The cases of Pulmonary fibrosis are on the rise worldwide, and experts warn smoking and environmental pollution are the main causes behind the sudden increase in cases.
Pulmonary fibrosis is a serious, lifelong lung disease. It causes lung scarring (tissue scars and thickens over time), making it harder to breathe. Symptoms may come on quickly or take years to develop. No cure exists. Medications may slow down scarring and help preserve lung function. Oxygen therapy and staying active may relieve symptoms.
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has already infected more than 75 million people worldwide and resulted in 1.75 million deaths. While the majority of those infected will not have long-term pulmonary sequelae, 5%-10% will develop severe COVID-19 pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS).
In Kashmir, research has been going on for the past one year in the Department of Internal Medicine in the Sher-e-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura, to find out the cases of Pulmonary Fibrosis in the Kashmir Division and so far more than 100 patients have been enrolled in the SKIMS.
Dr Mudassir Qadri, associate professor of the department said earlier in an interview that there has never been any research on Pulmonary fibrosis in Kashmir the patients are coming forward, so the research has been started under an international project. He said, “This international project is for the research of various lung infection-related diseases which have been going on since last one year.” Dr Qadri further said that 100 pulmonary fibrosis patients have been enrolled in SKIMS so far, as the research is still ongoing, we will have to wait until the research is completed. He said that only after the completion of the project, the real situation of Pulmonary fibrosis in the valley will be known.
The complications of pulmonary fibrosis are that scarred lung tissues have a hard time getting oxygen to the rest of the body. This strains the right side of the heart. It may lead to high blood pressure in the lungs (called pulmonary hypertension). In severe cases, it can cause heart failure.
The main causes behind pulmonary fibrosis are things like smoking, pollution, chemotherapy, radiation and gout can lead to pulmonary fibrosis Often, the cause remains unknown (idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis). Some types of pulmonary fibrosis may run in families. The disease causes the lung tissue to harden and become inflamed. It is an incurable disease, but the rate of its spread is reduced with the use of medicines. This chronic disease causes serious damage to the lungs, which then becomes incurable. The only cure for this disease is lung transplantation, which is very delicate, very sensitive and highly costly.
The writer is a student of BSc Nursing 3rd Semester at the Ramzaan College of Nursing, Galandar Pulwama. He can be reached at sh************@***il.com