Pulmonary fibrosis x ray vs normal

Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) can be hard to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to other lung conditions, such aschronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).

A GP can refer you to hospital specialists for a number of tests to help rule out other conditions and confirm the diagnosis.

Medical history and examination

Your doctor will ask about your medical history and whether there are other factors that could be causing a problem with your lungs, such as whether you:

• smoke or have smoked in the past
• have been exposed to harmful substances at work, such as asbestos
• have other medical conditions

They may also:

• check the sound of your breathing through a stethoscope – a crackling sound can suggest lung scarring (fibrosis)
• look at your fingers to see if the ends are swollen (finger clubbing)
• ask you to walk around for a few minutes to see if you become breathless

Breathing and blood tests

Lung function tests (also called pulmonary function tests) assess how well your lungs work and can help indic

how is idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis diagnosed

how is ipf confirmed