For Patients

Pulmonary fibrosis is the name for group of chronic lung diseases that causes the tissue (interstitium) around the air sacs (alveoli) within the lungs to become thickened and scarred.

Quite simply pulmonary fibrosis means scarring of the lungs.

This scarring stiffens the lungs, which makes it increasingly difficult to breathe deeply. When this happens, it’s harder for the oxygen to pass through the lungs into the bloodstream, which is where it is needed for transportation to the rest of the body.

Common symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis are breathlessness, cough, fatigue, reduced ability to exercise and unexplained weight loss.

There are many different types of pulmonary fibrosis and sometimes people with pulmonary fibrosis have symptoms linked with other conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis or scleroderma. 

Your doctor will arrange tests to confirm the diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis and try and work out the type of pulmonary fibrosis you have. This helps to ensure each person receives the best treatment and management strategies for them.  

Interstitial Lung Diseases (ILD) is the medical term for this group of diseases. Pulmonary fibrosis is a commonly used umbrella term for the large number of ILDs which are characterised by fibrosis or scarring in the lung tissue.

There are many causes of pulmonary fibrosis, these include:

• environmental factors 
• side effects from a medication
• radiation treatment
• other illnesses such as rheumatoid arthritis, or scleroderma
• occupational exposure may cause silicosis or asbestosis
• genetics may also play a role in the cause for some people with pulmonary fibrosis. 

Sometimes the cause is unknown, and in this case the disease is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. 

You can learn more about pulmonary fibrosis in our patient resource section.