Question 1

can a collapsed lung happen again spontaneously?

Accepted Answer

Yes: About 20% of the time unless excission of blebs/bullae, abrassive/talc pleurodesis is done. After first spontaneous pneumothorax cat scan thorax advised to assess extent, number, size of blebs or bullae. If non smoker, apical congenital blebs may be the cause.Maneuvers that can apply sudden compressive or decompressive force to the thorax may cause blebs to rupture.Diving, skydiving, piloting aircraft.

Question 2

what happens if you have a collapsed lung?

Accepted Answer

Collapsed lung: A collapsed along can be a medical emergency. Typically the attempt is to expand the long using a chest tube. This is usually done in intensive care setting. With proper care it can easily be really expanded and sealed. There is a risk, however of reoccurrence

Question 3

what happens if you try to fly with a partially collapsed lung?

Accepted Answer

Depends on pressure: When flying with a partly collapsed lung, the leaked air in the chest (between the lung and rib cage) expands as the outside air pressure drops as the plane goes up. The expanding trapped air compresses the lung & heart, leading to shortness of breath, inadequate oxygen intake, poor circulation and death. Flying at low altitudes won't expand the trapped air much, but the plane might hit something.

Question 4

what causes a collapsed lung? can this just happen out of the blue or are there specific behaviors or conditions that cause this?

Accepted Answer

A : A collapsed lung - also referred to as a pneumothorax in the medical literature - arises when the outer surface of the lung develops a "puncture" causing the lung to deflate. A pneumothorax can develop in certain medical conditions where the lungs are diseased and prone to developing a "puncture" --e.g. Asthma, cystic fibrosis, and emphysema and is more common in smokers. Sometimes a pneumothorax arises when there is no apparent underlying lung disease. This is referred to as a primary spontaneous pneumothorax and is typically seen in young, thin men. Sometimes having a family history of a collapsed lung can suggest a cause, and there are some rare inherited diseases such as marfan's syndrome in which a collapsed lung can occur out of the blue.

Stopping smoking is the only specific behavior that will significantly reduce your chance of developing a collapsed lung.

Question 5

collapsed lung recovery?

Accepted Answer

Depends: A collapsed lung may be related to a pneumothorax, or  massive fluid and atelectasis. Some may require surgery such as  placement of a chest tube for a pneumothorax with recovery of several weeks. Large fluid collections or atelectasis causing lung collapse are resolved quickly  by removing the fluid  and or bronchoscopy with immediate recovery.

Question 6

is a collapsed lung bad?

Accepted Answer

Yes: A collapsed lung means that the lung cannot do it's job, bringing oxygen into the body and getting rid of carbon dioxide.

Question 7

how bad is a collapsed lung?

Accepted Answer

Bad: Pneumothorax, hemothorax, chylothorax, hydropneumothorax and atelectasis all emcompass conditions where a lung is "collapsed."  in atelectasis, the lung is not aerated because alveoli are not expanded. This is usually an issue internal to the airways.  The rmainder are due to something outside the actual lung parenchyma - compressing the lung.  All are bad, so talk to your doc.

Question 8

how can i cure a collapsed lung

Accepted Answer

Need more info: "collapsed" lung is a term that can mean several different things. Collapsed lung can mean a pneumothorax which is treated with a chest tube, or a collapsed lung can mean an obstructed bronchus which is treated, when possible, by removing the obstruction.

Question 9

what can cause a collapsed lung?

Accepted Answer

Multiple: External and internal. External causes are trauma, diagnostic procedures, etc. Internal factors deal with an increase in pressure in the lung, causing rupture of a pre- existing issue (pulmonary bleb). Pressure increases can be a cough, sneeze, or being on a ventilator. Air leaves the lung or enters the chest through a defect, causing collapse of the lung.

Question 10

can you die from a collapsed lung?

Accepted Answer

Tension pneumothorax: You can die from collapsed lung, as it progresses quickly to a tension pneumothorax.  Eventually, the pressure will collapse your other lung and vessels. Untreated, death will occur. First responders, emt and trauma providers are trained to recognize and release the pressure associated with a collapsed lung, to prevent tension pneumothorax.

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