Signs and symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis

What is pulmonary fibrosis (lung scarring)?

Pulmonary fibrosis describes scar tissue in the lungs. Scarring makes the lungs stiffer and less stretchy. This means it's more difficult for the lungs to work normally. Because of these changes, there is less oxygen for the body to use.

What are the signs and symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis?

The signs and symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis vary between individuals. They are also likely to change if the disease progresses.

Symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis

Symptoms: your experience of pulmonary fibrosis.

The most common symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis include:

• Feeling out of breath more than usual with everyday activities, like walking upstairs
• A persistent cough every day and lasting for more than 8 weeks

Other common symptoms may include:

• Tiredness (fatigue)
• Unexplained weight loss
• Clubbing of fingers and toes (swollen and rounded finger and toe tips – see diagram four below)

Signs of pulmonary fibrosis

Signs: information that healthcare professionals find.

A common sign is hearing crackles when listening to your breathing with a stethoscope. This sounds similar to Velcro being pulled apart.

What should I do if I have symptoms?

If you have symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis, make an appointment with your GP.

Getting ready for your GP appointment

Below are some questions you may want to ask during your appointment. You can save these questions on your phone or print this page and take it with you.  

1. Could I have pulmonary fibrosis?
2. Can you listen to my breathing for crackles?

Your GP might refer you to a specialist team. This team can do further testing to confirm if your symptoms are due to PF or something else. If you are referred to a specialist team, you may want to ask your GP the following questions.

1. Which team and hospital am I being referred to?
2. When should I expect to hear from them?
3. What further tests will they do?
4. What can I do to help my symptoms whilst I am waiting for further appointments/testing?

If you are not referred to another service, ask your GP what to do if your symptoms don’t go away or you have further concerns.

How likely is it to be pulmonary fibrosis?

Many different lung conditions have similar symptoms to pulmonary fibrosis. Some of these conditions may not need treatment and may go away by themselves. However, it's important to check as lung scarring can be mistaken for other conditions.

Some people are more at risk of developing pulmonary fibrosis. This includes people who:

• are older than 50
• have a family history of lung scarring
• smoke or have smoked
• have been exposed to substances (such as smoke, dust or asbestos) over a long period of time
• have certain diseases (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis)

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