Pneumofibrosis of the lungs: symptoms and consequences of the disease, treatment with folk remedies

Causes of diffuse pneumofibrosis

The causes of the development of pneumofibrosis are very extensive and varied. Among the factors contributing to the growth of connective tissue in place of normal pulmonary tissue are:

• inflammatory lung diseases of various etiologies. A special place in this large group is occupied by fungal and bacterial pneumonia;
• pulmonary tuberculosis;
• chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD);
• parasitic lesions of the bronchopulmonary system;
• poisoning with toxins and poisons that have a high affinity for the tissues of the respiratory tract;
• connective tissue pathologies of any origin and location;
• aggravated hereditary history (one of the parents suffered from focal pulmonary fibrosis).

Factors that create favorable conditions for the development of the disease include:

• traumatic injuries to the chest and organs located in it;
• various diseases of the cardiovascular system, one of the manifestations of which is blood stasis in the small circle;
• long-term radiation therapy;
• harmful working conditions – constant inhalation of dust particles, harmful and poisonous gases.

Why does the disease develop?

Pneumofibrosis never occurs in isolation and is not an independent disease. Most often it is a consequence of various diseases, such as bronchitis and pneumonia, in which trauma to the lung tissue occurs.

To adequately understand the problem, it is necessary to know not only what focal pulmonary fibrosis is, but also why it nevertheless develops.

Scientists and doctors identify several main causes of this pathological condition:

The appearance of the disease in question is usually associated with hypoxic processes in tissues, that is, with the occurrence of oxygen starvation. Against the background of such starvation, fibroblasts become overly active. Thus, fibroblasts contribute to the formation of collagen in huge quantities, and the connective tissue grows very strongly.

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There are several risk groups for this disease:

1. Persons who often suffer from respiratory diseases.
2. Heavy smokers.
3. Workers who are constantly in contact with flour, dust particles, coal, cement, metal chips, asbestos, talc and wood shavings.

Such people often develop chronic bronchitis, which leads to constant inflammation in the lung tissue. Inflammation leads to stagnation of sputum and the formation of dense plugs, which, in the absence of adequate treatment, contributes to the rapid development of fibrosis.

Much less often, but still possible, the development of the disease under the influence of high doses of ionizing radiation, as well as while taking certain types of drugs, for example, antiarrhythmic and antitumor drugs.

Another reason for the formation of local pneumofibrosis is previous and treated tuberculosis.

Main manifestations of the disease

Despite the complexity of the disease, its symptoms are quite scarce and non-specific. The most basic clinical characteristics are the following indicators:

It is important to note that the presented manifestations develop in the initial stages of the disease. With the rapid progression of the pathology, symptoms of heart failure come to the fore, swelling and a feeling of palpitations associated with tachycardia appear.

Shortness of breath is characteristic of the progression of the disease. At first it appears only as a consequence of physical activity, for example when running, working and walking.

It happens that the patient begins to notice the appearance of bloody streaks in the sputum. This is not a very good sign, as it indicates the development of complications, for example, bleeding from the vessels of his tissues.

Local pneumofibrosis itself, in comparison with its other forms, is the most harmless type of pathology. It affects only a small fragment of tissue, as opposed to, for example, diffuse. The pathology does not develop immediately, but several months and sometimes even years after the illness.

Symptoms of the disease

As a rule, the disease can occur not only against the background of poor environmental conditions, but also as a result of other infectious or chronic pathologies. Pneumofibrosis can also develop due to frequent use of medications and radiation. The main reasons for the formation of pathology are as follows:

• consequences of tuberculosis, syphilis;
• chest injuries;
• pathologies caused by fungal diseases;
• stagnation of blood in the pulmonary vessels.

Don't forget about smoking. The systematic entry of toxic substances into the lungs leads to the fact that the lung tissue is replaced by connective tissue. Treatment with traditional methods will not help here. You can only pause the process and partially relieve the pain. Impaired ventilation of the lungs and drainage of the bronchi can also cause the development of the disease.

Pneumofibrosis, as a rule, occurs secondary to the following processes and factors:

• Taking toxic medications;
• Smoking;
• Tuberculosis;
• Mechanical damage to lung tissue (trauma);
• Infections or infestations;
• Stagnation of blood in the vessels of the lungs;
• Long-term exposure to dust, radiation and other negative factors.

Quite often, the occurrence of pneumofibrosis is associated with hypoxia in the lung tissue with subsequent activation of fibroblasts (cells that produce collagen), that is, the development of the first stage of connective tissue formation.

The trigger for the development of hypoxia can be a violation of lymphatic drainage, drainage function of the bronchi, ventilation of the lungs and pulmonary blood flow.

Normally, lung tissue is elastic, which ensures the normal functioning of the entire respiratory system. The higher the elasticity, the more effort the body requires to stretch the lungs and the higher the intrapulmonary pressure. Pressure in the lung tissue acts on the walls of the alveoli, causing the latter to open during inhalation.

Consequently, intrapulmonary pressure decreases. Low pressure in the lungs leads to the fact that part of the alveoli does not open and, therefore, does not participate in the breathing process. As a result, the body does not receive enough oxygen and ventilation in the lungs is impaired.

The presence of inflammation in the bronchi leads to disruption of the outflow of bronchial secretions and, consequently, to its accumulation. Stagnant secretion is an excellent substrate for the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms.

The outflow of blood and lymph is disrupted due to compression of the pulmonary vessels and congestion in the vessels adjacent to the pulmonary tissue. Blood stagnation occurs due to spasms and inflammatory processes. In places of stagnation, connective tissue is formed, which subsequently replaces the nearby alveoli.

In other words, the basis for the development of pulmonary fibrosis is an inflammatory focus in the lungs, which provokes the replacement of lung tissue with connective tissue.

