What is the situation when there is fluid in the lungs

Pulmonary effusion is a common clinical problem that can usually be diagnosed through medical examination. The problem of fluid accumulation in the lungs must be taken seriously, as it may be closely related to some lung diseases and will have a direct impact on human health. Therefore, timely measures must be taken if there is fluid accumulation in the lungs. So what exactly does it mean when there is fluid in the lungs?

1. Fluid in the lungs

This indicates that there are obvious lesions in the lungs. If pulmonary effusion is not treated, it will affect the patient's respiratory function. There are two causes of right-sided atelectasis, which can be caused by bronchial obstruction (including internal or external factors) or external pressure on the lungs. The most common causes of intrinsic bronchial obstruction are aspirated foreign bodies, thick mucus, inflammatory exudates, bronchial tumors, bronchial granulation tissue, or inflammatory bronchial stenosis. Extrinsic bronchial obstruction can be caused by lymphadenopathy (including tuberculosis, tumors, and sarcoidosis), peribronchial tumors, aortic aneurysms, heart enlargement (such as left atrial enlargement), and pericardial effusion. Lung collapse is caused by external pressure on the lungs, which may be caused by a large amount of pleural effusion or pneumothorax, intrathoracic tumors, chest depression (congenital, traumatic or postoperative) and diaphragm rise.

2. Symptoms

The initial symptoms of acute pulmonary effusion may be just coughing, especially coughing in the middle of the night and being unable to lie flat. It is often mistaken for tracheitis or a cold and not taken seriously. In fact, if you experience symptoms such as difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, orthopnea, or even having to sleep sitting down, do not take it lightly. These are all clinical symptoms of acute pulmonary edema. Acute pulmonary edema also often occurs in the autumn and winter when the weather turns cold. The main causes are coronary artery disease, systemic hypertension, enlarged cardiomyopathy, valvular heart disease, myocarditis, uremia, etc. If blood pressure is not well controlled, heart rhythm is irregular, infection, fluid overload, anemia, stress or poor patient compliance, heart failure may be aggravated and acute pulmonary edema may occur.

3. Treatment

Treatment mainly uses diuretics to increase the excretion of sodium and water, which helps reduce blood volume and reduce pulmonary vascular congestion; cardiotonic drugs to increase myocardial contractility, improve left ventricular function, and increase cardiac output; arterial vasodilators to dilate arterioles and reduce systemic vascular resistance; and venous vasodilators to reduce the amount of blood returning to the heart and reduce left ventricular filling pressure. Non-drug treatment includes correcting the inducing factors, limiting salt intake (less than 2 grams per day), limiting water intake (less than 1200cc per day), and appropriately limiting the amount of activity.