What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis?

The signs and symptoms of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) develop over time. They may not even begin to appear until the disease has done serious damage to your lungs. Once they do appear, they are likely to become worse over time.

The most common signs and symptoms are:

• Shortness of breath. This is usually the main symptom. At first, you may be short of breath only during exercise. Over time, you are likely to feel breathless even at rest.
• A dry, hacking cough that doesn't get better when you treat it with over-the-counter cough medicines. Over time, you may have repeated bouts of coughing that you can't control.

Other signs and symptoms that you may develop over time include:

• Rapid, shallow breathing
• Gradual, unintended weight loss
• Fatigue (tiredness) or malaise (a general feeling of being unwell)
• Aching muscles and joints
• Enlargement of the ends of the fingers or toes, which is called clubbing

IPF may lead to other medical conditions, including: collapsed lung, lung infections, blood clots in the lungs, and lung cancer.

As your condition gets worse, you may develop other potentially life-threatening conditions, including respiratory failure, pulmonary arterial hypertension, and heart failure.