Depending on one or another factor that provokes the occurrence of a pathological process, connective tissue can develop in different ways: if ventilation in the lungs is impaired, then the development of connective tissue is the root cause of pneumofibrosis, and in the presence of stagnation, connective tissue is its consequence.

The progression of the disease leads to loss of lung tissue from the respiratory process, and, as a consequence, to the occurrence of respiratory failure and disruption of gas exchange between vessels and tissues, capillaries and alveoli.

Patients with local forms of pneumofibrosis, as a rule, have no complaints, since the general condition does not change. Local damage to lung tissue is detected during fluorography or x-ray examination.

Diffuse pneumofibrosis has clear symptoms:

• Increasing shortness of breath;
• Dry cough that gets worse with deep breathing;
• General weakness, apathy;
• “Drum sticks” (thickening of the terminal phalanges of the fingers);
• Possible increase in body temperature;
• Periodically appearing pain in the chest and ribs;
• Gradual transition of a dry cough into a wet one with viscous purulent sputum;
• On auscultation - wheezing in the lower parts and “friction of the plug” (a sound characteristic of pneumofibrosis);
• Paleness of the skin (cyanosis) - due to hypoxia - oxygen starvation of the body;
• In case of complications, hemoptysis or sputum streaked with blood may appear (that is, signs of circulatory disorders in the pulmonary circulation);
• If pulmonary fibrosis develops against the background of bronchitis or pneumonia, then the symptoms of these (primary) diseases will also be present.

What it is?

Fibrosis is the replacement of part of an organ with connective tissue. This is the result of an inflammatory process or injury. The body tries to protect the remaining, healthy part of the organ, so connective tissue forms at the site of damage.

This process is normally physiological, but with various diseases, fibrosis can occur in a significant part of the lungs; this area will be switched off from the breathing process, so unpleasant symptoms will occur.

In this article we will look at why pulmonary fibrosis changes occur in the lungs, what are the symptoms and treatment of pulmonary fibrosis, and why it is dangerous. Causes Doctors have studied a huge number of diseases and pathological conditions in which the lung can become fibrotic. Here are just the most common:

1. Pneumonia is a common inflammation of the lungs, which occurs very often in the human population. When the inflammatory process subsides, post-pneumonic fibrosis forms in the organ. In this case, connective tissue plays a physiological role and replaces the alveoli and interstitium damaged by inflammation (like a scar on the skin after an injury).
2. Systemic diseases – collagenosis. Rheumatic diseases very often cause fibrosis of the lung tissue. The cause is systemic inflammation. The most common diseases that can cause pulmonary fibrosis are systemic scleroderma, dermatomyositis and systemic vasculitis.
3. Lung abscess - this pathology is an abscess (a cavity in the lung filled with pus). When the abscess resolves, a patch of connective tissue forms in its place.
4. Bronchial asthma and COPD - these diseases are inflammatory in nature. In asthma, inflammation is caused by allergic mechanisms, and in COPD, the process is provoked by smoking and inhalation of harmful substances. A long-term process leads to pulmonary fibrosis.
5. Tuberculosis is, unfortunately, one of the most common causes of fibrosis in our country. The causative agent of tuberculosis has the property of long-term persistence; our body delimits the area of ​​inflammation with fibrous tissue.
6. Fungal infections of the lungs - mycoses. These diseases are uncommon. For a fungus to cause inflammation of the lung, there must be a serious decrease in immunity due to infection with the human immunodeficiency virus or taking drugs that reduce immunity.
7. Harmful production – pulmonary fibrosis can be caused by working in mines, inhaling harmful aerosols, and exposure to radiation. If a person’s work is associated with these factors, then lung fibrosis is inevitable.
8. Parasites – Some diseases caused by parasites, such as echinococcosis, affect lung tissue. Our body delimits the parasite by forming a connective tissue capsule.
9. Pleurisy is inflammation of the lining of the lung of various etiologies. May lead to fibrosis of the underlying lung tissue.
10. Idiopathic interstitial lung diseases: sarcoidosis, idiopathic pneumofibrosis, histiocytosis X, Hamman-Rich syndrome. These diseases are extremely rare and the cause of their occurrence is unknown to medicine. Pulmonologists deal with this problem.

In fact, it is extremely important to know the cause of fibrosis in each individual person, because fibrosis can be stopped only by influencing the factors that cause it.

Symptoms of diffuse pulmonary fibrosis

In the early stages of development of this pulmonary pathology, symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis may be absent.

They appear as the connective tissue in the lungs grows and their functional capacity decreases.

The clinical picture of the disease consists of such signs as:

• shortness of breath, which also progresses as the disease progresses. At the very beginning, it practically does not bother the patient. Later, shortness of breath occurs during habitual physical activity, and then even in a state of complete rest;
• cough with the release of viscous, thick sputum, often with purulent impurities. As normal connective tissue is replaced, hemoptysis is observed (the appearance of traces of blood in the sputum);
• pain syndrome accompanying coughing. Pain in the chest area can also appear outside of coughing attacks;
• changes in the color of the skin - they acquire a pale and sometimes cyanotic (bluish) tint;
• fluctuations in body temperature;
• cardiac tachycardia;
• feeling of weakness without previous physical and emotional stress;
• weight loss without connection with food intake, and not associated with diseases of the digestive tract.

During a detailed examination of the patient, the doctor notes:

• the appearance of characteristic wheezing, becoming whistling in nature when inhaling. Wheezing is clearly audible in the projection of the lower pulmonary lobes;
• bulging veins in the neck;
• On auscultation, a sound similar to the sound of a plug rubbing is heard above the surface of the lungs;
• painful appearance - excessive pallor of the skin;
• “Hippocrates fingers” - thickening of the distal phalanges of the fingers.

