The respiratory system is very important for us since it’s the reason for us to survive so it’s necessary for us to make sure that we maintain the health of our respiratory system. This is important considering that there are also some diseases related to the respiratory problems such interstitial lung disease. The interstitial lung disease can develop into an incurable disease when it’s not treated properly and immediately.
The interstitial lung disease is the type of disease that affects directly the structural anatomic part of the lungs which is called interstitium which is network tissues that extend and connect both lungs. When someone suffers from the interstitial lung disease means the interstitiums are swollen or thickening because of inflammation and in some cases it may also produce fluids as well. In some certain level medical treatment should be provided to prevent this disease to grow into an incurable disease.
Types of Interstitial Lung Disease and the Symptoms
There are actually several forms of interstitial lung disease which also include interstitial pneumonia which is caused by fungi, viruses or bacteria infecting the insterstitium. The bacteria involve in this case commonly is known as Mycoplasma Pneumonia.
Another type of interstitial lung disease is known as Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis which is the condition where the interstitium gets a chronic form of fibrosis. Although this type of interstitial lung disease can grow even more serious however the main cause of this form of disease remains unknown.
Actually there are more types of interstitial lung disease and each of them has different symptoms that generally can be identified to be related to the lungs and respiratory systems. All forms of interstitial lung disease share the general symptom which is shortness in breathing and in some worse cases patient can also end up breathless and should be given life supports.
Another symptom that commonly comes with the interstitial lung disease also includes coughing. Usually the patient experience constant, nonproductive and dry cough. In some cases it can also be followed by significant bodyweight loss in a short period of time.
Identification and Treatment for Interstitial Lung Disease
Knowing the symptoms of interstitial lung disease is however not quite enough since medical diagnosis methods required obtaining more accurate diagnoses. Chest X-Ray is the common type of test to provide visual images of fine lines and tissues in the lungs. High resolution CT scan can also help to provide clear images of interstitium so we can make diagnose for interstitial lung disease. The combination of Chest X-Ray, CT Scans and computerized systems can also help to create clearer images of the lung structures in details.
There are several types of treatments for interstitial lung disease but we must make sure that we apply the right treatment according to the type of the disease. In most cases patients with interstitial lung disease are given the Corticosteroids which are aimed to reduce the immune system’s activities that can help to reduce the inflammation in the lungs. Antibiotics are also widely given in any pneumonia cases since they’re proven to be very effective. If the interstitial lung disease is resulted from the fungi although it’s quite rare to happen using the antifungal drugs can be the best option.