This Tribute is supporting Action for Pulmonary Fibrosis. If you want to help please make a Donation or consider creating a Fundraising Event. Mum had Interstitial Lung Disease, caused by her Rheumatoid Arthritis (shortened to RA ILD). Its part of a group of Lung Conditions that come under the umbrella of Pulmonary Fibrosis (PF). Its a terrible disease that often ends in death within 5 years of a diagnosis. There are so few options to treat it. Your lungs are made of lots of tissues and are pretty elastic so they expand in and out easily. ILD causes scarring of the lungs, this makes them very stiff, the more scarring the stiffer they are. This results in incredibly low oxygen levels and severe breathlessness, until your lungs just do not function anymore, resulting in death. You can imagine how debilitating this is, slowly stripping people of their independence. People (including health care professionals) will assume its COPD and caused by smoking. It is a lung condition and that is its only similarity with COPD. Inhalers do not help. For some there are a couple of drugs that can slow progression of the disease, however these are not licensed for use in RA ILD. It is so important that not only does research continue into this condition but so does awareness for everyone from the general public and healthcare professionals.

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