Symptoms

The clinical picture of pulmonary fibrosis is nonspecific, so symptoms alone do not allow a reliable diagnosis. Nevertheless, the clinic allows one to suspect a pathological process in time and begin a diagnostic search.

Look out for the following possible signs:

1. Shortness of breath is the main symptom of fibrosis. The lung, replaced by connective tissue, cannot fully perform its functions. Therefore, characteristic shortness of breath occurs during physical activity. As the disease progresses, shortness of breath may also occur at rest.
2. The cough is dry and occurs rarely. It happens that against the background of fibrosis, a secondary inflammatory process occurs, then the cough becomes wet and is accompanied by the release of purulent sputum.
3. Due to hypoxia of the body, symptoms such as fatigue, general malaise and weakness occur.
4. Body weight gradually decreases, the person loses weight.
5. Cyanosis of the skin is possible - diffuse blue discoloration on the limbs and torso.
6. Sometimes distant wheezing can be heard when a person breathes.

With a local form of fibrosis, the listed symptoms occur extremely rarely. The clinical picture is mainly characteristic of diffuse sclerosis.

Causes of the disease

Symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis depend on the stage and subtype of the disease. However, it is possible to identify general factors that indicate pulmonary fibrosis:

• shortness of breath, which intensifies as the disease progresses;
• severe dry cough;
• bluish skin color;
• weakness, weight loss;
• changes in body temperature;
• soft tissue hypertrophy.

In more severe forms, swelling of the neck veins may occur.

It is worth noting that the presence of such symptoms does not mean that it is pulmonary fibrosis. To make an accurate diagnosis, you need to undergo a series of instrumental and laboratory tests. Please also take into account that the focal form does not manifest itself in any way, which complicates the diagnostic process.

Classification of the disease, its symptoms

In medical practice, local and diffuse types of pneumofibrosis are encountered. A local type of disease is characterized by compaction of a separate fragment of the lung. There are no obvious disturbances in gas exchange processes. Diffuse pulmonary fibrosis leads to the fact that they lose their original structure and shape, their density increases, and ventilation is impaired.

Your doctor may then find anything abnormal and may take small tissue samples for testing. You will usually be awake for the bronchoscopy, and this may cause you to cough. A local anesthetic will be used to numb your throat so it doesn't hurt, and you may also be given a sedative injection to make you feel drowsy during the procedure.

The tubes from the machine are long, so you can move around the house while connected. Pulmonary rehabilitation is used for many long-term lung conditions and aims to help patients come to terms with their condition, learn better ways to manage it, and improve their ability to function on a daily basis without severe shortness of breath.

According to medical sources, pneumofibrosis is divided into hilar and linear. The linear form of the disease is a consequence of previous tuberculosis or infections.

Science does not know where it comes from. It makes itself felt after the patient has had bronchitis or pneumonia. Pneumofibrosis rarely occurs as an independent disease. Its appearance is preceded by a number of provoking factors, which include:

Treatments are used to slow the progression of pulmonary scarring and may not necessarily reduce symptoms of cough and shortness of breath. These drugs are not approved for use in other interstitial lung diseases. This includes treating gastroesophageal reflux with anti-acid therapy and treating shortness of breath with opioids. Other treatments include supplemental oxygen, pulmonary rehabilitation, and lung transplantation.

It is important to work with your family doctor or respiratory therapist to find the best treatment for you. Not all medications will work for everyone. Your doctor knows your medical history and can determine the best treatment for you. The following may help you prepare for your appointment with your doctor.

Depending on the period of time after which the patient consults a doctor, he is diagnosed with a progressive or non-progressive stage of pulmonary fibrosis. The non-progressive form of the disease is characterized by the absence of pronounced symptoms.

Receiving psychosocial support, teaching and learning skills through patient support groups can be very valuable for patients and their caregivers. Discuss the progress of your illness with your doctor at follow-up visits and ask your doctor to help you develop goals for your care.

• Prepare a written list of questions you want to ask.
• Place the most important questions at the top of the list.
• Take notes as the doctor answers your questions.
• If you do not understand the doctor's answers, ask for more details.
• Show your doctor a written list of all your symptoms.

Local home care services can be very important in providing you with essential services in your home, keeping doctors in touch with you when the need arises.
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Therefore, it is important to learn good reference skills and inform yourself as much as possible about the disease. Quitting smoking is the most important thing you can do to slow the progression of any lung disease. Stay the best you can.

• Get a flu shot every year.
• Ask your doctor about getting a shot for pneumonia.
• Stay away from people with chest infections and colds.
• Wash your hands properly and often.

Scars in the lungs can prevent your body from absorbing oxygen.
Low oxygen levels can make you feel short of breath and tired. If your blood oxygen levels are too low, your doctor may prescribe supplemental oxygen. This helps reduce shortness of breath and can help you be more active.

In this case, treatment of pneumofibrosis with folk remedies is allowed. The progressive form is dangerous due to complications. Relapses of the disease can bother a person throughout his life. It should be remembered that a disease such as pulmonary fibrosis is more typical for men.

Why is pulmonary fibrosis dangerous? Pneumofibrosis is an insidious disease. The proliferation of tissue leads to a decrease in the lungs and the appearance. Pulmonary artery pressure increases. This process cannot be stopped or corrected. Death occurs as a result of complications.

If your doctor has prescribed supplemental oxygen, it is important to use it as prescribed. Many patients fear that they will become “dependent” on supplemental oxygen. Supplemental oxygen is not addictive and your body needs the proper amount to maintain normal bodily functions. People who take supplemental oxygen must continue to take their other medications.

Typically, oxygen therapy can only help people with very low oxygen levels. To find out if you need supplemental oxygen, talk to your doctor or certified educator. Some medications help slow the progression of pulmonary fibrosis.

