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My recent ENT visit
The process of getting diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) can be a lengthy one. It took nearly 13 months for the medical team to confirm my diagnosis, and I was involved in a “specialty” treatment center for respiratory care early on. For others, I’ve heard this has been even longer!
Part of the diagnostic and disease management process involves seeing tons of different specialists, including pulmonologists, cardiologists, allergists, and many others.
Despite being diagnosed with IPF over 7 years ago, I’d never been referred to an Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) specialist until recently. While IPF doesn’t develop in our upper respiratory tract, it can have symptomatic implications. Or, as described to me by my ENT, IPF can worsen symptoms of the upper respiratory tract making it even more difficult to breathe. I was pleasantly surprised by my visit to the ENT and felt more informed about the breathlessness I experienced, which I assumed was entirely related to IPF.
Read about my experience with the ENT HERE.
Have you seen an ENT specialist as part of your care for IPF? If so, what was your experience like?
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2 Replies
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Hello Charlene
Hope things are well.
I have not been to a ENT DOCTOR BUT I HAVE LOTS OF PROBLEMS WITH MY Sinuses?It seems that they are stuffed up most of the time. I will be mentioning this again to my PCP in the near future. On the rare occasion that my sinuses are open and I still have a problem breathing that is when reality hits.
Thank You for all you do for this forum.
Take Care
Jeff
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Thank you Charlene, for organizing this forum. It is most helpful. Regarding your Ent visit, I was diagnosed with a deviated septum once and had the surgery to repair it. As a result, my nasal breathing improved dramatically. Of course, what worked for me might not work for others, and I was very young at the time. But I thought you should know this.
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