This article explores the available treatment methods for pulmonary fibrosis.