Dr. Jim Surrell, Journal columnist

Pulmonary fibrosis is a serious chronic (long term) medical disease that affects the tissue surrounding the small air sacs in our lungs, known as alveoli. When our lungs are healthy, oxygen easily passes through the walls of the air sacs, and on into the blood.

With pulmonary fibrosis, the tissue around these air sacs becomes stiff and thick. This can lead to permanent scarring in the lungs, which makes the walls even thicker. The thickened walls of the air sacs make it harder for oxygen to get through and pass into our bloodstream. Of course, when this lung tissue becomes stiff from this scarred lung tissue, it makes it much more difficult for a person to breathe.

Overall, pulmonary fibrosis is considered to be a somewhat rare disease. At the present time, according to our National Institutes of Health (NIH), about 100,000 people in the United States have pulmonary fibrosis. It is reported that men are more likely than women to have pulmonary fibrosis. This disease usually occurs in people older than age 50 years. People who smoke have a higher risk of developing this terrible disease and this is yet another reason why nobody should ever smoke. There may also be a genetic component to pulmonary fibrosis because a person whose has a parent or sibling with this disease may be more likely to develop pulmonary fibrosis.

Following is a brief review of the most common symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis. People with pulmonary fibrosis often experience one or more of the following symptoms. 1. Shortness of breath that gets worse over time. At first, it may be harder to breathe when you’re active. As time passes, it may become hard to catch your breath even while you at rest. 2. A dry cough may occur that does not improve, and this may include repeated coughing attacks that you can’t control. As with the shortness of breath, this cough may get worse as time goes by. 3. The person with pulmonary fibrosis may also have achy joints and muscles and will often feel weak and tired. 4. Pulmonary fibrosis may also cause a person to have an unexplained slow weight loss. If a person has any of these symptoms, they should review it with their healthcare provider without delay.

Your doctor may ask you questions about your medical history and will listen to your lungs. He or she may order tests, such as a chest X-ray or a CT scan, to help rule out other medical conditions.

As of this time, there is no known medical cure for pulmonary fibrosis. But if a person is diagnosed with this disease, they can take the following steps to slow down its progress, improve your breathing, and generally feel much better.

With pulmonary fibrosis, oxygen therapy will help to make it easier to breathe, and also easier to exercise. Certain medicines may also be prescribed to help with their breathing. In addition, lung transplant surgery may be considered in some more advanced cases of pulmonary fibrosis. It may also be recommended for a person to get into a pulmonary rehabilitation program to improve their strength and quality of life. Healthy lifestyle changes, like quitting smoking, getting exercise, and eating a healthy diet will also be strongly recommended. In addition, counseling and support will help a person with pulmonary fibrosis deal with any associated stress and anxiety.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Dr. Jim Surrell is the author of the best-selling SOS (Stop Only Sugar) Diet book and his new Joke Book, entitled “Laughter Is Good Medicine.” Dr. Jim’s website is sosdietbook.com.