American Lung Association Marks Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month with Online Support Events, Videos

The American Lung Association is promoting Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month through September with educational videos featuring lung transplant recipient Randy Cooke, who shares his tips and experience in dealing with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the most common form of the disease.

September was originally designated Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month through an initiative by the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.

“During Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month this September, the Lung Association asks the public to share these videos with friends and family to help us raise awareness,” Amy Ellis, director of health promotions at American Lung Association, said in a press release.

“Most cases of pulmonary fibrosis have no known cause, and currently there is no cure. There is still much to be discovered on how to prevent and treat this serious lung disease, and there is no better time to increase public awareness than during Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month,” she said.

A series of videos are part of the lung association’s key initiatives to support and help pulmonary fibrosis (PF) patients and caregivers. These videos can be accessed through its online library, which also provides other resources and information for patients, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and advocates.

In addition to the educational videos, the association will be conducting two online events for the benefit of patients and their caregivers:

• “Living with Pulmonary Fibrosis” online support community, from Sept. 10-14: an avenue for patients to interact with the association’s respiratory therapists.
• “Caring for Pulmonary Fibrosis” online support community, from Sept. 17-21: an opportunity for caregivers to discuss their questions and concerns.

Aside from these events, the organization also offers educational sessions about lung diseases at nationwide conventions organized throughout the year by Lung Force, an American Lung Association initiative that brings women and their loved ones together to promote innovative research for the advancement of lung health and personalized medicine.

The association also hosts regular, nationwide, in-person, adult support groups called Better Breathers Clubs. These clubs are designed for patients and caregivers to receive advice from medical professionals and other patients living with the disease. According to the website, these groups are led by trained facilitators to provide the necessary tools to improve patients’ quality of life.

“While you can’t cure pulmonary fibrosis, there are a number of things you can do to maintain a good quality of life and stay as healthy as possible, and Better Breathers Clubs offer practical and useful information to help you stay active, reduce stress, protect your lungs and manage side effects,” said Alvin Rogers, a respiratory nurse at Lakeview Regional Medical Center in Louisiana and a facilitator for the Better Breathers Club.

“Working together, we can offer hope to everyone affected by chronic lung disease,” he said.