SYMPTOMS

Pulmonary fibrosis can be a mild, severe or even life-threatening disease. If the disease progresses the lung tissues eventually thicken and become stiff, leading to breathlessness and difficulty breathing.

• Breathlessness, especially during exercise
• Chronic dry cough
• Shortness of breath
• Chest discomfort
• Fatigue and weakness
• Loss of appetite
• Rapid weight loss
• Enlargement at end of fingertips so they take on a bulbous appearance, often referred to as "clubbing" (the condition may progress to the point where any exertion is impossible).

The condition may progress to the point where any exertion is impossible and can ultimately lead to death

Pulmonary Fibrosis generally affects people in middle age (usually aged 50+) and it’s more common in men. It is also more common among smokers.

We don't know what causes Pulmonary Fibrosis. But we do know that:

• It is not an infection
• It can not be caught from other people
• It is not a form of cancer
• It is not a form of cystic fibrosis.