Pulmonary Fibrosis Life Expectancy

Pulmonary fibrosis is a chronic and debilitating disease of the lungs. It is characterized by growth of excess fibrous tissues in the lungs, which exacerbates slowly with time. Presence of scars in the lungs reduces the elasticity of the pulmonary tissues and the capability to distribute purified oxygen to the bloodstream. Eventually, fibrotic and/or scar tissues replace the tissues of the small air sacs (alveoli), resulting in abnormal breathing symptoms.

The main concern with pulmonary fibrosis is that this chronic disease is not reversible, instead scarring of the lung tissues become worse day-by-day. Hence, people having pulmonary fibrosis usually have a limited survival time. It is estimated that approximately 5 million people are affected with this severe lung disease and many patients lose their lives every year. Because of the raising health concern, studies regarding pulmonary fibrosis life expectancy have been conducted to determine the survival rate of patients after being diagnosed with this devastating disease.

Pulmonary Fibrosis: Causes and Symptoms

The exact causes of lung tissue scarring are not identified as yet. Hence, it is often referred to as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Medical experts are of the opinion that it may be a result of other lung disorders or an autoimmune problem, wherein the immune system of the body mistakenly affects its own cells and tissues. Factors that are known to trigger pulmonary fibrosis include injury to the lung tissues, lung infections, genetic predisposition, medicine side effects, and prolonged smoking.

Identifiable signs of pulmonary fibrosis are shortness of breath (especially during exertion) and chest discomfort. Other symptoms associated with scarring of the lung tissues include dry hacking cough, increased weakness, loss of appetite, and weight loss without any apparent reason. While most of the patients diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis are in their forties and fifties, this chronic lung ailment may affect people of all ages, including children of about 7 – 8 years and elderly citizens who are in their seventies.

Pulmonary Fibrosis: Prognosis and Life Expectancy

While coming to the predicted life expectancy of a patient having pulmonary fibrosis, it differs from one case to another. In short, it is highly individualistic, and disease prognosis varies from one patient to another according to the speed of deterioration. In some patients, fibrosis of the lung tissues occur at a very fast rate, whereas, the disease progression is relatively slow in others. Accordingly, life expectancy differs for each of the afflicted individuals.

While predicting the life expectancy of a person with pulmonary fibrosis, the concerned doctor takes several aspects into account, which affect the patient's survival rate directly or indirectly. In general, being a female patient contributes to good disease prognosis and a better survival rate. Likewise, a patient responsive to therapeutic intervention lives longer than a person who shows no positive responses to therapy. Prime factors that signify good pulmonary fibrosis prognosis are listed below.

• Diagnosis at a younger age (below 50 years)
• Early identification of the disease (within one year after the onset of symptoms)
• Scarring of the lung tissues is caused due to known reasons
• Less scarring of the lung tissues at the time of diagnosis
• Mild breathing difficulty at the time of diagnosis
• Improvement signs present within 3 – 6 months of receiving treatment
• No history of smoking

As the symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis are obscure and mimic other lung diseases, misdiagnosis of this ailment is not uncommon. Hence, getting the condition examined by a trustable doctor is essential. Unfortunately, there is no cure for pulmonary fibrosis. And the average pulmonary fibrosis life expectancy is estimated to be 2 – 5 years after diagnosis. Nevertheless, it is to be noted that the survival rate of a patient with a good prognosis may be higher than 5 years (about 7 years). To deal with pulmonary fibrosis, following correct treatment options and healthy lifestyle changes as per the doctor's advice is a necessity.

Effective remedies to stay healthy and improve the quality of living include eating a healthy diet, taking adequate rest, performing appropriate exercise regularly, smoking cessation, and combating other health problems that exacerbate pulmonary fibrosis condition. Effective treatment involves home oxygen therapy, medications to improve the lung function and also, to slow down scarring of lung tissues. In severe cases, the doctor may consider surgery for single lung transplantation, which help lengthen the survival period of the patient. Currently, clinical trials are also going on to find out reliable approaches for reverse scarring of lung tissues.