Signs of pulmonary fibrosis appear if the connective tissue has grown in both lungs. The first and main symptom of the disease is shortness of breath. At the first stage, it bothers a person after physical activity, later when he is at rest.

Other symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis include:

• cough accompanied by sputum and pus;
• the skin takes on a bluish tint;
• chest pain, worse when coughing;
• prostration;
• body temperature is unstable;
• sudden weight loss;
• swelling of the neck veins;
• wheezing and squeaking in the lungs, especially when exhaling.

At the same time, concomitant signs of the disease that provoked pulmonary fibrosis appear in the picture of the disease.

As with any medicine for any condition, you should talk to your doctor about different treatment options and ask about the drug's side effects. Some patients taking pirfenidone have side effects, most commonly stomach upset and skin rashes, especially when exposed to the sun.

Corticosteroid tablets Corticosteroid tablets can reduce inflammation in the lungs by suppressing your immune system. Pulmonary rehabilitation is an exercise and educational program intended only for patients with lung disease.

Many patients diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis fear that it is cancer. Despite the similarity of the clinical picture, pulmonary fibrosis is not an oncological disease.

Treatment of diffuse pulmonary fibrosis

The basis of treating a disease is to first eliminate its cause. So, if pulmonary fibrosis was provoked by any harmful factors, then it is necessary to eliminate them as soon as possible.

In advanced forms of the disease that are not amenable to medication, surgical treatment is indicated.

Treatment with folk remedies also has the right to exist in the complex therapy of diffuse pulmonary fibrosis.

Since pulmonary fibrosis is considered more of a syndrome than an independent disease, drugs should be selected depending on the underlying disease, which is the root cause.

If the etiological factor is an infectious-inflammatory disease caused by a bacterial, viral or fungal agent, then etiotropic therapy is based on the use of antibiotics, antiviral and antifungal drugs, respectively.

If we are talking about pathogenic microorganisms (bacteria), then rational antibiotic therapy can be prescribed only after testing the sensitivity of the microorganism to a particular group of antibacterial agents.

Symptomatic therapy is of no small importance, including the use of such groups of drugs as:

• non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ketorolac, Ibuprofen);
• glucocorticosteroid hormones (Prednisolone, Dexamethasone);
• mucolytics (ACC, Mucaltin, Bronholitin, Lazolvan);
• multivitamins (Vitrum);
• analgesics (Analgin);
• cardiac glycosides (Digoxin, Strophanthin, Korglykon, etc.).

Surgical

Surgical treatment for pulmonary fibrosis must be resorted to when it is complicated by an abscess or other purulent process that leads to destruction of lung tissue. Most often, radical treatment is carried out in two ways:

• by removing part of the affected organ;
• by organ transplantation in case of total defeat.

Another indication for radical treatment of pulmonary fibrosis is “honeycomb lung”. It is characterized by the appearance of diffuse cysts in both lungs, the diameter of which can vary from 0.5 to 2 cm. This phenomenon received its name due to the fact that on an x-ray it is represented by closely spaced annular shadows resembling a honeycomb.

Oxygen therapy, which saturates the body with the necessary amount of oxygen, and a special complex of breathing exercises are widely used as additional methods of influencing damaged lung tissue.

Among physiotherapy, special attention is paid to ultrasound and iontophoresis, which help restore the elasticity of damaged alveoli

Treatment with folk remedies gives an effect on pneumosclerosis only if it is used in parallel with traditional (medicinal or surgical) methods of influence. Currently, the following tools are widely used:

• decoction of pine buds. To prepare it, you need to pour 10 grams of pine buds with 200 ml of water, put it on low heat and simmer in a water bath for about half an hour. After removing from heat, leave the product to infuse for about 15 minutes. Thoroughly filter the broth and take 1 tbsp warm. spoon three times a day;
• decoction of oman and rosehip. Grind the oman and rose hips in such quantities that you get 1 tbsp of each. spoon. Pour the mixture of ingredients into an enamel container and add 400 ml of water. Bring to a boil and leave to simmer in a water bath for a quarter of an hour. After removing from the heat, pour the broth into a thermos and let it brew for about 3 hours. Instead of tea, drink 150 ml three times a day for 2 months. You can add a small amount of natural honey to the drink;
• crushed fresh ginger, which can be used as a tea additive for daily tea drinking;
• infusion of flaxseeds. 1 tbsp. Pour 200 ml of boiling water over a spoonful of flaxseeds and let it brew. Strain thoroughly and drink at night;
• oatmeal broth Pour 1 cup of whole oat grains into 1 liter of cold water and leave overnight. The next day, let the seeds cook until the amount of water is reduced by half. Strain the broth thoroughly and pour into three equal containers. Drink everything a day before each meal.

It is not possible to completely cure the disease due to the irreversibility of the pathological process occurring in the lungs. But rational therapy will help to significantly slow down the progressive disease and make the life of the sick person easier.

Treatment

Therapy can use surgical and conservative treatment methods. Let's consider what tactics are used in each case. Breathing exercises For pneumosclerosis of the lungs, breathing exercises can improve the functional state of the organ and support the body under hypoxic conditions:

• Inhale for about two seconds.
• Exhale twice as long – 4 seconds.
• Hold your breath for 4 seconds.

Alternative method:

• Inhale through the nose and draw in the stomach.
• Exhale through your mouth with maximum air flow and relax your stomach.

You need to repeat breathing exercises 15–20 times three times a day.

How to treat with medications?

Local pulmonary fibrosis cannot be treated with tablets and injections and does not require specific therapy. It is important to identify the cause and treat it, for example, for tuberculosis, specific antimicrobial therapy is used.

