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6 Common Complications of Pulmonary Fibrosis
Another website focusing on lung diseases, hosted by Bionews Services published an article back in August of 2017 detailing common complications of pulmonary fibrosis (PF).
As a patient living with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), this article was hard to read as it was scary to consider living through these things as a result of my lung disease. That said, it was also informative and I feel more equipped and aware of the potential complications that could arise as a result of my IPF. More specifically, there are 6 common complications of IPF, which are as follows:
- High blood pressure in the lungs
- Blood clots
- Right-sided heart failure
- Respiratory failure
- Lung cancer
- Depression
This is a scary list, but it is also important things for a patient to be aware of. To read the full article, and an explanation, description and/or treatment options for each of these complications, click here.
Have you ever experienced any of these complications since your diagnosis?
Has your doctor reviewed these complications with you, and how to be proactive in identifying them if they ever showed up? -
5 Replies
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Hi Charlene:
Good to know about these complications and to watch for signs of them. But when I followed the link you provided, it only addressed the first complication and did not go further. Is there a way to see the rest of them?
Ron
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Hi @ron-reid, the article is in a click-through format (like a slide show). You will find a number slider with arrows below the star rating widget which will take you through the other complications. Hope that helps.
Christie
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Yes I have PH lungs which is a complication and it is the most debilitating aspect of my disease. My lung PFT scores hardly decline but then there is this pulmonary hypertension from the narrowed hardened lung blood vessels and all which is worse.
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Hi All,
I developed Pulmonary Hypertension as a result of my IPF. My PCP couldn’t lower my blood pressure, which was new to me, and although HBP is a side effect of the Ofev, she told me to see my pulmonologist, who ordered an echo and a cardiac stress test, the PH showed up in the test. I also have thickening in my left ventricle. They upped my dose of blood pressure medication. I’m thankful I have a primary who works in conjunction with my pulmonologist! The thing that surprised me was lung cancer, but all those complications were PF, not just IPF, so that makes sense.
Lorraine
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Hi Lorraine @ljtracey, The lung cancer thing surprised me too. My theory is that it is because it is common to use immune-suppressing drugs to treat PF, and since the lung tissue is already damaged, perhaps it is easier for cancers to take hold there? I don’t know, just my layperson guess.
It seems like PH is a very common comorbidity of PF. I think everyone I know with the disease has had trouble with it. Likewise PF can be a comorbidity of other lung diseases, like cystic fibrosis. I’m not sure how common PF is as a secondary diagnosis in patients who have PH as a primary diagnosis, but looking into that might turn up interesting results.
Anyway, wishing you the best,
Christie
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