Question 1

what causes a person's lungs to collapse?

Accepted Answer

Varies...: Most commonly it is from either trauma that can result in increased pressures in the chest or rib fractures that tear the lung.  The other common source is bleb or bullous disease of the lung.  Imagine an overinflated balloon ready to pop.  Something causes it to have increased pressure and air then leaks out to cause the lung to collapse.  Other reasons can include cancer and bad emphysema.

Question 2

what can cause a lung to collapse?

Accepted Answer

Loss of (-) pressure: A collapsed/punctured lung is serious, as it can progress to tension pneumothorax. Once recognized, a chest tube is placed to release the pressure associated with collapsed lung. Any injury that allows positive pressure from the airways or externally into the negative pressured pleural space will start the lung collapsing. Trauma, needle sticks, rib fx, fluid, spontaneous are common causes.

Question 3

what would cause a collapsed lung to not stay inflated?

Accepted Answer

Collapsed Lung: An obstruction inside the airway may prevent expansion. Alternatively, the lung or the lining around the lung could be inflamed or scarred.

Question 4

what causes a collapses lung?

Accepted Answer

Somewhere a hole.: Lung collapses because air leaks into the chest cavity through a hole in the lung or in the chest wall, or a fluid such as blood or serum leaks into the chest cavity and compresses the lung. 

In tall young healthy males this sometimes occurs spontaneously.  Happens with obstructive lung disease and of course with trauma and severe lung disease or mechanical ventilation.

Question 5

can dry air cause a lung to collapse?

Accepted Answer

Probably not: If by lung collapse you mean a pneumothorax, or air around the lung in the chest cavity, that is usually due to a genetic predisposition, smoking, trauma or sometimes vigorous exercise, to name a few. Another type of lung collapse involves thick mucus that blocks air entry to the rest of the lung, but that only happens in very debilitated patients with advanced lung disease.

Question 6

can holding your breath too long cause your lungs to collapse?

Accepted Answer

No: it will increase your strength on it but not to collapse. Remember breathing oxygenates holding too much will not help to get more oxygen

Question 7

could a lung collapsed cause damage?

Accepted Answer

Collapsed lung low O: A collapsed lung doesn't oxygenate blood, so a person with one feels very short of breath. The damage to the person comes from the oxygen problem. Once the lung is re-inflated, it usually goes back to working about as well as it worked before. Sometimes the collapses come in people with lung disease, so that might not be very well, but they also occur in young, tall, thin athletes.

Question 8

what might cause a punctured lung in danger of collapse?

Accepted Answer

--  pleural pressure: Negative pleural pressure, and puncture in the lung causes air to leaks into plural space resulting  pneumothorax or air in plural space, then collapse of lung, even moving contents to other side  of chest causing dangerous,  tension pneumothorax.

Question 9

what could cause a person to have a collapsed lung?

Accepted Answer

Air leak: Anything that could cause a hole in the lung can make it collapse.  The most common causes are trauma, bleb disease (weak portions of the lung like an overinflated balloon), and postprocedure changes.  People with blebs can get it from heavy coughing or straining to have a bowel movement - anything that increases the pressure inside the chest.

Question 10

could a collapsed lung cause a bullae?

Accepted Answer

No: Lungs may collapse for a variety of reasons, including trauma, blebs, bullae, increased pressure in the lungs, etc. While a pneumothorax may occur because of a bulla, it does not cause them.

Get Virtual Care

For Businesses

About Us

HealthTap Online Primary Care Doctors Accepting New Patients

Doctor answers about:

What causes lungs to collapse

A member asked:

What causes a person's lungs to collapse?

A member asked:

What can cause a lung to collapse?

A member asked:

What would cause a collapsed lung to not stay inflated?

A member asked:

What causes a collapses lung?

A member asked:

Can dry air cause a lung to collapse?

A member asked:

Can holding your breath too long cause your lungs to collapse?

A member asked:

Could a lung collapsed cause damage?

A member asked:

What might cause a punctured lung in danger of collapse?

A member asked:

What could cause a person to have a collapsed lung?

A member asked:

Could a collapsed lung cause a bullae?

HealthTap Online Primary Care Doctors Accepting New Patients

Telemedicine

Primary Care

Manage Your Conditions

Women's Health

Children's Health

Men's Health

Senior Health

Wellness, Prevention & Lifestyle

Sexual Health

Mental & Behavioral Health

Travel Medicine

Urgent Care

Didn't find what you're looking for?

More of what we treat

Allergies

Antibiotics

Asthma

High Blood Pressure

Prescriptions

Type 2 Diabetes

For Businesses

Company

Health Content

Join Us

Download HealthTap

Questions?