Diffuse pulmonary fibrosis, depending on the cause, can be treated with the following drugs:

• Prednisolone and methylprednisolone.
• Colchicine.
• Azathioprine.
• Cyclophosphamide.
• Veroshpiron.
• D-penicillamine.

Treatment is prescribed exclusively by doctors of narrow specialties: a rheumatologist or pulmonologist.

Folk remedies

Among the folk remedies that help alleviate the condition are the following recipes:

1. A decoction of white mistletoe and elecampane.
2. Tincture of hawthorn, rosehip.
3. A mixture of birch leaves and thyme for decoctions.
4. Infusion of creeping thyme.
5. Eucalyptus drops added to tea.

All of them only help relieve symptoms; folk remedies cannot replace basic drug treatment.

Surgery

If necessary, local areas of pulmonary fibrosis due to tuberculosis or parasitic infections can be surgically removed.

There are a number of indications and contraindications for the operation.

Most often, the intervention does not cause a significant change in overall well-being.

With diffuse fibrosis, surgery can only provoke the progression of the disease.

Treatment with traditional methods

You should not self-medicate. However, with appropriate doctor’s recommendations, drug treatment can be supplemented with traditional recipes. Such means mean:

• decoctions of medicinal herbs;
• lotions;
• warming up;
• compresses that promote faster release of sputum.

Traditional methods of treatment include decoctions of medicinal herbs

Treatment with such means will undoubtedly bring more positive results. However, only if you use them in accordance with your doctor's strict instructions. Any treatment, even with traditional methods, begins with the need to accurately diagnose the primary disease. For example, if this is caused by smoking, then there is no point in starting to drink decoctions according to folk recipes if you continue to smoke in the same volumes.

Traditional methods of treatment also include increasing (to the extent permissible) physical activity and activity. Getting rid of the disease using folk remedies involves the use of special breathing exercises. If manipulations are carried out regularly, gas exchange in the lungs and respiratory function are significantly improved.

However, it is worth noting that even treatment with folk remedies does not guarantee that the disease will recede once and for all. The reason for the onset of connective tissue production plays an important role in the effectiveness of treatment by any means. The main goal of therapy is to eliminate the cause and symptoms of the disease.

Treatment methods for pneumofibrosis

Pneumofibrosis requires timely comprehensive treatment. It is impossible to get rid of it completely, but the likelihood of relapses can be reduced with adequate and timely treatment.

Learn more about pulmonary rehabilitation and find a program near you. A lung transplant is not suitable for everyone, but it may be a treatment option for some people. It is important to work with your doctor to find out if a lung transplant is right for you. If a person is eligible for a lung transplant, they are placed on a waiting list for organ donation. The wait can be long and surgery can be risky. People who receive a transplant must take several anti-rejection medications for the rest of their lives.

Interstitial lung disease, also known as interstitial pulmonary fibrosis, is an umbrella term that describes more than 100 chronic lung diseases that damage the interstitium. The tissue located between the air sacs of the lungs is called interstitium.

A specialist is able to determine how to treat pulmonary fibrosis by determining the causes of its occurrence. If it appears due to inflammation, the patient is prescribed antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs. An additional method is procedures aimed at better discharge of sputum.

The disease affects the lungs in three ways. First, the lung tissue is damaged. Secondly, the interstitium is inflamed. Finally, fibrosis begins in the alveoli and interstitium, and the lung becomes stiff, making breathing difficult. Lung scars are irreversible. Corticosteroid drugs, the most common treatment, can sometimes slow the damage of interstitial lung disease. However, many patients never regain full use of their lungs.

While most cases of interstitial lung disease develop gradually with few warning signs, some patients may develop it suddenly. Although doctors can determine why some cases of interstitial lung disease occur, most are idiopathic.

The operation is indicated when there are aggressive external causes of pulmonary fibrosis. An additional measure is therapy for respiratory failure.

Preventive measures are aimed at eliminating and reducing provoking factors. If a person's profession involves toxic fumes, it is necessary to use respiratory protection. In addition, the work area must have ventilation.

Drugs: Nearly 50 drugs can damage the lung interstitium, especially chemotherapy drugs, antiarrhythmic drugs, some psychiatric drugs, and some antibiotics. These include viral infections, bacterial infections, fungal infections and parasitic infections.

Occupational and environmental factors: Long-term exposure to a number of toxins or pollutants can potentially cause lung damage. In addition, chronic exposure to a wide range of substances, including grain dust, sugar cane and animal droppings, can also cause severe lung damage. Other substances, such as moldy hay, can damage the lungs if they cause a hypersensitivity reaction in the lungs. Even bacterial or fungal growth in poorly maintained humidifiers and hot baths can potentially cause lung damage.

As additional methods of prevention, doctors recommend hardening, increasing physical activity, doing exercises, and quitting smoking.

As pneumofibrosis progresses, lung volume decreases and respiratory failure appears. The lungs shrink, and along with it the structure of the bronchi is disrupted. The prognosis is determined by the severity of the disease. If pulmonary fibrosis is diagnosed at a late stage, the prognosis is poor.

Radiation. A small percentage of people who undergo radiation therapy to treat lung or breast cancer experience symptoms of lung damage months or even years after initial treatment. The severity of the damage depends on how much of the lung was exposed to radiation, the total amount of radiation administered, whether chemotherapy was used, and whether the individual has an underlying lung disease.

Other medical conditions: Interstitial lung disease can occur with other disorders. In many cases, these conditions do not directly attack the lungs. Instead, they involve systemic processes that affect tissue throughout the body. These include connective tissue diseases and hematologic diseases, including systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, dermatomyositis, polymyositis, Sjögren's syndrome, and sarcoidosis.

Traditional methods

Treatment with folk remedies involves the use of decoctions of medicinal herbs, infusions and compresses.

