Our grateful thanks to the patient led charity, Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis for their contribution to our radio report (available via the audio player at the bottom of this page) and for the information below, derived from their website, which you can reach via this link to find out more.
Pulmonary fibrosis (lung scarring) describes a group of interstitial lung diseases (over 200) that affects around 70,000 people in the UK.
Pulmonary fibrosis occurs when collagen (scar tissue, often known as ‘fibrosis’) accumulates within the delicate gas-exchanging air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs. As the amount of scar tissue increases, the lungs become smaller and stiffer which eventually leads to ilow oxygen levels in the blood.
Symptoms may include:
If the pulmonary fibrosis is related to an autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis or scleroderma (systemic sclerosis), you may also experience symptoms of that condition – for example, problems with joints, skin, or muscles.
Causes Some types of pulmonary fibrosis have an identifiable cause. But for many types, a definite cause cannot be found.
To find out more about pulmonary fibrosis click here to visit the Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis website.
The Asthma + Lung UK charity also has information and resources you can reach via this link.
Listen to this weeks radio report
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