Question 1

if i can exercise less and less over the past few months does that mean i have pulmonary fibrosis?

Accepted Answer

Not necessarily: A decrease in the amount of exercise you can do can be caused by decreasing lung function but could also be caused by a lot of other things. You might have decreasing cardiac function decreasing muscle strength/endurance or worsening anemia just to name a few. Blood test and scans of various types would help to sort out the cause of your decreasing exercise tolerance.

Question 2

best exercise for pulmonary fibrosis weight lifting or cardio?

Accepted Answer

Exercise: You need both kinds of exercise. At least half hour daily of cardio and at least 3 weight sessions a week.

Question 3

if i had a double contrast ct scan of the chest and two chest x rays combine with an exercise stress test would this have showed cystic or pulmonary fibrosis? would it have showed up on either scan?

Accepted Answer

Yes!: These disorders should be evident on a high quality contrasted chest CT

Question 4

what is pulmonary fibrosis?

Accepted Answer

Scar tissue: The short version is scar tissue caused by inflammation in the lung. There are many different causes and subtypes though making it pretty complicated.

Question 5

is pulmonary fibrosis terminal?

Accepted Answer

Pulm Fibrosis: Hi, Pulmonary fibrosis can develop slowly or quickly. There is no cure. Many people with the disease live only about three to five years after diagnosis. The only treatment is lung transplant.

Question 6

is pulmonary fibrosis inherited?

Accepted Answer

Pulmonary fibrosis: While I have not seen it commonly there are some families with a history of pulmonary fibrosis. Most of my office patients and previous fibrosis patients I have come across are the only ones in their family with fibrosis. I have one patient in my practice with several family members with progressive and ultimately fatal fibrosis. She has been evaluated at duke university with a genetic workup.

Question 7

what is pulmonary fibrosis like?

Accepted Answer

Scarring: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis is an inflammatory process affecting lung parenchyma and resulting in loss of lung storage and resulting in low diffusin capacity and restrictive lung disease. Cardiovascular effect inckude pulmonary hypertension and cor pulmonale. The disease is slowly progressive and unresponsive to all current therapy. Lifespan can be in months(hamman-rich)  to a few years.

Question 8

can pulmonary fibrosis be cured?

Accepted Answer

No and Yes: At this time the only curative intervention for pulmonary fibrosis is lung transplantation.  There are no medications that have been proven to cure the disease.  Some medicines may help (such as steroids, n-acetylcysteine and pirfenidone) slow the disease however.

Question 9

how is pulmonary fibrosis treated?

Accepted Answer

Options: Pulmonary fibrosis is treated with supportive care and oxygen.  There are no drugs that have been proven to help at this time although a drug called pirfenidone has been studies and shows progress (it decreases progressive scarring of the lungs).  There are also a number of drug trials ongoing in the US and elsewhere to try and find something that works.

Question 10

what to expect in pulmonary fibrosis?

Accepted Answer

Slow progression...: Pulmonary fibrosis is a slowly progressive disease. The patient gradually, usually over years, becomes increasingly short of breath and has increasing difficulty functioning. The patient has less oxygen in their blood over this time period and will eventually require supplemental oxygen. At end-stage, consideration for a lung transplant can be entertained, depending on many other factors.

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Doctor answers about:

Does exercise help my pulmonary fibrosis

A member asked:

If i can exercise less and less over the past few months does that mean i have pulmonary fibrosis?

A member asked:

Best exercise for pulmonary fibrosis weight lifting or cardio?

A member asked:

If i had a double contrast ct scan of the chest and two chest x rays combine with an exercise stress test would this have showed cystic or pulmonary fibrosis? would it have showed up on either scan?

A member asked:

What is pulmonary fibrosis?

A member asked:

Is pulmonary fibrosis terminal?

A member asked:

Is pulmonary fibrosis inherited?

A member asked:

What is pulmonary fibrosis like?

A member asked:

Can pulmonary fibrosis be cured?

A member asked:

How is pulmonary fibrosis treated?

A member asked:

What to expect in pulmonary fibrosis?

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