Renowned Tabla player and Padma Vibhushan Ustad Zakir Hussain Sahab passed away on Monday. His family confirmed that he was suffering from the rare lung disease idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
He was admitted to a hospital in San Francisco, USA for the last 2 weeks. There he was admitted to the ICU as his health deteriorated. There he breathed his last.
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rare lung condition. The disease causes the lung tissues to harden, causing difficulty breathing. In such a condition, breathing can stop and even death can occur. According to a study published in 'Science Direct', 3 to 5 lakh people worldwide are affected by IPF.
So, today in 'health water' we will talk about idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. Also know that-
- What are the symptoms of IPF?
- What are its risk factors?
- What is the treatment of IPF and how is it managed?
What is IPF? IPF is a rare lung condition. In this disease, the tissue around the alveoli in the lungs becomes thick and hard. If you have ever seen a picture of a lung, it has many branches growing out of it like a tree. There are many clusters like balloons in between. This helps in breathing. When the tissues around them thicken, the lungs have to exert more force to breathe, which leads to wear and tear. This causes shortness of breath over time.
The term idiopathic in this disease means that the cause of the health condition is unknown. Pulmonologist Dr. The exact cause of IPF is not yet known, says Vivek Gundappa. However, some doctors believe that there may be genetic and environmental reasons behind it. It is also difficult to diagnose this disease.
What are the symptoms of IPF? Dr. Vivek Gundappa says that usually the symptoms of IPF develop gradually. So, it is a bit difficult to find it quickly. However, if we pay attention, our body gives us signals like shortness of breath, restlessness and weakness. What are its other features, see in the graphic:
Risk factors of IPF No specific cause of IPF has yet been identified. Despite this, there are some conditions that can increase its risk. Among these, smoking and family history are considered major risk factors. Apart from this, there are many other risk factors, see graphic:
What is the treatment for IPF? Dr. Vivek Gundappa says that there can be no cure for this disease. Despite this, a little treatment helps the patient to breathe easily. It can be reduced if the lungs are rapidly deteriorating due to disease. When doctors treat IPF, they try to control symptoms rather than cure the disease. Some medications, oxygen therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation can be given for this.
Some common questions and answers regarding idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
Q: How is IPF diagnosed? Answer: Symptoms of IPF develop slowly over time. So it is difficult to diagnose immediately. Lung lesions caused by IPF look similar to those caused by other diseases. So it is difficult to find. To confirm this, most of the following tests have to be done:
- X-ray of the chest
- High-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scan
- exercise test
- Lung function test
- Lung biopsy
- Pulse oximetry (oxygen level in the blood)
- Blood gas test (levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood)
Question: How long do people live with IPF? Answer: According to the American Heart Association, IPF usually affects people between the ages of 50 and 70. By this age people's body is not able to fight any disease. Therefore, after a diagnosis of IPF, people live only 3-5 years. However, how long a person will live with IPF also depends on the following factors:
- How old is the person?
- What is the person's overall health status?
- How fast the disease is progressing.
- How severe the symptoms are.
Question: If someone has IPF, what foods should they avoid? Answer: If a person has IPF, he should eat very little salt and sugar in his diet. Trans fat should also be avoided. Overall, fried and processed foods should not be eaten.
Q: Does IPF affect everyone differently? Answer: Yes, IPF is considered unpredictable. Its symptoms may vary from patient to patient. In some people with IPF, lung lesions grow slowly, while in others the lesions may grow very quickly. If symptoms worsen rapidly, it can be fatal.
Question: If someone has IPF, what lifestyle changes should they make for management? Answer: Generally, after being diagnosed with IPF, a person lives for only 3-4 years. Despite this, to make life easier and increase life expectancy, we should make the following lifestyle changes:
- If you smoke, stop immediately to slow or reduce lung damage.
- Continue to exercise regularly as physical fitness is very important for overall well-being.
- Follow a balanced diet plan to strengthen the immune system.
- Get vaccinated on time to prevent lung-damaging infections like pneumonia and influenza.
- Keeping distance from someone who has a respiratory infection.
- Apart from this, take the medicines, vitamins and supplements prescribed by the doctor on time.
Image Credit: (Divya-Bhaskar): Images/graphics belong to (Divya-Bhaskar).
