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Illustration of the respiratory system
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    • Services and providers for Pulmonary Fibrosis in the U.S.
  • National Institutes of Health

Also called: Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis harms the tissues deep in your lungs. The air sacs in your lungs and their supporting structures become inflamed and scarred. If scarring progresses, it makes your lungs thick and stiff. That makes it hard for you to catch your breath, and your blood may not get enough oxygen.

The kind of job you have may affect your risk of getting the disease. For example, coal miners, ship workers and sand blasters are at risk. Pulmonary fibrosis is also associated with some connective tissue diseases. It can be a side effect of a medicine. Sometimes no one knows the cause of the disease. Smoking can boost your risk or make your illness worse.

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