Interstitial Lung Disease Life Expectancy, Types, Causes & More

Interstitial Lung Disease: When we have to study the effects of asbestos on the lives of humans, we also need to study what is actually called as Interstitial lung disease. 

Today, most people like to know more about the Interstitial lung Disease life Expectancy as they like to know more about these prevailing conditions.

Interstitial lung Disease is basically a group of 200 different diseases that are involved in causing scarring and inflammation around the alveoli (balloon like air sacs in lungs).

You might be thinking about the significance of these alveoli sacs in lungs. Well, it's alveoli through which oxygen travels to finally reach into your blood stream.

In the same way, interstitial lung disease can also affect some other areas of your lungs. Some of the other parts that have been found to have greatly affected due to this include blood vessels, lining of lungs and lung airways.

 

Interstitial lung Disease life Expectancy

In this post, we are going to take a look how these group of conditions called Interstitial lung Disease can be so scary. And you should be aware how to take proper measures to protect with them.

This is the reason why we say that Interstitial lung Disease generally vary from person to person and doesn't cause the same effect in every individual. It's because the conditions developed due to this sometimes progress slowly.

There are times when it gets worse in lesser time. And so, the symptoms may range from mild to severe in a group of patients who are diagnosed with it.

The study has revealed that there are so many instances where interstitial lung diseases are found to have quicker prognosis as compared to others. While studying such types of medical conditions, we can't forget to mention about idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

Please note that people with this type of lung disease can have an average life expectancy between 3-5 years. 

However, the general life expectancy period in such medical conditions can be made longer with the help of some latest medications available.

Still, it will depend on the course of the disease. On the other hand those who have got some other type of interstitial lung disease like sarcoidosis are expected to live much longer as compared to the idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.

 Asbestosis & Mesothelioma: What's Common Between Them?

 

What Are the Types of Interstitial Lung Diseases?

As we mentioned above, interstitial lung disease generally come in more than 200 different types. Some of them include:

•        Asbestosis: It's basically the scarring and inflammation in the lungs caused by the inhalation of asbestos spindles that get mixed with the air

•        Sarcoidosis: It gets developed when the inflammatory cells take the shape of small sized clumps that start forming in organs like lymph glands and the lungs

•        Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: This condition has an unknown cause where the person is inhibited by a scar like tissue that gets developed throughout the lung tissue.

•        Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: This condition is caused by the inflammation of the alveolar sacs caused due to the inhalation of some allergic substances or some other types of irritants

•        Familial pulmonary fibrosis: It's basically caused by the piling up of scar like tissue in the lungs that generally affects more than one member of the family

•        Desquamative interstitial pneumonitis: It's a condition which is seen in those people who have a habit of smoking. It causes inflammation in lungs

•        Pulmonary fibrosis: This condition generally affects the connective tissue that later take the shpe of some other ailments like Sjögren syndrome or scleroderma

•        Chronic silicosis: It's again a lung disease which is caused by the inhalation of mineral silica.

•        Pneumoconiosis: It's a lung condition which is caused due to the over exposure of coal dust. Mostly seen in workers working at places near coal mines

•        Bronchiolitis obliterans: It's caused by the blockage in bronchioles which are the smallest air sacs of lungs

 

What Are the interstitial lung disease Symptoms?

Well, the most common symptom of the interstitial lung disease is sordidness of breath. It happens because the body doesn't get the enough oxygen into the blood.

This will create the problem of sordidness of breath, especially at the time of doing some exercises or climbing stairs. With the passage of time, it will become difficult to have difficulty in breathing even at the time of rest.

Another symptom of this type of medical condition is the presences of dry cough that may get worsen over time.

In all cases, it is recommended that you see your doctor and take the relevant advice and go ahead with the right treatment.

         

What Are the Causes of Interstitial Lung Disease?

There are times when medical practitioners are unable to find the cause of interstitial lung disease. In such cases, it becomes hard for them to get to the proper diagnosis. All such conditions are referred to the idiopathic interstitial lung disease.

In addition to this, there are some other causes of the interstitial lung disease. One of them is when you get exposed to some kind of toxic substances that may damage your lungs. 

 

In general, interstitial lung diseases fall under 3 main categories:

Autoimmune Diseases

There are certain conditions of lungs that specifically damage lungs after attacking your immune system. Take a look at some of these conditions:

•        Sjögren syndrome: It's a condition caused by dry mouth, dry eyes with joint pain.

•        Scleroderma: It's referred to a group of medical condition that makes the skin and other connective tissues to get tightened and thicken.

•        Rheumatoid arthritis: Here, your immune system attacks some body parts like lungs, joints and some other organs

•        Vasculitis: It causes the damage and inflammation to the blood vessels

•        Polymyositis: This condition is affected by the inflammation of muscles

•        Connective tissue condition: The condition has the presence of several connective tissue diseases like scleroderma, lupus and polymyositis

•        Lupus: Here the immune system generally attacks several kinds of tissues like joints, skin and some other organs

•        Dermatomyositis: It's basically refers to an inflammatory condition accompanied with the skin rash and muscle weakness

 

Exposure to toxic substances

Please note that the exposure to a variety of toxic substances can also become the cause of interstitial lung disease. Take a look at some of them.

•        Tobacco smoke

•        Silica dust 

•        Mold

•        Grain dust

•        Coal dust

•        Asbestos fibers

•        A type of animal protein like from birds

 

What Can be the Medication & Drugs?

There are some specific kind of medication and drugs that are responsible to cause the damage of the lung. Take a look at some of them given below:

 

•        Drugs that fall in the category of heroin and methadone

•        Some sort of heart medications like amiodarone (Pacerone, Nexterone, Cordarone)

•        A group of chemotherepy drugs like vinblastine, methotrexate, cyclophosphamide, bleomycin and azathioprine

•        A group of anti inflammatory drugs like infliximab (Remicade), etanercept (Enbrel) and aspirin

•        A group of antibodies like sulfasalazine (Azulfidine) and nitrofurantoin (Macrobid, Macrodantin)

 

What Are the Treatment options Available?

Whatever treatment your doctor advices, it can't reverse the damage of lungs. But in any case, the treatment given to you will certainly reduce the disease prognosis and it will also help you to breathe comfortably.

 

In case, you have been attacked by some sort of drug that has become the reason of your interstitial lung disease, you are advised to avoid that specific drug.

In most cases, doctors advise some common types of treatments including:

•        Anti inflammatory medications like steroid prednisone that have the capacity to reduce the swelling of lungs

•        Supplemental oxygen

•        A group of Immune-suppressing drugs

•        A group of Antifibrotic drugs        

In most cases, the person gets the relief. But in some other cases, if the situation is getting out of control, the best idea will be to have the luing transplant. But this is not the actual cure.

Also, the surgery is recommended in most cases when the person has not crossed the age of 65 years.

 

Related Tips

Follow certain tips to stay away from any type of the lung condition given above:

•        Quit smoking as it can damage your lungs

•        Exercise a lot as this can help you stay active

•        Take a balanced diet which is full of nutrients

 

 

 Source(s):

https://www.healthline.com/health/interstitial-lung-disease#life-expectancy-and-prognosis