KTIV News 4 Sioux City IA: News, Weather and SportsRaising awareness about Pulmonary Fibrosis

50-thousand people are diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis every year in the U.S. And the number of cases are growing.

Pulmonary fibrosis is disease that causes progressive scarring of lung tissue. "And when that happens, you can no longer exchange air, oxygen and carbon dioxide, so you gradually lose your ability to breathe," said Dr. Gregg Galloway. Most people diagnosed with pulmonary fibrosis only live two to three years.... and much of that is spent with an oxygen tank. "The common things that people say is that I feel like I'm suffocating or I'm drowning. You just can't get your breath; you can't catch up," said Dr. Galloway.

Dr. Gregg Galloway at Mercy Medical Center should know. His sister-in-law, Linda, battled the disease... and died in 2009. Since then family has worked to raise awareness. They've put up a billboard in Linda's home state of South Carolina. The hope is that people will become aware of the disease. They say many don't realize that while half the cases of pulmonary fibrosis are caused by underlying diseases, like Lupus... the other half are idiopathic, meaning the cause is not known. As for treatment, there is only one.... a lung transplant. "It is probably one of the hardest you can do because your lungs have to fit your body cavity and shape. The earlier you're diagnosed the better. And the earlier you seek consultation with your physician to look at lung transplant, either a single or a double lung transplant, the better off you are because trying to do the physical work it takes to get that transplant when you're greatly debilitated is sometimes a pretty hard curve or hill to crawl up," said Dr. Galloway. And that's why Dr. Galloway and his family are hoping people will listen... and become aware of a disease that is often misdiagnosed as other lung conditions.

Pulmonary Fibrosis often effects men more than women. Smoking can increase your risk. Age is not really a factor. But here are the symptoms: Shortness of breath... a dry cough that won't clear... and a gradual loss in energy. For more information on pulmonary fibrosis... go to the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis webpage.