Fibrotic lung disease is also known as pulmonary fibrosis, interstitial pulmonary fibrosis or interstitial lung disease. These terms describe a group of chronic lung disorders that ultimately result in damage to the alveoli, the tiny air sacs in the lungs responsible for the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide with the blood, and the build-up of scar tissue--known as fibrosis. These diseases commonly cause shortness of breath, labored breathing, fatigue, weakness, appetite and weight loss, dry cough and chest pain.
Asbestosis
Asbestosis is a fibrotic lung disease that is caused by long-term exposure to asbestos, according to the Mayo Clinic. Asbestos is a mineral that is made up of tiny fibers that can separate and become air-borne. Once in the air, the fibers can be inhaled, travel through the trachea, into the bronchi and settle in the lungs. Specialized white blood cells, known as macrophages, try to engulf the fibers to remove them from the body, but they are too large which allows fluid to leak from the macrophages into the alveoli, causing damage.
Pneumoconiosis
Pneumoconiosis is a fibrotic lung disease caused by inhaling the dust of coal, graphite or other man-made carbon material. There are two types of pneumoconiosis: simple pneumoconiosis which typically does not produce many symptoms, and complicated pneumoconiosis, also known as progressive massive fibrosis (PMF).
Approximately 1 to 2 percent of those with simple pneumoconiosis will develop PMF, according to the Merck Manual. As the inhaled dust collects in the airways, large scars develop in the lungs resulting in the symptoms of fibrotic lung disease.
Scleroderma
Scleroderma is a chronic disease that affects the connective tissues in the body. Scleroderma causes hardening of the skin, including the skin cells found inside the body lining many of the organs. Approximately 300,000 people in the United States have scleroderma, as reported by the Scleroderma Foundation. The University of Michigan Health System indicates that 80 percent of those with scleroderma will develop complications in the lungs, such as interstitial lung disease.
Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is an idiopathic fibrotic lung disease, or a disease with an unknown cause. Approximately 200,000 cases of interstitial lung disease are considered idiopathic, according to the Pulmonary Foundation. Although the exact cause is not known, many patients with IPF have factors in common, including a history of smoking, exposure to environmental contaminants such as dusts, lung infections and the use of certain antibiotics. All of these factors can lead to fibrosis of the lungs.
