The following symptoms and complaints may indicate pulmonary fibrosis:
Clinical symptoms begin insidiously and consist of:
- Increasing exertional dyspnea (shortness of breath on exertion).
- Tachypnea – excessive respiratory rate.
- Dry cough / irritable cough (= irritable cough without sputum).
In the further course
- Resting dyspnea (shortness of breath at rest).
- Drumstick fingers – thickening of the finger end links (about 20%).
- Watch glass nails – bulging nails (about 50%).
- Central cyanosis (cyanosis of skin and central mucous membranes / tongue).
- Cor pulmonale – right heart enlargement due to lung structural changes.
- Pulmonary cachexia – severe weight loss (“emaciation”) due to lung disease.
