Pulmonary fibrosis is one of more than 200 types of lung diseases that exist. Because there are so many different types of lung diseases, your doctor may have difficulty identifying that pulmonary fibrosis is the cause of your symptoms. The prognosis for pulmonary fibrosis patients will differ depending on their age, overall health, lifestyle choices, and severity of the disease when diagnosed. Older age generally means a worse prognosis. Women usually have a better prognosis than men, but the reasons for this difference are unknown.