Interstitial Lung Disease

Your healthcare provider will diagnose interstitial lung disease by doing a physical exam, getting imaging of your lungs and testing your lung function. During your exam, they’ll listen to your lungs for any unusual sounds that tell them your lungs aren’t working right. They’ll ask you about:

• Your medical history and any ongoing conditions.
• Medications you’re taking or have taken in the past.
• Whether anyone in your family has certain conditions or connective tissue diseases.
• If your work or hobbies expose you to certain causes of ILD.

What tests will be done to diagnose interstitial lung disease?

Tests your provider may perform to diagnose interstitial lung disease include:

• Pulmonary function tests. Pulmonary function tests are usually breathing tests, but they can also be blood tests or exercise tests. They check how well your lungs are working.
• Imaging tests. X-rays or high-resolution CT scans can be used to get pictures of your lungs.
• Blood tests. Your provider will test a sample of your blood, taken from your arm, for signs of known causes of ILD.
• Bronchoscopy. Your provider will insert a thin tube (bronchoscope) through your nose or mouth into your lungs to look at your airways.
• Biopsy. Your provider will remove a small sample of tissue from your lung and study it under a microscope to help identify the type of ILD.