Information for the public
Easing your symptoms, including breathlessness and cough
Easing your symptoms, including breathlessness and cough
As soon as you are diagnosed you should be offered care to lessen the symptoms of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and support you through your illness. The care should be tailored to how severe your illness is, how quickly it is progressing and your personal preferences. It may also include treating any other illnesses you may have and stopping treatments that are not working or causing side effects.
If you are breathless
If you get out of breath your specialist doctor may recommend that you are assessed to see if oxygen could help you. You should be assessed to see if you would benefit most from oxygen to use while resting at home, or a portable supply for everyday activities.
If you become unusually breathless after normal everyday activities, such as walking up the stairs, you may be assessed for pulmonary rehabilitation (see pulmonary rehabilitation).
If you feel out of breath even when you are resting, your specialist doctor may ask if you need any extra support and discuss how drug treatment could help.
If you have to stay in hospital because of your idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, your specialist team should check if you will need extra oxygen when you get home.
If you have a cough
If you have a cough, your specialist doctor may first see if something else could be causing the cough and treat this. If your cough is making you weak and making everyday life difficult, your doctor may suggest treating it with opioids because they can help reduce coughing. If your cough is not responding to any other treatment, your specialist doctor may see if treatment with other drugs could help.