Interstitial Lung Diseases

On this page

Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Diagnosis and Tests
• Prevention and Risk Factors
• Treatments and Therapies

Learn More

• Living With
• Related Issues
• Specifics
• Genetics

See, Play and Learn

• No links available

Research

• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
• Find an Expert

For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Interstitial lung disease is the name for a large group of diseases that inflame or scar the lungs. The inflammation and scarring make it hard to get enough oxygen. The scarring is called pulmonary fibrosis.

Breathing in dust or other particles in the air is responsible for some types of interstitial lung diseases. Specific types include

• Black lung disease among coal miners, from inhaling coal dust
• Farmer's lung, from inhaling farm dust
• Asbestosis, from inhaling asbestos fibers
• Siderosis, from inhaling iron from mines or welding fumes
• Silicosis, from inhaling silica dust

Other causes include autoimmune diseases or occupational exposures to molds, gases, or fumes. Some types of interstitial lung disease have no known cause.

Treatment depends on the type of exposure and the stage of the disease. It may involve medicines, oxygen therapy, or a lung transplant in severe cases.

Start Here

• Interstitial Lung Disease (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Interstitial Lung Disease (National Jewish Health)
• Occupational Respiratory Disease (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Chest CT Scan (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
• Chest MRI (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Chest X-Ray (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute) Also in Spanish
• Lung Function Tests (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Shortness of Breath (American Academy of Family Physicians) Also in Spanish

Prevention and Risk Factors

• Protect Yourself: Respirators (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) - PDF
• Signs of Potential Problems in the Workplace (American Lung Association)

Treatments and Therapies

• Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD): Treatment (National Jewish Health)

Living With

• Oxygen Therapy: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish
• Pulmonary Rehabilitation: MedlinePlus Health Topic (National Library of Medicine) Also in Spanish

Related Issues

• Beryllium Toxicity (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention)
• Dusts and Molds (National Farm Medicine Center) - PDF
• How to Properly Put On, Take Off a Disposable Respirator (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - PDF Also in Spanish
• Particulate Matter (PM) Pollution (Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards)
• What Is Crystalline Silica? (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

Specifics

• Coal Mining-Related Respiratory Diseases (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health)
• Farmer's Lung: Causes and Symptoms of Mold and Dust Induced Respiratory Illness (Virginia Cooperative Extension)
• Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)
• Idiopathic Interstitial Pneumonias (Merck & Co., Inc.) Also in Spanish
• Learn about Silicosis (American Lung Association)
• Pneumonitis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) Also in Spanish
• Silicosis: Learn the Facts! (National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health) - PDF Also in Spanish

Genetics

• pulmonary alveolar microlithiasis: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)
• surfactant dysfunction: MedlinePlus Genetics (National Library of Medicine)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Anthracosis (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Lung Diseases, Interstitial (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Pneumoconiosis (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: SARS-CoV-2 organising pneumonia: 'Has there been a widespread failure to identify...
• Article: Progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease: clinical uncertainties, consensus recommendations, and research...
• Article: Doxycycline treatment of high-risk COVID-19-positive patients with comorbid pulmonary disease.
• Interstitial Lung Diseases -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• How the Lungs Work (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Find an Expert

• American Lung Association
• Lung HelpLine and Tobacco QuitLine (American Lung Association)
• National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Children

• Childhood Interstitial Lung Disease (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)

Patient Handouts

• Hypersensitivity pneumonitis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Interstitial lung disease (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Interstitial lung disease - adults - discharge (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Pulmonary function tests (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish