Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF): Management

This information was reviewed and approved by Jeffrey James Swigris, DO, MS (9/1/2017).

How is IPF Managed

People with IPF can become actively involved in the management of their disease.

Participation in the treatment plan will help people with IPF, their caregivers and family members achieve the best possible results.

Transcript

Treatment options can be broken into: medicinal or medicines, and non-medicinal therapies.

Those medicines are approved for IPF, not other types of pulmonary fibrosis and they have been shown to slow the progression of IPF on average.

Non-medicinal therapies or non-medication therapies are very important as well.

Many, if not most, patients with IPF will end up needing supplemental oxygen at some point in their disease. We believe pulmonary rehabilitation is another critical component of the therapeutic regimen.

These patients are at risk for comorbid conditions.

So it’s important to look for those comorbid conditions and decide whether therapy is needed for those.

Finally, like patients with other chronic respiratory conditions, patients with IPF need to be vaccinated.

So we recommend an annual influenza vaccine and vaccination against pneumococcus and pertussis as well.

IPF management includes:

Partnering with your health care provider to formulate a comprehensive treatment plan
Learning more about IPF
Living a full life that includes adopting a healthy lifestyle involving
- Regular exercise
- Healthy eating
- Rest
- Support from others
Attending to your emotional health
Giving up smoking if you smoke (cigarettes, cigars, pipes, marijuana)
Avoiding infections
Taking medication as prescribed
Using oxygen therapy when prescribed
Using breathing techniques
Determining whether lung transplantation is an option for you
Following an action plan
- Action plan every day
- Action plan for exacerbations
Learning about palliative care
- Needs of care, physical, emotional, social, intellectual, spiritual
- Community resources
- Advanced care needs

Now that you have an overview of IPF management, let’s review each topic in more detail.

Partnering with Your Health Care Provider

Ask questions and work together to formulate a comprehensive treatment plan to manage IPF.

Learn More about IPF

Attend the Joe Walsh Memorial Pulmonary Fibrosis Support Group at National Jewish Health
Read the Understanding Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF) Booklet
Trustworthy sources of information about IPF include the National Jewish Health website and that of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation. Ask your provider for other recommendations.

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