Oxygen is required for the generation of energy in the human body. A lack of oxygen will result in eventual death of the individual. Oxygen is transported to the cells of the body through the blood. These cells then deposit carbon dioxide into the blood which will be expelled from the body. The process of gas exchange takes place in the lungs. The lungs are a pair of organs located in the chest cavity of the human body. The lungs are fed with air from the nose which flows through the wind pipe and into the lungs. Here, oxygen is extracted from the air and replaced with carbon dioxide. It should be noted that only a small percentage of the oxygen present in the air is absorbed into the lungs. This process takes place throughout the day and night. Breathing is an interesting function of the human body in that it takes place involuntarily but can also be made to take place voluntarily.

Pulmonary Fibrosis

Causes of Pulmonary Fibrosis
The term fibrosis is used to describe any medical condition where scarring takes place. Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition that causes scarring in the tissues of the lungs. It should be noted that the causes of pulmonary fibrosis may be many different medical conditions. These causes of pulmonary fibrosis may be in the form of inflammatory diseases or infectious diseases. In some cases, there may not be any cause that has been identified but the pulmonary fibrosis symptoms may still be present.

The lungs are made up of many small sac-like structures that absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide. When the patient suffers from pulmonary fibrosis symptoms, his or her lungs will begin to scar internally. This leads to a diminished number of working sacs in the lungs. It may also lead to a restriction of air supply to certain parts of the lungs. All of these problems lead to a diminished ability to absorb oxygen from the air. The initial pulmonary fibrosis symptoms include shortness of breath and an inability to tolerate any long period of exercise. Patients may experience bouts of coughing when they suffer from pulmonary fibrosis as the body tries to deal with the perceived lack of air flowing into the lungs. The actual problem in the case of pulmonary fibrosis is a lack of oxygen absorption, not a lack of air flow.

As mentioned above, the causes of pulmonary fibrosis include various diseases like sarcoidosis and other inflammatory conditions. Patients may also suffer from pulmonary fibrosis when they are exposed to excessive quantities of dust or air borne chemicals. Bacterial and fungal infections may also be listed as causes of pulmonary fibrosis.

The pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis is done using a stethoscope and a high resolution CT imaging scan. During an examination with the stethoscope, the doctor can make a pulmonary fibrosis diagnosis based on the fact that there will be a crackling sound in the chest.

Pulmonary fibrosis treatment is extremely limited in its scope. There is no pulmonary fibrosis treatment for some forms of the condition. Scarring caused by pulmonary fibrosis is permanent. Some forms of pulmonary fibrosis are related to immune system malfunctions. In such a situation, the correct pulmonary fibrosis treatment involves the use of immune system suppressants. Pulmonary fibrosis treatment is not something that can be done from home or using home remedies. This is a condition that requires special medical attention, often emergency attention. Patients with severe pulmonary fibrosis may receive authorization to have a lung transplant. This is the only way in which the patient can receive a pulmonary fibrosis cure. However, the initial cause of the condition will first need to be tackled before transplantation takes place.