Last Updated on February 20, 2025 by Analgesia team
What is the Best Treatment For Interstitial Lung Disease
ILD stands for interstitial lung disease, which is a group of lung disorders that cause scarring (fibrosis) in the lungs. This scarring makes it hard to breathe and get oxygen into the bloodstream.
Types of Interstitial Lung Disease
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF): A chronic disease that causes progressive scarring of the lungs. It’s also known as Cryptogenic Fibrosing Alveolitis (CFA) or Usual Interstitial Pneumonitis (UIP).
- Asbestosis: An ILD caused by exposure to asbestos.
- Sarcoidosis: Sarcoidosis is a condition where abnormal nodules called sarcoid granulomas appear in the body’s tissues.
- Nonspecific interstitial pneumonitis: An ILD that often occurs with autoimmune conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or scleroderma.
- Hypersensitivity pneumonitis: Also known as extrinsic allergic alveolitis (EAA-ILD), this ILD can be caused by exposure to certain substances, such as bird or farm animals.
- Silicosis: An occupational disease that mainly affects people who work around crystalline silica.
- Drug-induced lung disease: An ILD caused by certain medications, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy.
Other types of ILD include: Pulmonary vasculitis, Langerhans’ cell histiocytosis (LCH), Lupus-related lung disease, and Collagen Vascular associated Disease (CVA-ILD).
What is the main cause of ILD?
The cause of interstitial lung disease (ILD) is often unknown, but it can be caused by a number of factors. These include:
- Environment: Exposure to dust, chemicals, mold, bacteria, and air pollution
- Lifestyle: Smoking, illegal drugs, and other unhealthy habits
- Medications: Some antibiotics, heart medications, chemotherapy drugs, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)
- Family history: Having a close relative with ILD increases your risk
- Other medical conditions: Autoimmune diseases, connective tissue disorders, and viral infections
- Genes: Mutations in genes that control lung development
Symptoms shortness of breath, dry cough, chest discomfort, fatigue, and weight loss.
ILD Treatment
Interstitial lung disease (ILD) treatment depends on the cause and severity of symptoms. Treatments can help with breathing, prevent further damage, and improve quality of life.
Lifestyle changes
- Avoid substances that cause ILD, like smoking
- Exercise regularly, such as walking, swimming, or cycling
- Do strength-building exercises
Medications
- Bronchodilators: Relax the muscles around the airways
- Corticosteroids: Reduce inflammation in the lungs
- Antifibrotics: Slow down lung damage
- Cyclophosphamide: Suppresses the immune system
- Pirfenidone (Esbriet): Slows the worsening of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF)
- Nintedanib (Ofev): Slows the worsening of IPF and other types of ILD
- Methotrexate: Has anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant effects
Oxygen therapy
- Delivers extra oxygen to make breathing easier
- Protects the body from complications of low oxygen levels
Pulmonary rehabilitation Improves lung efficiency and physical endurance and Offers emotional support.
Lung transplant
- Replaces a diseased lung with a healthy lung from a donor
- Considered in extreme cases
Complications
- Lung damage is often irreversible and gets worse over time
What is the life expectancy of ILD
The life expectancy for someone with Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) can vary widely depending on the specific type of ILD, its severity, and the individual’s overall health. Generally, ILD can be a progressive condition, and some forms, like idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), have a median survival time of about 3 to 5 years after diagnosis. However, others may progress more slowly or respond well to treatment, leading to a longer life expectancy.
In a recent study of factors affecting mortality in ILD published in ESR, it was found out that the average age at death was around 50 years of age. A total of 90 patients diagnosed as ILD were admitted at Department of Chest medicine from May 2013 to May 2015. Out of this, total of 22 deaths due to ILD occurred in this period