Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Jeremy Feldman, MD

Pre-Procedure/Pre-Operative Check List for IPF Patients

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Patients with Pulmonary Fibrosis are not immune from other medical problems and we are often faced with the possibility of our patients requiring invasive care for non-lung problems.  Minimizing risk requires careful communication between all involved parties. In order to provide the best advice to my patients I ask a series of questions designed to help understand the … [Read more...]

Preventing and Treating Flu with IPF

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(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

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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...]

Gastro-Esophageal Reflux and IPF: Which Came First, the Chicken or the Egg?

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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...]

Summer Heat and Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

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Depending on where you live, summer may be something to look forward to or a time of increased breathing symptoms.  If you live in the southwestern United States or other desert climates, summer means punishing heat for many months.  Patients with chronic lung disease like Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis do not tolerate these extremes of temperature very well.  In other parts of … [Read more...]