What are the symptoms of interstitial lung disease?

Interstitial lung disease is a type of lung disease. Symptoms include difficulty breathing after exercise or fatigue, which causes respiratory problems, shortness of breath, and impaired alveolar function. This disease often occurs in patients who smoke for a long time. X-rays can reveal diffuse shadows in the lungs. If not treated in time and the condition is not controlled, it will tend to become serious.

Symptoms of interstitial lung disease

1. Shortness of breath is the most common symptom at the first visit. It is usually insidious, starting during more strenuous activities and gradually worsening, often accompanied by shallow and rapid breathing. Many patients are accompanied by obvious fatigue. Most ILD patients have cough symptoms, mostly dry coughs, and some cases have a small amount of white sputum or white foamy sputum. Chest pain is less common. Some patients with sarcoidosis complain of dull pain behind the sternum, which can also be seen in patients with ILD and pleural lesions. Wheezing is less common, mainly seen in patients with exogenous allergic alveolitis or eosinophilic pneumonia. Hemoptysis is also less common, mainly seen in diffuse alveolar hemorrhage syndrome, pulmonary vascular lesions and malignant pulmonary lesions.

2. Among the physical signs, increased respiratory rate is often the earliest manifestation of ILD. Many patients will have a significantly increased respiratory rate (>24 times/min) after a little activity. There will be crackles or moist sounds in both lower lungs, which are often enhanced or appear at the end of inspiration. This is particularly obvious in cases of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. However, some diseases (such as sarcoidosis) are mostly without moist sounds or crackles. Clubbing of fingers (toes) is mainly seen in patients with ILD caused by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and lung cancer. Clubbing of fingers (toes) is not common in patients with ILD caused by other reasons.

3. When collecting clinical history, it is important to ask about the patient's past history of occupation, hobbies, medication, etc. In some cases, exposure to chemicals or minerals decades ago may also lead to ILD. The course of the disease is also very important. For example, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis may lead to obvious fibrosis within a few weeks, while common interstitial pneumonia often takes several years to develop obvious fibrosis.