What are Interstitial Lung Disorders?

Interstitial lung diseases refer to 180 types of lung diseases. These diseases progress in different ways in each patient. While it progresses mildly in some people, it progresses more severely in others.

Severe interstitial lung diseases can progress to the point of causing death. Interstitium refers to the space between cells in tissues. In interstitial lung diseases, inflammation developing in the interstitium may progress to fibrosis and cause thickening and hardening of the spongy tissue of the lung. Interstitial lung diseases, which occur due to various reasons, may occur due to occupational factors, radiation, environmental factors, systemic diseases affecting the lung, some drugs and some genetic diseases. But the connection point that holds together many different forms of this disease is that it begins with inflammation. What are the Types of Interstitial Lung Disorders? The most common interstitial lung diseases; Sarcoidosis: The cause of this disease, which affects younger women than men, is not fully known. Bronchiolitis: It occurs due to inflammation of the small airways. It is one of the most common interstitial lung diseases and is quite risky. Vasculitis: It is one of the most common lung diseases and the other name of this disease is capillary inflammation. Idiopathic Lung Fibrosis: Idiopathic lung fibrosis is a chronic disease that does not occur due to infection, and it is known that patients have a chance of living for 4-5 years after the disease begins to show symptoms. Pulmonary Alveolar Proteinosis: Pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, which occurs due to the accumulation of some substances in the air sacs called alveoli, is often seen in middle-aged men. This disease may progress over time, but it may also go away on its own. What are the symptoms of Interstitial Lung Disorders? Feeling of breathlessness, especially during or after physical activity Dry cough Wheezing, crowing Pain in the chest Feeling of discomfort in the chest Fatigue and weakness Weight loss Loss of appetite Lung bleeding Rapid breathing Shortness of breath Growth retardation What are the Causes of Interstitial Lung Disorders? Because interstitial lung disease has many causes, it may be difficult to identify the cause of the initial injury to lung tissue. Many contributing factors may include one of the following: Occupational or environmental factors: Long-term exposure to a number of toxins and pollutants can cause serious lung damage. Workers who routinely inhale silica dust, asbestos fibers, or heavy metal dust are at risk of serious lung disease. The same is true for people exposed to certain chemical vapors or ammonia or chlorine gases. But long-term exposure to many different substances, many of which are organic, can also damage your lungs. Dust from sugar cane, bird and animal droppings are among such things. Other substances, such as moldy straw, can also cause a hypersensitivity response in the lungs. Bacteria or fungi transmitted from air humidifiers and jacuzzis that are not kept clean enough can also damage the lungs. Infections. If your immune system is weakened, these may be an infection due to viruses such as Cytomegalovirus, bacterial infections such as pneumonia, a fungal disease such as histoplasmosis, or an infection due to a parasite. Radiation: Some people who have undergone radiation therapy for lung cancer or breast cancer may have symptoms of lung damage long after radiation therapy has ended. The severity of damage varies depending on how much of your lungs were exposed to radiation therapy, the amount of radiation you received, whether chemotherapy was also used, or whether you have another lung disease. Medications: Some medications can damage the tissue inside your lungs. The drugs most likely to cause lung damage are chemotherapy drugs, drugs used to treat heart arrhythmias and other cardiovascular conditions, some psychiatric drugs, and some antibiotics. Other medical conditions: Interstitial lung disease may occur along with other diseases. Often these diseases do not attack the lung directly, but instead affect tissue processes throughout the body. Cutaneous tuberculosis, scleroderma, arthritis, dermatomyositis, polymyositis, Sjögren's syndrome, sarcoidosis are among such diseases. Some researchers think that reflux disease, which causes small amounts of stomach acids to escape into the lungs, may also result in pulmonary fibrosis.

What are the Risk Factors in Interstitial Lung Disorders?

Risk factors associated with the development of lung fibrosis include: smoking, long-term exposure to occupational or environmental pollutants or dust, viral or bacterial lung infections, reflux disease (GERS). Among these, smoking is the most important. Although it is not known exactly how effective the others are, 90% of IPF patients smoke. For this reason, it is very important to stay away from smoking 

How Should Interstitial Lung Disorders Be Treated? 

All patients should first receive supportive treatment. For this, timely flu and pneumonia vaccinations, respiratory rehabilitation and oxygen therapy may be necessary. Oxygen therapy reduces shortness of breath and helps the patient to be active. Depending on the patient's needs, it may be needed continuously or only during exercise and sleep.

If the pulmonologist deems it appropriate to administer supplemental oxygen, it is important that the application be carried out as recommended. Many patients worry that they will become "addicted" to oxygen. It should be noted that supplemental oxygen is not addictive. In order to perform normal body functions, a certain level of oxygen is required in the bloodstream. Low levels of oxygen in the blood lead to additional health problems. Pulmonary rehabilitation is a program for those with long-term respiratory diseases.

Lung rehabilitation allows patients to cope with shortness of breath and at the same time feel stronger and healthier. It regains the ability to perform normal activities. It is applied to chronic lung patients who must learn to cope with the limitations created by the disease.