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…
When to Consider Professional Help While Dealing With PF
U.S. and Canadian researchers have identified a signaling pathway that promotes lung and skin scarring. Although the study involved mice, the team said the pathway is likely involved in the progression of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) in humans as well. Targeting the pathway may be a way to treat IPF and other fibrotic…
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.
The diagnostic potential of the Envisia Genomic Classifier to distinguish idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) from other interstitial lung diseases (ILDs) has once again been demonstrated, this time with data collected in real-world clinical settings. The test, developed by Veracyte, helped improve the accuracy and effectiveness of IPF diagnoses by…
I recently met with someone to talk about palliative care. I’m here to share my experience in hopes it will help you, too. My last column about end-stage PF had thousands of views and LOTS of comments, which shows how important it is to talk about these…
I am sure there is some underlying rule that a patient will have some type of pain when diagnosed with a chronic illness. Either that pain will come from the disease itself, or it will be a secondary symptom of it, such as inflammation, sore muscles, etc. Until…
Pulmonary fibrosis treatment OFEV (nintedanib) slows the progression of lung scarring, according to high-resolution scans used in a Phase 3b clinical trial. Computed tomography imaging demonstrated for the first time that six months of Ofev could reduce  the progression of patients’ lung fibrosis lesions, compared with a placebo. Two…
Those of you with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) likely have had to use supplemental oxygen. If so, you likely are aware of how labor-intensive it is to obtain and maintain oxygen equipment, and of the importance of using it safely in a variety of situations. These are things…
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…
The American Thoracic Society and Boehringer Ingelheim have established a two-year, $100,000 fellowship for idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis research. Pulmonary fibrosis is a group of lung diseases characterized by cough, shortness of breath, fatigue and low levels of oxygen in the blood. It involves the lungs becoming stiff and holding less air…
