Lung damage can also result from autoimmune diseases such as: Certain anti-inflammatory drugs, such as rituximab (Rituxan) or sulfasalazine (Azulfidine), can cause lung damage. Nitrofurantoin (Macrobid, Macrodantin, others) and ethambutol (Myambutol) can cause lung damage. Some drugs used to treat irregular heartbeats, such as amiodarone (Nexterone, Pacerone) or propranolol (Inderal, Innopran), may harm lung tissue. Drugs designed to kill cancer cells, such as methotrexate (Otrexup, Trexall, others) and cyclophosphamide, can also damage lung tissue. Many drugs can damage your lungs, especially: Some people who receive radiation therapy for lung or breast cancer show signs of lung damage months or sometimes years after the initial treatment. Long-term exposure to a number of toxins and pollutants can damage your lungs. Interstitial lung disease can be triggered by many different things - including airborne toxins in the workplace, drugs and some types of medical treatments. This makes it more difficult for oxygen to pass into your bloodstream. But in interstitial lung disease, the repair process goes awry and the tissue around the air sacs (alveoli) becomes scarred and thickened. Ordinarily, your body generates just the right amount of tissue to repair damage.
Interstitial lung disease seems to occur when an injury to your lungs triggers an abnormal healing response. In your lungs, the main airways (bronchi) branch off into smaller and smaller passageways - the smallest, called bronchioles, lead to tiny air sacs (alveoli).