Treatment of Interstitial Lung Disease
As mentioned earlier, interstitial lung disease cannot be cured, so the objective is to manage the symptoms and slow the disease’s progression.

Treatment varies depending on the exact nature of your interstitial lung disease and its severity, your age, your lifestyle and your overall health and wellbeing.

Many treatments for interstitial lung disease include the following:

Medications – depending on the cause of your condition, your medications may include steroids and anti-inflammatory medication to help your body’s ability to fight inflammation and assist in preventing scarring.

Oxygen therapy – the use of supplemental oxygen at scheduled periods throughout the day or for the entire day helps deliver fresh oxygen to your bloodstream that is otherwise difficult to obtain due to disease.

Pulmonary rehabilitation – many interstitial lung disease patients can experience better breathing and quality of life with the exercises, nutritional guidance and counseling provided by pulmonary rehabilitation.

In more extreme cases, surgery may be required to remove damaged tissue. Some patients may even qualify for a lung transplant. For questions about qualifying for a lung transplant, you should speak with your primary care provider.