It is not rational to treat pneumofibrosis exclusively with folk remedies. First of all, you should use the methods of official medicine.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: Although doctors can determine why some people develop interstitial lung disease, in most cases the cause is unknown. Diseases without any known cause are considered idiopathic. Interstitial pneumonitis develops in spots inside the lungs. Some parts of the lung are healthy, while others become inflamed and others have scar tissue. The disease affects twice as many men as women and usually develops between the ages of 40 and pneumonitis is not the same as pneumonia.

Pneumonitis is inflammation of the lungs without infection, and pneumonia is inflammation of the lungs caused by infection. Additionally, pneumonia usually affects one or two areas of the lungs, while pneumonitis involves all five lobes. Other, less common types of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis include nonspecific interstitial pneumonitis, bronchiolitis obliterans with organized pneumonia, respiratory bronchiolitis associated with interstitial pulmonary disease, desquamative interstitial pneumonitis, lymphocytic interstitial pneumonitis, and acute interstitial pneumonitis.

Many medicinal plants can cause allergies. Before starting therapy, you need to familiarize yourself with possible contraindications. Treatment of pulmonary fibrosis and smoking are incompatible.

Breathing exercises are the most accessible remedy. Therapeutic exercises help improve gas exchange, easing the patient's condition. Dynamic exercises and diaphragmatic breathing help improve the mechanical properties of the lungs.

Diffuse pulmonary fibrosis

Some individuals increase to develop idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
For example, people who smoke are more likely to develop the disease than people who don't. The risk appears to increase with age and the number of cigarettes smoked. Tobacco smoke temporarily paralyzes the cilia that line the bronchi. The cilia are designed to filter irritants from the respiratory tract. However, when the cilia are paralyzed, the irritants remain in the bronchi and penetrate the alveoli, burning the tissue and destroying the elastic fibers. A classic example of an exercise is exhalation with resistance. To perform this you need a glass and a straw. Having filled your lungs with air, you need to slowly exhale air through the straw. The duration of the exercise is 10-15 minutes, the number of repetitions is 4-5. It can be repeated several times a day.

Why does the disease develop?

Patients may also experience a dry cough.
When the illness is severe and prolonged, heart failure and swelling of the legs may occur. Low oxygen levels can interfere with basic body functioning, and severely low levels can be potentially life-threatening. Pulmonary hypertension: Pulmonary hypertension only affects the arteries in the lungs. This condition occurs when the smallest arteries and capillaries become compressed and eventually destroyed by scar tissue. This causes an increase in resistance to blood flow in the lungs, which increases the pressure in the pulmonary arteries. Pulmonary blood pressure is measured by inserting a small catheter into the right side of the heart or by a non-invasive echocardiogram. Pulmonary hypertension can gradually worsen and can lead to death.

With adequate treatment, it is possible to stop the pathological process. Over time, breathing will return to normal, characteristic signs will disappear, and the risk of other diseases will decrease. A person must maintain a healthy lifestyle, eat a balanced diet and systematically monitor the process of growth of lung tissue.

This refers to one of the varieties of chronic pathology, in which coarse connective tissue fibers grow significantly in the lung tissue. The lung loses its elastic properties, which inevitably leads to difficulty passing air.

Prevention of pulmonary fibrosis

The main preventive measure to prevent the development of pulmonary fibrosis, like any other pulmonary disease, is to quit smoking. It is the toxic substances contained in tobacco smoke that have a primary aggressive effect on the tissues of the respiratory organs.

General measures to strengthen the body and in particular the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are also excellent disease prevention. In order to increase the vital capacity of the lungs, moderate cardio exercises and special breathing exercises are recommended.

Diagnosis of pneumofibrosis

The most important diagnostic criterion for pulmonary fibrosis is, of course, an X-ray examination of the lungs. It allows you to find the first signs of the disease, as well as identify the presence of concomitant pathologies. In addition, this study will help distinguish between pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer with similar symptoms.

The main sign of pulmonary fibrosis will be an increase in the pulmonary pattern and its deformation. The shadows of the vessels expand, and in the affected area you can even see individual shadows of small branches of the vessels with their disturbed direction. You can also find so-called “pulmonary shadows” with uneven and sharp contours. These shadows are areas of the damaged lung.

In advanced stages, X-rays show signs of the complete connective tissue structure of the lung: shadow lines in various, chaotic directions, dense and cavitary areas (like a “honeycomb”) and pulmonary roots deformed by scars (hilar pneumofibrosis).

The second important study will be studies on the function of external respiration. A special value is evaluated - the Tiffno index. Its decrease (usually less than 70%) will be a sign of impaired external respiration. For this index, indicators of lung volume are examined: vital capacity (vital capacity) and FVC (functional vital capacity). Pneumofibrosis will be characterized by their decrease. Such a change in the above parameters is called restrictive and is characteristic of diseases with lesions of the lung tissue.

The third point of the research plan will be a bronchological examination. Usually it helps to separate focal pulmonary fibrosis from diffuse one. With a diffuse version of the disease, no changes will be observed in the bronchial cavity, while with a focal variant, dilation of the bronchi (bronchiectasis) can be found.

Prevention of pulmonary fibrosis

In order not to have to drink bitter decoctions according to folk recipes, it is worth making every effort to prevent the disease. For preventive purposes, you can use the following:

• completely stop smoking;
• play sports, increase physical activity;
• use respirators and follow safety precautions (if necessary for the type of activity);
• practice breathing exercises;
• If initial symptoms occur, consult a doctor immediately.

In any case, with the clinical picture described above, you should not take any pills that are given at the pharmacy or start looking for a problem on the Internet. Contact a pulmonologist.

1. Timely and adequate treatment of diseases, the complication of which may be the development of pulmonary fibrosis;
2. Quitting bad habits (smoking);
3. Annual examination (fluorography);
4. Timely contact with specialists;
5. Improving working conditions (or changing the type of activity) and observing safety precautions (wearing respirators, etc.);
6. Frequent wet cleaning and ventilation of the home.

