Being diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis or advanced lung disease of any cause provokes anxiety even for the bravest. An essential part of coping with your new diagnosis is educating yourself. Over the years I have had patients whose initial response to learning of their disease was denial. They just pretended that they don’t have the … [Read more...]
Lung Disease at High Altitudes
A common question we receive from our readers and patients is whether it is safe for patients with chronic lung disease to travel to higher elevations. For the sake of this discussion we will use 5,000 ft. or greater as high altitude. This is an important question since many of the tourist attractions are either at higher elevation or require driving across mountains that … [Read more...]
Why Sex is Important for IPF Patients
Sex is part of life and can be part of life after a diagnosis of pulmonary fibrosis. Most patients are reluctant to talk about this topic with their doctor. And Dr. Ruth does not offer much guidance for patients with lung disease. I wrote on this topic last in 2015 and it is time to revisit this issue. Why Is Sex Important for Patients with Pulmonary Fibrosis? Sex is an … [Read more...]
Tips for Minimizing Weight Loss with IPF
Around the world and especially in America, we are struggling with obesity. Our diets are high in sugars and our calorie intake exceeds our energy expenditure. Fast food and sweetened drinks such as cola and now a dizzying array of coffee based drinks prove hard to resist for many. On this background it may seem surprising that many patients with advanced IPF struggle to … [Read more...]
Respiratory Viruses and IPF
Winter is upon us. We rang in the New Year. Influenza and other respiratory viruses have now made major appearances across America. For many patients with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) this is an anxious time of the year. Many worry about whether their lung disease will be able to tolerate the additional stress of a viral respiratory infection. Many of my patients … [Read more...]