According to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, there are seven major airway clearance techniques (ACTs) for patients with lung disease. Airway clearance is needed to help clear away mucus from the lungs to help prevent infections and to improve lung function. Children will need an adult to assist with ACTs, and…
With the weather getting colder and the holidays around the corner, many of us are thinking about vacations and traveling. While traveling with a lung disease does require some careful consideration, having a lung disease doesn’t mean that you have to be confined to the house. The…
It would likely come as no surprise to others that patients diagnosed with a life-threatening illness, such as pulmonary fibrosis (PF), have many intense emotions and valid fears associated with their disease. These emotions can manifest themselves in many different ways. For example, even the emotions associated with a positive…
Pulmonary rehabilitation (PR) should be part of the treatment plan for any chronic lung disease, including pulmonary fibrosis. It’s a combination of exercise, breathing techniques, diet and education that aims to help give patients a better quality of life and be able to have more control of their symptoms.
There is no shortage of literature on how important sleep is for all individuals, at any age. However, there is an added layer of importance for those living with a chronic illness. The bodies of people living with a chronic illness are working incredibly hard (including those with a lung…
Kim Fredrickson, a patient columnist for Pulmonary Fibrosis News, is very aware that PF is shortening her lifespan, and it’s been hard for her to face her mortality. This reality guides how she spends her time, energy, and the decisions she makes. It also motivates her to get her…
When you have a chronic illness such as pulmonary fibrosis, it is only natural that you may find yourself spending a lot of time thinking about some of the important life events and milestones that you may not get to experience. MORE: Learn about the challenges patients with pulmonary fibrosis…
As October comes to a close and pink ribbons (the universal sign for breast cancer awareness) start to disappear, it’s hard not to feel as though some diseases take priority when it comes to awareness campaigns. If you ask someone whether or not they know the colour of breast cancer…
For a patient with a life-threatening illness, there is nothing more difficult than asking others to help you with a task that you were once able to do independently. Having to do this highlights the fact that as a chronic illness progresses, including pulmonary fibrosis (PF), a patient’s physical abilities often regress.
If you’re a member of the PF community, you’re well aware of how little the general public knows about the disease. It’s important that we all work together to raise awareness. Awareness results in more fundraising efforts, which means more dollars, which means more research, and eventually, hopefully, that means…
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