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. |