Today marks the beginning of IPF Week 2021.
What is IPF?
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is a lung condition that scars your lungs and reduces the efficiency of your breathing. It’s the most common type of pulmonary fibrosis with an estimated 2,500 people in Scotland living with the disease, of which there is no cure. Across the UK, 6,500 people are diagnosed with IPF every year.
IPF is a progressive condition and usually gets worse over time. At present, the scar tissue cannot be repaired by the body or any drugs, so there is no cure yet for IPF. The average life expectancy of someone diagnosed with IPF is 3 years.
Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation Scotland are raising awareness of this lung disease.
Read more about IPF and the awareness week at the British Lung Foundation website – IPF Week 2021 | British Lung Foundation (blf.org.uk)