Medications treat pulmonary fibrosis by reducing inflammation and suppressing your immune system, which helps prevent the disease from damaging your lungs more and can help you live longer. When your lungs are inflamed by the disease, the immune system responds by building scar tissue, which is what damages your lung function. Prednisone is an anti-inflammatory drug called a corticosteroid that doctors often prescribe to treat the disease. Sometimes doctors will prescribe an immune system suppressant such as azathioprine or cyclophosphamide that will keep your immune system from forming scar tissue. Medications aren't effective treatments for everyone who has pulmonary fibrosis.
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