What is pneumothorax?
A pneumothorax is a collapsed lung. A pneumothorax occurs when air leaks into the space between your lung and chest wall. This air pushes on the outside of your lung and makes it collapse.
Pneumothorax can be a complete lung collapse or a collapse of only a portion of the lung.
A pneumothorax can be caused by a blunt or penetrating chest injury, certain medical procedures, or damage from underlying lung disease. Or it may occur for no obvious reason.
Symptoms usually include sudden chest pain and shortness of breath.
Treatment
On some occasions, a collapsed lung can be a life-threatening event.
Treatment for a pneumothorax usually involves inserting a needle or chest tube between the ribs to remove the excess air. However, a small pneumothorax may heal on its own. Sometimes surgery may be necessary to close the air leak. In most cases, the surgery can be performed through small incisions, using a tiny fiber-optic camera and narrow, long-handled surgical tools. The surgeon will look for the leaking area or ruptured bleb and close it off.
Symptoms
The main symptoms of a pneumothorax are sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. These symptoms can be caused by a variety of health problems, and some can be life-threatening, so seek medical attention.
If your chest pain is severe or breathing becomes increasingly difficult, get immediate emergency care.
Causes
A pneumothorax can be caused by:
- Chest injury.
- Lung disease. (Including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), cystic fibrosis and pneumonia).
- Ruptured air blisters.
- Mechanical ventilation.
Many people who have had one pneumothorax can have another, typically within one to two years of the first.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pneumothorax/symptoms-causes/syc-20350367