Development mechanism

The human lungs are made of elastic tissue. The breathing process directly depends on their ability to restore their original shape. If the elasticity is high enough, the body must exert greater effort to stretch the tissue as much as possible. This increases the level of intrapulmonary pressure. This, in turn, exerts an influence on the walls of the alveoli from the inside, due to which they straighten during inhalation.

Under the influence of various unfavorable factors, focal connective tissue grows, that is, the process of formation of areas of local pneumofibrosis begins. In this case, the alveoli are affected. These structures are represented by inelastic tissue, and therefore the body no longer needs to make significant efforts to straighten them.

The disease can also occur against the background of impaired blood and lymph circulation. In this case, local pneumofibrosis is a consequence of stagnation of liquid connective tissue formed in the vessels surrounding the respiratory organ. Over time, a protein effusion begins to appear, which slowly grows into pathological tissue.

Life prognosis for patients

The prognosis for pulmonary fibrosis is very ambiguous. Timely treatment helps to significantly slow down the development of the pathological process.

If the disease is advanced and a complication such as a lung abscess (purulent melting of tissue) occurs, then the patient’s prognosis for life worsens significantly.

The quality of life progressively decreases with pulmonary fibrosis, which was provoked by tuberculosis.

A lethal outcome is most often observed in the case of a secondary infection, the development of a severe form of sepsis or pulmonary tuberculosis.

Prognosis of pneumofibrosis

Pneumofibrosis is always a consequence of the underlying disease and the prognosis in this case depends on the severity and complexity of the initial disease. With significant damage to the lung tissue, a decrease in lung volume occurs, which leads to respiratory failure and increased pressure in the pulmonary artery. Death, as a rule, occurs as a result of a new infection or the onset of the tuberculosis process.

Pneumofibrosis disrupts the structure and function of the lungs. Over time, the pathology leads to deformation of the bronchi, a decrease in volume and shrinkage of the lungs. All age categories are susceptible to the disease; most often, pneumofibrosis is diagnosed in men.

Causes

Etiology and risk factors • Inhalation of various substances •• Mineral dust (silicates, asbestos) •• Organic dust •• Mercury vapor •• Aerosols • Taking drugs (bisulfan, bleomycin, cyclophosphamide, penicillamine, etc.) • Radiation therapy • Recurrent bacterial or viral lung diseases • Adult respiratory distress syndrome • Neoplasms •• Bronchoalveolar cancer •• Leukemia •• Lymphomas • Bronchoalveolar dysplasia (Wilson–Mikiti syndrome, interstitial mononuclear focal fibrosing pneumonia) • Sarcoidosis • Diffuse connective tissue diseases •• Rheumatoid arthritis •• SLE • • Systemic scleroderma •• Sjogren's syndrome • Pulmonary vasculitis •• Wegener's granulomatosis •• Churg-Strauss syndrome •• Goodpasture's syndrome • Amyloidosis • Pulmonary hemosiderosis • Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis • Histiocytosis • Hereditary diseases •• Neurofibromatosis •• Niemann-Pick disease •• Disease Gaucher • Chronic renal failure • Liver diseases •• Chronic active hepatitis •• Primary biliary cirrhosis • Intestinal diseases •• Ulcerative colitis •• Crohn's disease •• Whipple's disease • Graft versus host disease • Left ventricular heart failure • Idiopathic interstitial fibrosis, or cryptogenic fibrosing alveolitis (50% of cases of pulmonary fibrosis) is a chronic progressive hereditary disease with diffuse inflammatory infiltration of the alveoli and an increased risk of developing lung cancer.

Read also: Table iii of list iv of precursors

Genetic aspects • Hamman-Rich syndrome (178500, Â). Laboratory: increased collagenase content in the lower parts of the respiratory tract, increased concentration of g - globulins, overproduction of platelet b - growth factor • Pulmonary fibrocystic dysplasia (*135000, Â) clinical and laboratory identical to Hamman-Rich disease • Familial interstitial desquamative pneumonitis (pneumocyte proliferation disease Type 2, 263000, r), early onset, death before three years of age • Cystic lung disease (219600, r) is characterized by recurrent respiratory tract infections and spontaneous neonatal pneumothorax.

Pathogenesis • Acute stage. Damage to capillaries and alveolar epithelial cells with interstitial and intraalveolar edema and subsequent formation of hyaline membranes. Both complete reverse development and progression to acute interstitial pneumonia are possible • Chronic stage. The process progresses to extensive lung damage and collagen deposition (advanced fibrosis). Hypertrophy of smooth muscles and deep ruptures of the alveolar spaces lined with atypical (cuboidal) cells • Terminal stage. Lung tissue takes on a characteristic “honeycomb” appearance. Fibrous tissue completely replaces the alveolar and capillary network with the formation of expanded cavities.

Pathomorphology • Severe fibrosis of small bronchi and alveoli • Accumulation of fibroblasts, inflammatory cellular elements (mainly lymphocytes and plasma cells) and collagen fibers in the lumen of small bronchi and alveoli • Germination of terminal and respiratory bronchioles, as well as alveoli with granulation tissue leads to the development of pulmonary fibrosis.

Pathomorphological classification • Simple interstitial fibrosis • Desquamative interstitial fibrosis • Lymphocytic interstitial fibrosis • Giant cell interstitial fibrosis • Bronchiolitis obliterans with pneumonia.

What is pulmonary fibrosis?

Whenever the skin is damaged (cuts, burns, fungal infection, pimples, acne, etc.), scar tissue forms.

