Is Interstitial Lung Disease a Major Disease

Interstitial lung diseases, also known as diffuse parenchymal lung diseases, are a group of diffuse lung diseases that primarily involve the interstitium and lung cavities, resulting in loss of alveolar-capillary functional units. It is a large group of diseases with different prognoses for different diseases. Common clinical interstitial lung diseases include idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, nodular disease, hypersensitivity pneumonitis and so on. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, the main manifestation of active dyspnea, progressive aggravation, often accompanied by dry cough. Systemic symptoms are inconspicuous and may include malaise, malaise and weight loss, but rarely fever. Currently, the main treatment is antifibrotic therapy, recovery of lung function, lung transplantation and so on. Patients with hypersensitivity pneumonitis need to be promptly removed from the allergic environment. Persistent and worsening symptoms should be treated with oxygen and glucocorticoids. Nodular disease with significant intrapulmonary and extrapulmonary symptoms requires treatment with glucocorticoids (methylprednisolone) and other immunosuppressive agents (methotrexate). Some interstitial pneumonias are secondary to connective tissue diseases such as lupus and require aggressive treatment of the primary disease. It is recommended that patients visit a specialized respiratory clinic to get a clear diagnosis and be treated with medication under the doctor’s guidance to slow down the progression of the disease.