The first and most important point is that regular evaluations of your lung function and exercise capacity are important to identify if your IPF is getting worse. Patients may feel worse for many reasons—some lung related and others in no way related to lung function. As a result, I am a believer in regular pulmonary function testing and six minute walks. In the patient … [Read more...]
Preventing and Treating Flu with IPF
(This is Part 2 of Our Flu Series. To read, Part 1, click here). Preventing Flu Infection in Patients with Pulmonary Fibrosis If you have Pulmonary Fibrosis or other serious lung disease, an ounce of prevention is worth about 100 pounds of cure. The best way to prevent influenza is to get the Flu vaccine. The more people around you that get vaccinated the better (this is … [Read more...]
Staying Healthy During Respiratory Virus Season
Especially Important for Pulmonary Fibrosis Patients Part 1 of 2 In medicine the only intervention better than an effective treatment for a disease is a way to prevent getting the disease in the first place. As Influenza (Flu) season approaches, I am always reminded that in our high tech world of modern medicine with pills that can cost $100,000 per year, one of the most … [Read more...]
Monitoring Your Progress with IPF
Measuring how your IPF (Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis) is doing is a very important part of regular visits with your pulmonologist. Tests that have been shown to have value include pulmonary function tests (breathing tests), six minute walk tests, your oxygen saturation at rest and with exercise, and how you perceive your symptoms (what activities cause you to be short of … [Read more...]
Gastro-Esophageal Reflux and IPF: Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?
We have mentioned that GERD is an important concern for patients with IPF. We have ample data showing that patients with IPF are at greatly increased risk of having either symptomatic or silent (without any symptoms) GERD and even aspiration of small amounts of stomach contents into the lungs. However, what remains unclear is how this should impact patient care. We don’t … [Read more...]