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September marks Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month

September has been designated Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month — a time during which researchers and clinicians aim to improve the public’s knowledge about the disease. This September, efforts include several events and social media campaigns to support awareness of the disease, according to a press release from the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation.

“Many patients have never heard of pulmonary fibrosis until they get the diagnosis, which can lead to late stage diagnoses when treatments are more limited,” William Schmidt, president and CEO of the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation (PFF), said in the press release. “With more than 50,000 new cases of pulmonary fibrosis diagnosed annually, it is imperative that we raise awareness of the disease and educate patients on all of their health care options.”

Through the end of September, the PFF is running a “30 Facts In 30 Days” campaign on social media to spread medically accurate facts about the disease for each day of the month. Additionally, a “Portraits of PF” series on Facebook is showcasing stories from those affected by pulmonary fibrosis while a “#BlueUp4PF” campaign encourages participants to post photos of themselves wearing blue to raise awareness. Also, this year, the PFF launched AboutPF.org — a website focusing on pulmonary fibrosis risk factors, symptoms and treatment options with the goal of encouraging dialogue about the disease between individuals and their physicians.

The PFF will also host its annual PFF Walk in Chicago on Sept. 14, Washington, D.C., on Oct. 12 and Dallas on Oct. 26. A “virtual walk” is also accessible via the PFF website, which allows participants to gather a team and raise funds for the event online.

Finally, the PFF will close out the month with a 24-hour giving challenge during which people can donate to support pulmonary fibrosis programming and research.