Pneumothorax: Symptoms, causes, diagnoses and treatment

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Pneumothorax
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Pneumothorax

• Pneumothorax, also referred to as lung collapse,
  is the result of unwanted air trapped around the
  lungs. The lung collapses as it cannot expand in
  the normal fashion, due to presence of unwanted
  air/gas. This condition can be categorized into
  three types, namely, spontaneous, tension, and
  trauma pneumothorax.

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Causes of Pneumothorax

• Numerous reasons can cause collection of air/gas
  around the lungs. The air trapped can be air from
  outside the body or from the lung itself. 
• Spontaneous This has sudden symptoms and is not
  a result of sustained injury to lungs. It has two
  types - primary and secondary. The former is
  observed in people who do not have any medical
  history of any lung disease. Smoking is
  considered as its chief cause. Proximity to loud
  sound, scuba diving, sudden change in atmospheric
  pressure, etc., can be some other contributing
  factors. The latter is observed in people who
  already suffer from a lung disorder, such
  as COPD, asthma, etc. COPD has been observed to
  be the most common reason.
• Trauma Any injury to the lungs or the chest wall
  causes this condition. It can be a result of
  gunshot, accident, or any direct injury to the
  lung. Medical surgeries, like open lung biopsy or
  any other lung surgery may also be a reason.

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Causes of Pneumothorax
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• Tension This leads to complete lung collapse,
  i.e., both the lungs can collapse. The air
  trapped outside the lung is unable to escape, and
  hence, the amount of the air collected goes on
  increasing with every breath. This is a rare
  condition that builds extreme pressure in the
  chest and may cause shock, low blood pressure,
  and if it gets more severe and is not treated
  soon, it may cause death.

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Symptoms

• The symptoms depend on the amount of air trapped
  outside the lung. The following list gives the
  common symptoms Severe chest pain that gives a
  feeling of getting stabbed.
• Patient may feel breathless or face shortness of
  breath.
• Skin colour becomes bluish, due to lack of
  oxygen.
• Low blood pressure
• Stress and anxiety
• Cough
• Fatigue

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Diagnosis of Pneumothorax

• A stethoscope is used for physical examination
  of the patient. The breathing pattern is examined
  and usually the stethoscope alone proves useful
  to confirm the diagnosis. Chest X-rays are used
  sometimes to confirm the diagnosis, to reveal the
  amount of air trapped. Arterial blood gas
  test may also be performed, as it helps in
  assessing the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide
  in the blood.

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Treatments

• Generally, primary spontaneous pneumothorax
  cures on its own, if the amount of air trapped is
  very less. In such cases, X-rays can prove to be
  helpful to cross check if the air has escaped.
  Treatments are aimed at removing the unwanted
  air. When the air trapped is large in amount and
  it causes serious breathing problems, then the
  removal of air becomes mandatory. Chest tube
  treatments are widely used to remove the excess
  air/gas. The patient needs to be hospitalized,
  when the chest tube is inserted. The chest tube
  helps the air to flow out. If a person is
  frequently suffering from this problem, surgery
  can help to prevent further complications.
  Tension pneumothorax is fatal and may cause death
  within few minutes if not treated on time.
  Pneumothorax due to injury to the lung should be
  treated immediately. In most cases, the trapped
  air can be removed easily but, there are also 50
  chances of the air getting trapped in the
  future. 

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Treatments
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• People having medical history of lung
  diseases should take proper care and consult a
  physician for prevention. Spontaneous
  pneumothorax can be prevented by avoiding
  smoking. Proper treatment and prevention can help
  reduce severe symptoms of the disease.

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