What is a significant complication of pulmonary fibrosis?

Pulmonary fibrosis is a progressive lung disease characterized by the accumulation of scar tissue in the lungs, which impairs their ability to function properly. One of the significant complications of this condition is decreased lung compliance.

Lung compliance refers to the ease with which the lungs can expand during inhalation. In pulmonary fibrosis, the lung tissue becomes stiff due to fibrosis, making it much less compliant. This stiffness leads to difficulty in fully expanding the lungs, resulting in a reduced ability to take in air and effectively exchange gases.

As a result of decreased lung compliance, patients may experience severe limitations in their respiratory function, which can manifest as shortness of breath and a reduced capacity for physical activity. The changes in lung compliance associated with pulmonary fibrosis are crucial to understanding the disease's impact on respiratory physiology and patient quality of life.

The other options do not appropriately describe the effects of pulmonary fibrosis. Increased lung capacity and improved gas diffusion would be contrary to the effects of scarring in the lungs, while enhanced lung elasticity is also not applicable, as the elasticity of lung tissue is typically reduced in this condition.