When the middle layer of skin (dermis) is damaged, the human body tries to quickly close the wound, as a result a blood clot forms on the wound, which protects the wound from dirt, small dust particles, and infection. Next, fibroblasts (the leading cells of the body’s connective tissue) are formed, thanks to which the cells begin to regenerate.

Fibroblasts, replacing cells with proteins or collagen, form scar tissue.

The presence of scar tissue in the lungs is pulmonary fibrosis, or as it is also called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Lung tissue becomes denser and scarred. As a result, lung volume decreases. The lungs are no longer able to provide the body with oxygen, as a result a serious malfunction of the respiratory system occurs, subsequently all functions of the respiratory system are disrupted.

Pneumofibrosis - symptoms and treatment

Pneumofibrosis is a disease in which connective tissue grows in the lung. Pathology arises as a complication. Pneumofibrosis is classified as a pneumosclerotic disease along with pneumosclerosis and cirrhosis of the lung.

When a “honeycomb lung” develops, when small, cyst-like cavities form in the organ, respiratory function is significantly reduced. If an infection is added to the disease, the patient’s death is possible.

Causes

There are many factors known that increase the risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis:

• Previous or existing diseases - pneumonia, syphilis, tuberculosis, chronic obstructive diseases of the respiratory system;
• activities or living conditions associated with constant inhalation of harmful gases and dust;
• heredity;
• chest injuries associated with damage to the respiratory organ;
• stagnant processes;
• ionizing radiation affecting the chest area;
• taking medications with toxic effects;
• hypoxia (oxygen starvation) of tissues.

The disease develops approximately according to this scenario.

In the bronchi, the outflow of secretions is disrupted and accumulation occurs. These are favorable conditions for an increase in the number of pathogens. Also, due to inflammation and stagnation, blood and lymph flow is disrupted. In places where the flow of biological fluids is disrupted, connective tissue grows. It replaces the alveoli nearby.

Healthy lung tissue is elastic. Elasticity ensures high intrapulmonary pressure, due to which the inner wall of the alveoli opens during inspiration. If the lung tissue is affected by fibrosis, then the pressure decreases, some of the alveoli do not open, and less oxygen enters.

As the disease progresses, the lung tissue gradually ceases to perform its function, causing respiratory failure to develop and gas exchange to be disrupted.

Kinds

Based on the extent of organ damage, local and diffuse pulmonary fibrosis are distinguished.

With local pulmonary fibrosis, individual areas of the lung are affected. The patient’s quality of life does not deteriorate significantly, since loss of elasticity and tissue hardening are observed only in the affected area, and respiratory function deteriorates slightly.

Diffuse pneumofibrosis is much more dangerous. Then the tissue in both lungs becomes denser, the volume of the organ decreases, and the structure changes. The process proceeds quickly, respiratory function weakens.

Both forms are characterized by a progressive and non-progressive stage.

In the progressive stage, serious complications arise, including abscesses. Exacerbations can plague the patient throughout his life. The non-progressive stage, which proceeds practically without clinical manifestations, is more favorable.

People who follow a healthy lifestyle are more likely to have a mild course.

Symptoms of the disease

As mentioned above, the local form sometimes goes unnoticed. Symptoms usually occur if both lungs are affected.

The main symptom of pulmonary fibrosis is shortness of breath. In the initial stage, it appears from strong physical exertion, and later - even at rest. Other signs of the disease:

• Cough, with tenacious mucus and pus;
• cyanosis of the skin;
• chest pain, especially when coughing;
• weakness;
• changes in body temperature;
• losing weight for no apparent reason.

In the later stages, the doctor detects wheezing in the lungs and squeaking on exhalation, which is especially audible in the front, in the upper part of the chest. The patient has swelling of the neck veins. At the same time, symptoms of the disease that provoked pulmonary fibrosis may appear.

How to treat the disease

Before prescribing therapy, an examination is carried out to establish a diagnosis. The main diagnostic method is radiography. Additionally, bronchoscopy, assessment of respiratory function, and general laboratory tests are performed. This body of research also reveals the underlying cause of pulmonary fibrosis.

There is no effective therapy against pulmonary fibrosis yet.

Pneumofibrosis without symptoms is not always treated with medications.

If the disease has not entered the acute phase, treatment is carried out at home. The goal of therapeutic measures is to eliminate the cause of the disease. When the cause is the ingress of dust particles or other harmful substances, then, first of all, stop contact with the provocateur of the disease. Excitement and stress are contraindicated for the patient.

If the cause is an infection, antibacterial drugs are indicated depending on the pathogen. Maintenance therapy is also prescribed.

Breathing exercises are useful and help improve the functionality of the breathing apparatus.

In advanced forms, surgical treatment is possible. After a course of therapy, the patient is registered with a pulmonologist for a year or more.

Treatment with folk remedies

Often, with pneumofibrosis, they resort to traditional medicine. In mild forms, this type of treatment becomes the main one. They use herbal decoctions and teas, compresses for rapid removal of phlegm, lotions and warming.

Pine buds have long been used for lung diseases.

This valuable product contains many essential oils that have a beneficial effect on the respiratory tract - they help eliminate mucus, destroy pathogenic microbes, and activate the secretory ability of the epithelium.

For the decoction, take 10 g of kidneys, add a glass of water, and heat in a water bath for half an hour, leave for another 15 minutes. Then the broth is filtered and drunk warm 3 times daily at a dose of 1 tablespoon.

Reasons for appearance

Typically, pulmonary fibrosis is a secondary disease that develops against the background of the following factors:

Pathology due to smoking

obstructive pathologies of a chronic nature, invasive or infectious diseases due to the regular negative effects of industrial, chemical toxic gases and substances, radiation, toxic medications, mechanical damage to the lung due to smoking

Also, one of the reasons for the development of diffuse pulmonary fibrosis may be a genetic predisposition.