A 42-year-old member asked:
how to determine if u have a collapsed lung?
2 doctor answers • 5 doctors weighed in

Dr. Loki Skylizard answered
Thoracic Surgery 20 years experience
Examination: Estimated at least 10% spontaneous pneumothorax are asymptomatic. The first line of diagnosis for large pneumothorax is a good history and physical examination (stethoscope). Most smaller pneumothoraces can be diagnosed with good 2 view chest x-ray series. Occasionally, a ct-scan may be necessary.
4946 viewsReviewed >2 years ago

Dr. Craig Carter answered
Thoracic Surgery 40 years experience
Difficulty breathing: Shortness of breath, chest pain, air under the skin, etc.
4918 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
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CA
A 31-year-old member asked:
Can a collapsed lung improve on its own?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in

Dr. Robert Kwok answered
Pediatrics 33 years experience
Yes: A healthy normal person with no particular risk factors, can get a spontaneous pneumothorax (collapsed lung). If the amount of air that leaked out was small, and the leak had sealed itself off, the doctor may decide to observe the patient and let the leaked air get reabsorbed by the body.
6316 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
A 23-year-old member asked:
Can you get a collapsed lung from holding your breath for too long?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in

Dr. Robert Kwok answered
Pediatrics 33 years experience
No: Holding one's breath a long time is not a known risk factor for collapsing a lung. The risk factors are smoking, and having lung diseases such as asthma, cystic fibrosis, chronic obstructive lung problems, etc... Also, a person who has had one spontaneous pneumothorax (collapsed lung) is at higher risk for having another pneumothorax.
6316 viewsReviewed >2 years ago
CA
A 27-year-old member asked:
What does it feel like to have a collapsed lung?
2 doctor answers • 4 doctors weighed in

Dr. Robert Kwok answered
Pediatrics 33 years experience
Trouble breathing: Symptoms of pneumothorax (collapsed lung) include sharp chest pains (especially with breathing), a dry cough, and shortness of breath. If the leaked air is compressing the lungs and heart, it is a tension pneumothorax (life-threatening!) and symptoms include a very anxious looking person with trouble breathing or talking, swollen veins in the neck, & bluish skin color (cyanosis).
6316 viewsAnswered >2 years ago
A 39-year-old member asked:
What happens if you try to fly with a partially collapsed lung?
2 doctor answers • 3 doctors weighed in

Dr. Robert Kwok answered
Pediatrics 33 years experience
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.
6316 viewsAnswered Jun 10, 2018
A 28-year-old member asked:
Will a partially collapsed lung re inflate itself over time?
2 doctor answers • 2 doctors weighed in

Dr. Robert Kwok answered
Pediatrics 33 years experience
Maybe it will: A partially collapsed lung is due to an air leak from the inside of the lung through the covering of the lung, out into the space between the lung and the ribs. The site of the leak has some damage, which will heal itself later. If only a very small amount of air leaked into the chest cavity, that air might go away (reabsorbed by the body) without treatment, and the lung will re-inflate.
6316 viewsAnswered Mar 29, 2020
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Last updated Dec 10, 2013
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