What Is Pulmonary Fibrosis?
At 13, my teachers would often stop and ask me about Pulmonary Fibroses (PF). Back then, they did not know what the thing was called. They would smirk something like “What is …umm… wrong with…” and then point to a member of my family. Pulmonary Fibrosis took the honorable seat at our family table in my early teens. Ever since, I have had to walk the walk and talk the talk. I would welcome this type of questions as an invitation to explain the medical condition. Our conversations would often go this way.
Pulmonary Fibrosis is an aggressively progressive lung disease demonstrated by difficulty in breathing, as oxygen cannot be absorbed in the blood stream. Every year 30,000 to 40,000 new cases are discovered. It is not contagious. You could get it through A) a genetic mutation B) exposure to hazardous materials or radiation C) an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis or D) unknown reasons.
Okay, now that you know the basics, let’s go further. As someone sick with PF, your lungs scar. The tissues become thick and the lungs can no longer expand properly during breathing. The mucus remains trapped, meanwhile causing continuous inflammation of the alveoli. This is followed by sleepless nights of coughing and spitting mucus. Prepare to experience a gradual weight loss and change in your finger nails, known as nail clubbing where the nails become round and deformed. Other adjustments include but are not limited to shortness of breath. During flu season, you are prone to catching infections easily and have a longer recovery process.
Anneke Wilder Artwork at Etsy
Nowadays, you don’t have to be stuck in a hospital. Though there is no prevention or a cure, there are things that help you get through life. You could receive oxygen therapy at home or even have a carry-on oxygen tank and go for a walk. In addition, corticosteroid-based medicine is used to open the airways and delay the progression of the disease. Side effects include thinning of the skin, easier bruising, formation of hunch bags, and excessive weight gain. Your best bet would be to check regularly with you doctor and have a continuous treatment.
So now you know. Understanding pulmonary fibrosis and its side effects help you join in the lives of acquaintances, friends, or loved ones suffering from PF and ease their everyday life.
Milostina Krusteva is a senior at the American University in Bulgaria, studying Journalism and Business Administration. From the age of 13 till 19, she witnessed her mother’s fight with pulmonary fibroses.
For further resources and support, please, visit the Europe Cystic Fibroses Society or the American Lung Association.
