What has a negative influence on life expectancy in pulmonary fibrosis?
Basically, smoking has an extremely negative influence on the progression of the disease. Continued contact with the triggering pollutants, if they are known (e.g. asbestos, metal dusts, mould, etc. ), also causes the disease to progress further and possibly more rapidly.
The prognosis is the worse the later the diagnosis is made. If the course of the disease is long before diagnosis is made, the damage to the lungs and the remodelling of the tissue is more advanced. An unknown cause/disease (in the case of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis) is also unfavorable in terms of course and life expectancy.
If infections are not treated or not treated sufficiently when the disease already exists, this can lead to a significant deterioration in lung function and prognosis. If there are other underlying diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), this can also have a negative influence. Necessary radiation or chemotherapy as part of cancer therapy can also be an additional burden.
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