Pulmonary Fibrosis, which affects the lungs, is a relatively unknown form of lung disease in terms of causes, diagnoses and remedies. But, as with all kinds of lung ailments, it's important to know what pulmonary fibrosis is and the symptoms that come with it.

What is Pulmonary Fibrosis
In laymen's terms, pulmonary fibrosis occurs when the lung itself begins to scar. The vital air sacs that are located inside the lungs themselves are replaced by fibrotic tissue. Because of this, the scars that are inside the air sacs thicken which results in the tissue's in ability to transfer oxygen to the bloodstream. Usually, once pulmonary fibrosis sets in, it becomes irreversible.

Symptoms of Pulmonary Fibrosis
Because of the mysterious nature of pulmonary fibrosis, it's extremely important to recognize the symptoms of this illness. You may be suffering from pulmonary fibrosis is you are experiencing the following symptoms:

Shortness of breath
Difficulty breathing during exercise or physical activity
Fatigue
Weakness
Chest pain
Loss of appetite
Quick weight loss

If you are suffering any of the above symptoms, you should contact your doctor immediately to determine whether or not you are suffering from pulmonary fibrosis.

Causes
While the exact onset of pulmonary fibrosis isn't exactly known and hasn't yet been pinpointed, there are factors that can lead to the disease:

Smoking
Therapeutic radiation
Inhaling hazardous substances
Specific medications
Pre-existing diseases such as arthritis or lupus

Treatments
As stated earlier, there are really no known or proven treatments or cures for pulmonary fibrosis. In fact, most prospective treatments and antidotes are still in the experimental or testing phases. And treatments that have been released to fight pulmonary fibrosis have only met moderate success.

In some extreme instances, to prevent death, pulmonary fibrosis can be taken care of as a result of a single lung transplant.

A natural form of treatment that has been gaining attention is enzyme therapy. It has been discovered that enzymes eat scar tissue and fibrosis.

The best way, therefore, to combat this form of lung disease is to maintain a healthy lifestyle. If you smoke, quit. If you don't exercise, slowly change that by doing minimal exercise routines and gradually increasing their levels. If you work in a hazardous environment, consider changing vocations, jobs or occupations. Common sense, enzyme therapy and clean living are the best ways to fight off the symptoms and effects of pulmonary fibrosis.

Because pulmonary fibrosis is such an unknown lung ailment, doctors, hospitals and pharmaceutical companies are involved in serious research as to what actually causes this sickness and how to best treat it. New drugs and treatments are being released and professionals are certain that a breakthrough can be achieved.

Another positive aspect of pulmonary fibrosis is more and more support groups and organizations are forming to help educate people on this terrible breathing disorder. Through education comes answers, which will eventually result in defeating this terrible illness.