5 Ways to Help a Friend With Pulmonary Fibrosis

5 Ways to Help a Friend With Pulmonary Fibrosis

If you have a friend or family member who has recently been diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) or is living with the condition, you’re probably wondering what you can do to support them. As our columnist Charleen Marshall explains, there will be times when your loved one doesn’t need any help.

PETA Donates Systems for Animal-free Inhalation Tests to Centers in US and Europe

An arm of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is donating equipment that allows for animal-free testing of the effects of inhaled particles on the lungs to select laboratories across the United States and Europe. Valued at more than $400,000, the Vitrocell Systems inhalation device exposes human lung cells to tested materials…

Could Cannabis Help People With Lung Diseases?

There is much talk in medical circles about the use of medical marijuana (or cannabis) for a variety of chronic illnesses, but could it also benefit those living with chronic lung disease? MORE: Seven common symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis Medical marijuana is currently legal in 23 states in the U.S., as…

The Realities of a Pulmonary Fibrosis Diagnosis

There is no single test that will deliver a positive (or negative) pulmonary fibrosis (PF) diagnosis. Patients who present symptoms which doctors believe could be PF, such as shortness of breath, fatigue, chest pain, and a persistent cough will have to undergo a series of tests to establish what the problem…

Why Pulmonary Fibrosis Can Make Me Feel Guilty

As one of my beloved healthcare providers always tells me, “There is no rule book for living with pulmonary fibrosis.” She says this when we talk about my constant frustration of living with a life-threatening illness, and the unpredictability, anxiety and emotional turmoil that comes with it.

Surgery to Prevent Reflux in IPF Patients May Be Superior to Anti-Acid Medicines, Study Says

Surgery to prevent reflux in patients with interstitial pulmonary disease may slow disease progression, by stopping tiny amounts of contents in the stomach from being repeatedly aspirated into the lungs — a process thought to contribute to disease development in IPF. This was the conclusion of a review looking into gastroesophageal reflux disease —…