WHAT HAPPENS WHEN A LUNG COLLAPSES?
A collapsed lung, also known as pneumothorax, happens when air escapes from the lung and fills the space around it, compressing the lung tissue so it can no longer expand when you breathe.
This usually happens as a result of a chest injury or a hole in the lung, which can be caused by disease or damage from smoking.
Symptoms of a collapsed lung include a sharp, stabbing chest pain which gets worse when breathing deeply, or a dry hacking cough.
If a lung isn't working properly it can restrict how much oxygen is circulated around the body, potentially leading to a condition called hypoxia, which can cause shallow, rapid breathing, a heartbeat which is unusually fast or slow, and confusion.
Collapsed lungs are usually treated by draining the escaped air out of the chest and then reinflating the lung.
Source: eMedicine
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