Stem Cell Injections
Pulmonary fibrosis is a disease of the respiratory system in which there is the development of scars or fibrosis in the lung tissues. This would eventually lead to breathing difficulty in the patient. This scar is as a result of the accumulation of the excess amount of fibrous connective tissue in the lungs. This leads to the abnormal thickening of the walls of the lungs. In addition, people affected by pulmonary fibrosis do experience a reduction in the amount of oxygen supply in the blood, which leads to dyspnea, also known as shortness of breath. The cause of this disease is sometimes unknown in some patients, however, the etiology of pulmonary fibrosis can easily be diagnosed in some other patients. There is no treatment for this disease yet, however, a lot of trials are going on. The signs and symptoms are usually improved by the use of some medications and other forms of therapy. This disease should be managed by a physician. They help the patient live a near comfortable life. Scientists are currently working on ways to induce stem cells, so they can replace the scarred tissues of the lungs. Physicians can buy stem cells online that can be used for these processes.
What Are The Signs And Symptoms Of Pulmonary Fibrosis?
Patients affected by pulmonary fibrosis present with some complaints. Below are some of the signs and symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis;
- Dyspnea: This is a condition in which the patient experiences shortness of breath. The scar tissues in the lungs mean that the pulmonary cells, also known as alveoli in the lungs have been damaged, and have undergone fibrosis. This prevents blood, that contains nutrients and oxygen from reaching the affected part of the lungs, leading to shortness of breath.
- Loss of weight
- Pain in the joints and in the muscles.
- Tiredness
- Clubbing of the fingers and the toes.
- Dry unproductive cough.
The signs and symptoms presented by patients do vary. The signs and symptoms can vary from mild, moderate to severe. People with the severe type of pulmonary fibrosis do become ill rapidly, as compared to people with moderate severity. The moderately severe pulmonary fibrosis develops slowly and progressively. This might take months and even years to develop. Other symptoms of the disease include severe dyspnea, which may persist for days to weeks. Physicians usually prescribe antibiotics and corticosteroids for the treatment of the acute exacerbation of pulmonary fibrosis.
What Are The Causes Of Pulmonary Fibrosis?
Pulmonary fibrosis is a condition in which the lung tissues are replaced with scars. This makes it impossible, or difficult for oxygen to move from the lung to the bloodstream and vice versa. This could be as a result of many factors. Some of the factors might include chemical toxins, diseases, radiation therapy, and even some drugs.
- Environmental conditions: There are some environmental conditions that can predispose a patient to develop pulmonary fibrosis. Some of these conditions include prolonged exposure to silica dust. This is common, in people that work in quarries. In addition, constant exposure to asbestos fibres can also lead to the formation of scars in the lung tissues. In addition, coal, metal and grain dust also contributes largely to the development of pulmonary fibrosis. Lastly, animal wastes and droppings also contribute to the formation of scar tissues in the lungs.
- Radiation therapy: It has been observed that some people that underwent radiation therapy for various diseases such as pulmonary carcinoma or breast cancer sometimes do present with signs and symptoms of lung damage. This usually occurs some months and even years after they have undergone the treatment. However, they do present with different severity of symptoms. The extent of the lung damage depends on some factors. Some of the factors include
- The duration at which the lung was exposed to the radiation.
- The amount of radiation that was given to the patient.
- The presence of another disease.
- Also, it’s important to know if chemotherapy was also used alongside radiotherapy.
- Other diseases: There are other diseases that could lead to the development of pulmonary fibrosis. Some of them include dermatomyositis, polymyositis. Other medical conditions that have been associated with this disease include pneumonia, scleroderma, and rheumatoid arthritis.
In addition, there have been a lot of theories about what could lead to idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. This is the type of pulmonary fibrosis whose cause is unknown. It was suggested that heredity might have a role to play in the development of the disease. Some other conditions such as smoking, this includes all types of smoking; smoke from cigarettes, cars, cooking with firewood, especially in rural areas and so on.
What Are The Risk Factors For Pulmonary Fibrosis?
- Sex: It has been observed that pulmonary fibrosis tends to occur more in males than in females.
- Age: Pulmonary fibrosis is more likely to occur in older adults, and middle-aged adults, although there are still some cases in children.
- Occupations: There is some certain type of occupation that increases the risk of having pulmonary fibrosis. Some of these occupations include quarrying industries, construction sites, chemical plants and so on.
- Smoking: Pulmonary fibrosis tends to occur more in smokers than in non-smokers. This disease also occurs in patients that have
- Cancer therapy: Patients who have undergone cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy have a higher chance of developing pulmonary fibrosis.
- Genetics: The genetic make-up of some people predispose them to develop pulmonary fibrosis faster than others. All they need is just a little trigger, and the process of the development of the disease would begin.
How Is Pulmonary Fibrosis Treated?
It’s impossible to reverse a lung tissue that has undergone fibrosis. However, there the rate at which the tissues undergoes scarring can be reduced. There are some treatment procedures that can improve the signs and symptoms of the disease. The physician will examine the patient, before suggesting the right treatment for the patient. Treatment procedure includes medications such as Nintedanib. Oxygen therapy is also given, to assist the patient, especially when they have breathing difficulty.
Stem Cell Therapy And Pulmonary Fibrosis
Scientists are working on ways to utilize stem cells for the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis. Lung tissues are to be generated using stem cells. Stem cells are unique cells, that can differentiate into other types of body tissues.
References
Asthma triggers!. (2000). Asthma Magazine, 5(1), pp.13-36.
Cho, K. (2016). Stem cell therapy in animal models of allergic airway diseases. Allergy, Asthma & Respiratory Disease, 4(3), p.167.
Mascarenhas, S., Avalos, B. and Ardoin, S. (2012). An Update on Stem Cell Transplantation in Autoimmune Rheumatologic Disorders. Current Allergy and Asthma Reports, 12(6), pp.530-540.
