Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease that causes scar tissue to form in your lungs, which prevents your body from getting enough oxygen. In most cases, doctors can’t identify the specific cause of the disease. There are some factors that can increase your risk, though. Smoking, being exposed to pollution, and having acid reflux disease all increase your chances of developing pulmonary fibrosis. Some medications and infections may cause the disease, too. The disease is more common in middle-aged and elderly people than in younger people, and it affects men more frequently than women. There may also be a genetic component.
To diagnose the disease, doctors perform imaging tests and lung function tests, and they sometimes take a lung tissue sample. Unfortunately, there isn’t a cure for pulmonary fibrosis. Oxygen therapy and medications can help you breathe and can ease some of the symptoms, but the damage to your lungs is irreversible. The outlook is different for everyone, and while some people rapidly deteriorate within a few months, others live for more than 10 years after being diagnosed. The disease can cause a variety of different symptoms, so identifying and treating it as early as possible is essential. Here are eight signs and symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis:
1. Shortness of Breath
Shortness of breath is the most common symptom of pulmonary fibrosis and is experienced by almost everyone with the disease. The disease causes your lung tissue to become scarred, thickened, and stiff, which makes it very difficult to breathe. Usually, oxygen moves into your blood through small air sacs in your lungs. When the tissue between and around the air sacs is scarred, it becomes much more difficult for oxygen to travel from your lungs to your blood.
With pulmonary fibrosis, even if you take as large and deep of a breath as you can, you won’t feel like you got enough oxygen. This feeling might be especially overwhelming when you walk, climb stairs, or do other activities, so you may need to take frequent breaks when performing physical tasks. In the late stages of the disease, the shortness of breath might make it tiring just to eat or speak. For some people, the breathing issues quickly get worse within months. For others, the progression of the disease is much slower and can stay the same for years. However, when the lung tissue becomes scarred, it can’t be reversed. Therefore, the shortness of breath tends to get worse over time. Even with treatment, you may always feel slightly short of breath.
2. Dry Cough
After shortness of breath, coughing is the second most common symptom of pulmonary fibrosis. A dry cough is caused by irritated nerve endings in your airways, which is the result of scar tissue in the lungs. Coughing doesn’t usually go away with pulmonary fibrosis, and it may worsen as the lung scarring progresses. You may experience occasional coughing fits that worsen your breathing problems. On its own, coughing is a symptom of many other illnesses and conditions, so it’s probably not a sign of pulmonary fibrosis. However, if it’s accompanied by breathing issues and other symptoms, it may be an indicator of the disease.
3. Hacking Cough
A hacking cough is a small but frequent cough. Most people with pulmonary fibrosis experience dry and hacking coughs that are hard to treat. Like a dry cough, a hacking cough is caused by irritated nerve endings, and it usually gets worse as the lungs become more and more scarred. You may go through periods of time where your cough is less severe, but it will probably not go away completely. Common triggers for coughing fits in people with pulmonary fibrosis include physical activity, hot or humid weather, dust, and secondhand cigarette smoke. In the late stages of the disease, talking and eating can trigger coughing episodes.
4. Shallow Breathing
Rapid and shallow breathing is a common issue with pulmonary fibrosis. A healthy person should take 12 to 20 breaths per minute, and rapid breathing is defined as 20 breaths or more per minute. The scarring in your lungs makes it difficult for your body to get enough oxygen, and rapid and shallow breathing is your body’s way of trying to increase oxygen intake. This symptom can occur while you’re asleep and awake, but it tends to get worse after physical activity. There isn’t a cure for shallow breathing caused by pulmonary fibrosis, but it can be managed with oxygen therapy.
5. Gradual Weight Loss
Weight loss in people with pulmonary fibrosis is usually gradual and unintended. Most people maintain their weight in the early stages of the disease, but weight loss is common as the disease progresses. If it becomes difficult to eat without coughing or gasping for breath, you may start eating less without realizing it. Also, many people with the disease have fatigue and depression, so they don’t have the energy to prepare and eat a full meal. Another possible cause of gradual weight loss is the medication used to treat the disease. Some drugs that treat pulmonary fibrosis cause nausea or decreased appetite, so it can be difficult to eat enough to maintain your weight.
6. Tiredness
Pulmonary fibrosis can cause extreme tiredness and exhaustion, especially in the later stages. Almost all patients report suffering from fatigue, and many say that it’s their most debilitating symptom. Some people have difficulty sleeping because of their coughing or their trouble breathing. Some people fall asleep easily, but they don’t get restful sleep because their breathing is so rapid and shallow. You may also feel tired because it takes extra effort for your body to get enough oxygen into your blood. Medications that treat pulmonary fibrosis can cause fatigue as a side effect, too. Like the other symptoms of the disease, tiredness may worsen as the disease progresses. However, oxygen therapy and other treatments can help with fatigue.
7. Aches
Aching joints and muscles are common with pulmonary fibrosis. Because the scar tissue in the lungs reduces how much oxygen is able to pass through and enter your bloodstream, your entire body can be deprived of the oxygen it needs. If your joints and muscles don’t get as much oxygen as they should, they may start to ache. You may feel aches or pains anywhere in your body, and they may come and go in cycles. Your doctor might treat your aching joints and muscles with medications or oxygen therapy. Exercise can also reduce pain because it strengthens your muscles, but exercise can be difficult for people with pulmonary fibrosis.
8. Clubbing of Fingers and Toes
Clubbing is the widening or rounding of the tips of your fingers and toes. The reason why pulmonary fibrosis causes clubbing is unknown, but it can make pools of fluid form in your digits. This is more common in the later stages of the disease and in people who haven’t had treatment. Clubbing usually occurs very gradually and starts with your fingernail slightly lifting off of your nail bed. Then, your fingertips may swell up and become warm and red. It usually isn’t painful, but the skin around your nails may become red and tender. Treatments that help with other symptoms should also help manage clubbing.
