PULMONARY FIBROSIS

1. PULMONARY FIBROSIS Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease of the lungs which occurs when the tissue in the lungs gets scarred and is damaged. The scarring happens between and inside the air sacs within the lungs. When the scar is formed, the tissue becomes hard and thick and this makes it difficult for oxygen to go through the walls of the air sac and reach the bloodstream. It is worth pointing out that there is no cure for pulmonary fibrosis. This is why people are interested in knowing the causes of pulmonary fibrosis in order to manage the condition. As the condition becomes worse, the person with the disease has to cope with shortness of breath on a regular basis and will have to manage the condition with various types of treatment which can improve the quality of life. WHAT ARE THE CAUSES OF PULMONARY FIBROSIS The scarring which occurs because of pulmonary fibrosis is caused by many factors. There are instances where doctors find it difficult to determine what the causes of pulmonary fibrosis are. Before taking a look at the causes of pulmonary fibrosis, let us take a look at the symptoms. They include: • Dry cough • Tiredness • Shortness of breath • Unexplained Weight loss • Painful joints and muscles • Tips of the fingers and toes widening and rounding Reactions to these symptoms vary from person to person. ENVIRONMENTAL AND OCCUPATIONAL FACTORS THAT ARE THE CAUSES OF PULMONARY FIBROSIS Being exposed to pollutants and toxins for significant periods of time can damage the lungs. These include dust from coal and grains, animal and bird droppings, dust from hard metals, asbestos fibers, and much more.

2. TREATMENT FROM RADIATION There are people who have been treated for lung or breast cancer using radiation therapy and after months or years of treatment show signs of lung damage. How serious the damage is depends on the following: • If chemotherapy was used • The existence of an underlying lung disease • The level of radiation used • The amount of radiation the lung was exposed to MEDICAL CONDITIONS THAT ARE THE CAUSES OF PULMONARY FIBROSIS Other causes of pulmonary fibrosis: • Dermatomyositis • Polymyositis • Rheumatoid arthritis • Sarcoidosis • Scleroderma • Pneumonia GASTROESOPHAGEAL REFLUX DISEASE (GERD) Gerd is a condition in which people have acid in their stomach back up into their throat. People with this condition could breathe in small drops of acid from their stomachs and this can cause injury to the throat. MEDICATIONS Different types of drugs are also considered to be causes of pulmonary fibrosis by causing lung damage. These include the following: • Medications used to treat irregular heartbeat • Certain antibiotics • Certain anti-inflammatory drugs • Chemotherapy drugs Source