Pulmonary Fibrosis Compensation

Claiming for the contraction of pulmonary fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is a side effect of other diseases (interstitial lung diseases). When infected, the disease damages your lung tissue, which means the air sacs in your lungs become scarred, which thickens them and makes them stiff. This makes it harder for you to breathe.

Pulmonary fibrosis is basically scarring throughout the lungs and can be caused by many conditions such as chronic inflammatory processes, infections, environmental agents, exposure to ionizing radiation and other certain medications. There are cases where the inflammation and fibrosis may develop without any identifiable cause. When people do not respond to medical therapy it is called idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, whereas in the case of other types such as interstitial pneumonitis, the body will respond to immune suppressive therapy.

Symptoms

The most common symptom is a shortness of breath due to the stiffness of your lungs caused by the scarring. This is especially the case during physical activity. A dry cough is just as common, however these symptoms will develop when the disease is more advanced and your lungs have already been damaged. Other symptoms include fatigue, along with the aching of your muscles and joints. Unexplained weight loss is also a symptom where you may be losing weight without quite knowing why. When symptoms become progressively worse everyday activities become a real strain and it is advised to seek help.

Compensation claims

If you have suffered from the effects of a lung disease and now have pulmonary fibrosis, you may be eligible for compensation. Firstly you will need to provide medical evidence from your doctor and prove it is an effect of what you have been exposed to in your working environment. You must also prove that your employer could have prevented the illness and neglected your well being. If you can do these then you could receive a compensation.  

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