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Lifestyle and home remedies
By Mayo Clinic staffBeing actively involved in your own treatment and staying as healthy as possible are essential to living with pulmonary fibrosis. For that reason, it's important to:
- Stop smoking. If you have lung disease, the best thing you can do for yourself is to stop smoking. Talk to your doctor about options for quitting, including smoking cessation programs, which use a variety of proven techniques to help people quit. And because secondhand smoke can be just as harmful to your lungs, don't allow other people to smoke around you.
- Eat well. People with lung disease may lose weight both because it's uncomfortable to eat and because of the extra energy it takes to breathe. Yet a nutritionally rich diet that contains adequate calories is essential. A dietitian can give you further guidelines for healthy eating.
- Get vaccinated. Respiratory infections can worsen symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis. Make sure you receive the pneumonia vaccine and an annual flu shot.
References
- Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/ipf/ipf_all.html. Accessed Jan. 20, 2011.
- Rust G. Interstitial lung diseases. In: Rakel RE. Textbook of Family Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/191205553-4/0/1481/0.html#. Accessed Jan. 20, 2011.
- King TE. Approach to the adult with interstitial lung disease: Clinical evaluation. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 20, 2011.
- Blundin M. Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/about.do?eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..C2009-0-38600-6--TOP&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&about=true&uniqId=230100505-53. Accessed Jan. 20, 2011.
- King TE. Approach to the adult with interstitial lung disease: Diagnostic testing. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 20, 2011.
- Rosenow EC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Jan. 25, 2011.
- King TE. Treatment of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 20, 2011.
- Pulmonary rehabilitation. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/pulreh/pulreh_all.html. Accessed Jan. 20, 2011.
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