Interstitial Lung Diseases

Treatment

At Mayo Clinic, the goals of treatment are early diagnosis and a decrease in inflammation to prevent further lung damage. If the cause is environmental, identifying and removing the source of the problem is key. Treatments include:

Medications

Oral corticosteroids such as prednisone or methylprednisone are frequently the first medications used. For some people, steroids help decrease inflammation and cause a dramatic improvement. The response to treatment is related to the type of ILD and the amount of inflammation present.

Cytotoxic agents reduce inflammation by killing some inflammatory cells and suppressing their function. These medications may take six months or longer to show improvement. In some cases, a combination of prednisone and cyclophosphamide is used with good results.

Other useful medications include antifibrotic agents (such as colchicine); novel immunomodulatory treatments (such as tumor necrosis factor inhibitors infliximab and etanercept); hormonal agents to treat patients with lymphangioleiomyomatosis; vasodilators to treat interstitial lung disease complicated by pulmonary hypertension; and aerosolized GM-CSF (granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor) to treat pulmonary alveolar proteinosis.

Home Oxygen Therapy

Breathing supplemental oxygen increases the amount of oxygen in the blood. This may help reduce shortness of breath and prevent other complications. Used as directed, oxygen is not addictive and is generally not associated with any unpleasant side effects. Not using oxygen as prescribed can be harmful. Even though using supplemental oxygen may mean a change in lifestyle, it may allow those affected by ILD to feel better and lead a more active life.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Mayo Clinic in Rochester offers a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program for people with chronic pulmonary disease and their families. The program is conducted by a multidisciplinary team of specialists, including pulmonary physicians, respiratory therapists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and dietitians with expertise in caring for people with chronic pulmonary diseases. The comprehensive evaluation, educational and exercise components are covered on an outpatient or inpatient basis.

The typical length of a Pulmonary Rehabilitation program is six to 10 weeks, but for those not able to stay that long in Rochester, Mayo Clinic offers the Quick Start option. Quick Start is a two-day program that includes all of the educational components with a minimum of two aerobic training sessions. People are then referred to a health facility in or near their home where they can complete the remainder of the required exercise training sessions.

Smoking Cessation

In some patients, smoking is the primary cause of ILD. In other patients, smoking accelerates the progression of the disease. If this is the case, Mayo offers programs to help people address their tobacco dependence.

Lung Transplantation

Lung transplantation may offer hope for some people with severe ILD. Mayo Clinic has performed an increasing number of lung transplants over the last several years. Mayo Clinic's multidisciplinary team approach is ideally suited to the complex problems presented by lung transplant recipients. The lung transplantation program brings together the collective expertise of specialists with extensive clinical experience in transplant surgery and medicine.

Hormone Therapy

Mayo Clinic also offers hormone therapy for some forms of ILD. The type and duration of the therapy depends on the type and severity of the ILD.