Patient's question:
My lungs have never been very good, and issues like lung pain often reappear. I remember going to the hospital for a thorough check-up, but I was afraid of being diagnosed with something like pulmonary fibrosis or cancer. Does anyone know what the early symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis are?Doctor's answer:
Pulmonary fibrosis often occurs between the ages of 40 and 50, and is more common in men than in women. Difficulty breathing is the most common symptom of pulmonary fibrosis. In mild pulmonary fibrosis, difficulty breathing often reappears during intense exercise, which is often ignored or misdiagnosed as other diseases. As pulmonary fibrosis progresses, difficulty breathing can occur even at rest, and severe pulmonary fibrosis patients may experience progressive difficulty breathing. Other symptoms include mild cough and fatigue. Some patients have clubbed fingers and cyanosis. The severe consequences of pulmonary tissue fibrosis lead to changes in the normal structure of the lung tissue and loss of function. When a large amount of fibrotic tissue that lacks gas exchange function replaces the alveoli, oxygen cannot enter the blood.