Health Facts - Pneumothorax Collapsed Lung Definition Symptoms Causes Treatments

A pneumothorax is also known as a collapsed lung. It is accumulation of air inside the pleural cavity.

Pneumothorax collapsed lung Symptoms Signs:-

Breathlessness and Chest Pain are two major symptoms of a pneumothorax. The severity of the symptoms depends on the size of the damaged area and on your general health. Feeling of tightness across your chest. Little pain and little difficulty in breathing at young aged.

Have chronic bronchitis, a small pneumothorax can be extremely painful and cause extreme difficulty in breathing in Middle aged.

Tension pneumothorax produces the most severe respiratory symptoms; a spontaneous pneumothorax that releases only a small amount of air into the lung membrane may cause no symptoms.

In moderate to severe pneumothorax, profound respiratory distress may develop, with signs of tension pneumothorax: weak and rapid pulse, pallor, neck vein distention, anxiety.

Pneumothorax collapsed lung causes Risk Factors:-

Spontaneous pneumothorax occurs in 20 to 40 aged, caused by air leakage from ruptured blebs (blister like accumulations of fluid) that are present at birth, may be caused by an emphysematous bleb that ruptures during exercise or coughing or from tuberculosis or cancer, may also collapse spontaneously in interstitial lung disease.

Due to Chest Surgery, Traumatic pneumothorax occurred; a penetrating chest injury, such as a gunshot or knife wound; or the removal and analysis of lung tissue.

Pneumothorax collapsed lung Treatments Cure Care:-

Any treatment for this condition is totally depends on the size of the pneumothorax and the condition of your lungs.

The treatment consists of bed rest; careful monitoring of blood pressure, pulse rate, and respirations; oxygen administration; and possibly, removal of air with a needle. If more than 30% of the lung has collapsed, a chest tube may be inserted to restore pressure.

Recurring spontaneous pneumothorax requires surgery. Traumatic and tension pneumothorax require chest tube drainage; traumatic pneumothorax may also require surgery.