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Pulmonary Fibrosis
Pulmonary Fibrosis Definition: Certain lung disorders involve scarring of the lung by replacing the alveoli with fibrous connective tissue; the tissue then thickens and the result is an irreversible loss that takes away the power of the alveoli to transfer oxygen into the bloodstream. Such a condition is generally regarded as Pulmonary Fibrosis or Fibrosing Alveolitis or Intersititial Pneumonitis or Hamman-Rich syndrome and may result to death due to respiratory failure within a few weeks of the onset of the disease.
Pulmonary Fibrosis Explanation: A chronic disease, Pulmonary Fibrosis causes inflammation and scarring of the alveoli or the air sacs in the lungs; it also damages the interstitial tissues by forming fibrous scar tissue in the lungs in an abnormal and uncontrolled fashion. However, prior to the formation of the scars, it is inflammation of these tissues that occurs. Though a handful of diseases have been found to initiate pulmonary fibrosis in individuals, but proper reasons have not been found for most of the cases. The disease can either be a mild one or severe and may cause a few symptoms before becoming fatal, which is solely due to the thickening of lung tissues that makes the lungs become stiff. As a result, breathing becomes difficult and breathlessness often becomes a life-taking phenomenon.
It is the alveoli - the tiny grape-like air sacs that take oxygen into the lungs and expel carbon dioxide - are the ones that get affected first; Pulmonary Fibrosis twists them out of shape. The next victims are the lung capillaries that face major distortions. As side effects, the tissues between and surrounding the alveoli also get affected, thus completely deranging the basic architecture of the inner lung.
Pulmonary Fibrosis Causes: Pulmonary fibrosis happens to be a complicated illness that can derive from over 140 known causes though what initiates the disease in particular is still unknown. But the most frequent causes of pulmonary fibrosis, as noticed, are sarcoidosis, certain occupations like working with asbestos, silicon, rubber & plastics and idiopathic or unknown causes. Some of the other diseases that initiate pulmonary fibrosis are Tuberculosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Systemic Lupus Erythematosis, Systemic Sclerosis, Grain handler's lung and Hermansky Pudlak Syndrome.
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Pulmonary Fibrosis Symptoms:
Pulmonary Fibrosis Diagnosis: A chest x-ray sometimes proves helpful as well as Pulmonary function tests, which reveal the efficiency of a patient's breathing mechanism. Bronchoalveolar Lavage, a test that allows removal and examination of cells in the lower respiratory tract is sometimes used; other methods involve injecting Gallium 67, a substance that gets absorbed by inflamed areas to reveal them on sensitized films and lung biopsy for examining the cells in and around the alveoli.
Pulmonary Fibrosis Treatment:
If induced by
known causes, treating the underlying disease can cure pulmonary fibrosis;
removing the patient from the environment causing the disease can also prove
effective. Treatment of Pulmonary Fibrosis should not be limited only to the inflammatory response that occurs in the lungs. It is vital to stop the progression of the disease; hence Corticosteroids are prescribed for better chance of improvement. Corticosteroid medications can have various side effects; therefore, frequent reassessment by their physicians is vital for judging the safety and benefit.
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