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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, September is Pulmonary Fibrosis Awareness Month, |
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| 6 | 7 | | and this occasion provides a fitting opportunity to promote better |
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| 7 | 8 | | understanding of this health issue and to foster increased support |
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| 8 | 9 | | for targeted research; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, "Pulmonary fibrosis" is a term used to describe more |
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| 10 | 11 | | than 200 different diseases that involve scar tissue in the lungs; |
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| 11 | 12 | | as the scarring destroys the normal lung tissue, it becomes more |
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| 12 | 13 | | difficult for oxygen to enter the bloodstream, and this leads to |
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| 13 | 14 | | symptoms such as shortness of breath, coughing, loss of appetite, |
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| 14 | 15 | | and fatigue and weakness; and |
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| 15 | 16 | | WHEREAS, Multiple causes of the scarring have been |
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| 16 | 17 | | identified, including some medications, radiation, environmental |
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| 17 | 18 | | triggers, autoimmune diseases, and exposure to harmful inorganic |
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| 18 | 19 | | dusts; in cases where a cause cannot be determined, patients are |
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| 19 | 20 | | diagnosed with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; researchers estimate |
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| 20 | 21 | | that, in the United States, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis affects 1 |
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| 21 | 22 | | out of every 200 adults over the age of 60, and as many as 40,000 |
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| 22 | 23 | | Americans die from the disease each year; and |
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| 23 | 24 | | WHEREAS, While there is not yet a cure for pulmonary |
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| 24 | 25 | | fibrosis, a number of treatments are available to help alleviate |
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| 25 | 26 | | symptoms and slow the progression of the disease; depending on each |
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| 26 | 27 | | patient's unique experience with the condition, doctors may |
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| 27 | 28 | | recommend medications, oxygen therapy, exercise, and in rare |
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| 28 | 29 | | circumstances, lung transplantation; and |
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| 29 | 30 | | WHEREAS, Pulmonary fibrosis is a serious and |
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| 30 | 31 | | life-threatening disease, and the observance of Pulmonary Fibrosis |
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| 31 | 32 | | Awareness Month unites people around the world in their commitment |
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| 32 | 33 | | to support the search for a cure and improve the quality of life for |
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| 33 | 34 | | patients; now, therefore, be it |
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| 34 | 35 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 35 | 36 | | Legislature hereby recognize September 2022 as Pulmonary Fibrosis |
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| 36 | 37 | | Awareness Month and urge all Texans to learn more about the disease. |
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