There is no cure for ILD, as the scarring of the lungs cannot be reversed. Treatment can slow the spread of the disease and improve your quality of life.
If you have mild interstitial lung disease, you can often function normally without treatment without your condition worsening.
If you have a more severe case of ILD, it can worsen over time, and may require regular treatment of therapy for symptom relief.
The average survival for people with ILD can range from 3 to 5 years or longer with treatment. Idiopathic ILD can be fatal due to poor diagnosis and limited knowledge of the cause. Those with mild ILD can often live much longer.