What is a Collapsed Lung?
A collapsed lung occurs when air builds up between the chest wall and the lung. When this happens, the lung will not be able to expand, and breathing will become painful. The medical term for a collapsed lung is a pneumothorax. A collapsed lung usually results from direct injury to the chest, but on some occasions, the condition can appear without cause. Injuries to the chest may result in broken ribs or a punctured lung. Damage without injury may include asthma, pneumonia, and other diseases of the lung. Cigarette smoking has also been linked to the condition. The symptoms of a collapsed lung include a shortness of breath and severe chest pains. There may also be a continual severe cough, and pain may be felt in the shoulder muscles. The sufferer’s pulse may become rapid, and veins may protrude from the neck. If these symptoms appear, then a doctor should be consulted immediately. A doctor should be called even if the symptoms are only temporary. The pain may have serious underlying c
Collapsed lung is a term used to refer to pneumothorax, a potentially life-threatening condition. A pneumothorax happens when air enters the space between your rib cage and one of your lungs. The air causes part or all of the lung to collapse. It is then hard to breathe normally and your body gets less oxygen.
