Interstitial lung disease (ILD) describes a large group of conditions that affect the lung tissue called the interstitium. This is the space within the lung connecting the airways to the blood vessels in the lungs. These conditions can affect your lung’s ability to get enough oxygen into your bloodstream, making it harder for people to breathe. Some people will also report other symptoms such as cough, general fatigue or weight loss.
As there are many different forms of ILD, there are many factors or causes for people to develop ILD. Some commonly known causes include cigarette smoking, environmental and occupational exposures, immune/rheumatological disorders, radiation therapy and drugs.
However, there are some forms of ILD that have no clear cause. These conditions are given the label ‘idiopathic’ and the most common form is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis.
The treatment of ILD can be complex and before knowing what treatment is available, it is important to understand how ILD is affecting your lungs and health. Your doctor will take a comprehensive medical history and perform several tests such as a CT of your chest, blood tests and breathing tests. Your doctor will take these results and discuss them with a group of different specialist doctors in a specialised meeting to come to an agreement of the diagnosis and treatment. Our doctors at Sydney West Respiratory are affiliated with leading ILD centres in Australia, providing access to specialised care for your condition.
Once the diagnosis of ILD is found, our doctors at Sydney West Respiratory will discuss these treatment options with you. As there are many types of ILD, treatment options are also very different and will vary from one person to another even if they have the same condition. These may include oral or intravenous medications. Other important treatment strategies such as enrolment into pulmonary rehabilitation programs, clinical trials and in some cases, even lung transplantation will be considered. Here at Sydney West Respiratory, we aim to guide you through the entire process and will ensure that your treatment will be personalised and tailored to your specific ILD and health needs.
