In terms of visibility, everyone is familiar with AIDS, but very few people have heard about Pulmonary Fibrosis. At this time there is no effective treatment for Pulmonary Fibrosis. It is therefore a terminal illness in which the victim succumbs within two to four years after diagnosis. Pulmonary Fibrosis is a disease in which the air sacs of the lungs are gradually replaced by scar tissue. As the disease progresses, the increase in scar tissue interferes with the ability of the lungs to transfer oxygen to the blood stream.
Breathing becomes increasingly difficult and the patient dies of respiratory failure.
The age of onset is usually between 40 and 70 but we are currently witnessing patients of a younger age becoming affected. To add to the problem, the condition is often misdiagnosed as asthma, emphysema or one of the many forms of pneumonia. The symptoms are shortness of breath upon physical exertion and later on difficulty in talking on the phone. The Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation was established to help confront the many problems faced by victims of the disease. Its mission is manifold.