Pulmonary fibrosis patients speak out to raise awareness of early diagnosis

Madrid, 12 (Euronews)

Diverse pulmonary fibrosis patients have come together to raise awareness of the importance of early diagnosis of the disease through the second video of the Give Pulmonary Fibrosis a Voice campaign. Organized by Boehringer Ingelheim, you decide.

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a rare disease that affects 8,000 to 12,000 people in Spain and, over time, worsens respiratory symptoms and reduces lung function, leading to a decrease in life expectancy in 2 to 12,000 people in Spain. No treatment within five years from diagnosis.

Marta Bagur, a patient with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and Ana Vázquez, a patient with rheumatoid arthritis-related pulmonary fibrosis, are the protagonists of the second phase of this initiative, The initiative is endorsed by the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR), in collaboration with the Spanish Society of Pulmonology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR), the Association of Families and Patients of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (AFEFPI), the Ayre Association, Spanish League of Rheumatology (LIRE), Spanish Federation of Rare Diseases (FEDER) and Spanish Association of Scleroderma (AEE).

This video combines two stories that reflect the symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis seen in each case – difficulty breathing, especially with light physical activity; a cough that does not improve and fatigue – which, if persistent, requires a visit to a doctor.

Since the first symptoms of this condition are very non-specific and often attributed to other illnesses or even age itself, having more training and information resources available to recognize it is crucial when time is of the essence.

Marta Bagur, one of the protagonists of the event, explained that “she went to the doctor with a cold that caused her to have a bad cough,” and “the family doctor listened to her and discovered that she could hear some “Strange noises (cracking sounds)”. Early diagnosis and early treatment of IPF are one of the factors that have allowed Marta to survive 10 years with the disease and have a very high quality of life.

The video also adds Ana Vázquez’s voice to give visibility to other conditions at risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis, such as systemic autoimmune diseases (SAD), and to provide examples of how to diagnose these cases.

“Because my symptoms were similar to those of later pulmonary fibrosis, I was more fatigued than usual for years. At 25, I had severe pneumonia and on a CT scan they saw fibrosis in the left lung. Then I understood, “It wasn’t the fatigue, reduced breathing, ‘I wanted to breathe but I couldn’t’ caused by my arthritis,” Anna explained, “it was the complications, and I felt so relieved after receiving the diagnosis.” “Vazquez.

Rheumatoid arthritis is a disease that affects about 300,000 people in Spain. One of the ways it affects the lungs is through inflammation and/or scarring of the supporting structures called the interstitium, which causes 10-20% of patients. Symptoms appear. Although more precise testing suggests lung abnormalities may be found in up to 40% of patients.

This scarring, called pulmonary fibrosis, tightens the airways in the lungs, causing coughing (which is often the first symptom) and makes it difficult for oxygen to get into the body, making it difficult to breathe. Although IPF is the most common, there are more than 200 different diffuse interstitial lung diseases (DILD) that can develop pulmonary fibrosis.

The video was released as part of the Give Pulmonary Fibrosis a Voice campaign. You Call It Back kicked off last June with the story of Ana, a patient suffering from scleroderma-related pulmonary fibrosis.

In different videos that make up the event, musician and lecturer Zapatista Tenor interviews a range of people involved with pulmonary fibrosis to shed light on the condition and all its implications.

In addition to savings for national health systems, early diagnosis of IPF also means changes in the course of the disease and relief for patients.