Diagnostic Methods And Treatments For Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Quit Smoking

An individual who has been diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis will need to quit smoking if they are a regular smoker in order for their disease to respond to treatment. Those who smoke regularly are more likely to develop idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. An individual who smokes tobacco products regularly will experience damage to the tissues in their lungs due to the repeated exposure to thousands of toxic chemicals in cigarette smoke. This damage to the lungs makes them less capable of oxygen-carbon dioxide exchange before any condition or disease is introduced into the mix. Therefore, the combination of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and accumulated damage from repeated exposure to cigarette smoke can cause an individual's lungs to fail entirely. Smoking cigarettes or other tobacco products is known to cause a more rapid progression of all forms of pulmonary fibrosis than in individuals who do not smoke. Smoking cessation must occur for an idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis patient to have the chance to slow the progression of their disease.

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