Steroids to treat Interstitial Lung Diseases - necessary? 

In this video I comment about the use of corticosteroids (aka "steroids") for the treatment of interstitial lung diseases (ILDs). The most commonly prescribed "steroid" is usually Prednisolone in these cases.
Many patients are afraid of going on these medications due to the potential side effects.
I discuss when we may use corticosteroids in ILD, for example when treating autoimmune diseases also affecting the lungs, in hypersensitivity pneumonitis, and sarcoidosis among other situations.
The potential side effects depend from person to person, but are often quite predictable. Your doctor can help you mitigate some of these adverse effects, so it is important to have routine follow-ups and discussions with them about how you are tolerating treatment.
Unfortunately, treatment of ILDs with steroids can be quite long, which increases the risk. However, there may be strategies to reduce the dose to a minimum level, or to use second-line therapies (steroid-sparing medication).
#ild #interstitiallungdisease #steroids
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The opinions presented on this channel are my own and do not constitute medical advice in specific cases. If you are watching/listening to this content as a patient, you must seek personalized advice from your own healthcare team (who can provide you with a consultation and appropriate treatment and advice. This information presented here may not apply in your case. If you are a health professional, please use your professional judgement when treating patients.