What are the common symptoms of pneumothorax

Pneumothorax is a symptom that is relatively harmful. When pneumothorax occurs, the onset is relatively rapid and can cause the patient to have severe coughing, difficulty breathing, chest pain and other symptoms. When the disease is more serious, it is also prone to hemothorax, which can cause increased bleeding in the patient, a drop in blood pressure, and cold limbs, posing a great threat to the patient's life safety.

1. Difficulty breathing

When pneumothorax occurs, patients will experience dyspnea, the severity of which is related to the course of the attack, the degree of lung compression and the original lung function status. Young patients with normal respiratory function may not have obvious dyspnea. Even if the lungs are compressed by >80%, they may only feel slight chest tightness during activities. However, elderly patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary emphysema may have obvious dyspnea even if the lungs are slightly compressed. In acute pneumothorax, the symptoms may be more obvious, while in chronic pneumothorax, the healthy lung can compensatory expand and the clinical symptoms may be milder.

2. Irritating cough

Spontaneous pneumothorax occasionally causes an irritating cough.

3. Chest pain

Sudden sharp stabbing and cutting pain often occurs when pneumothorax occurs. It has nothing to do with the sudden rupture of the bullae and the degree of lung compression, but may be related to increased pressure in the pleural cavity and stretching of the parietal pleura. The location of pain is uncertain and may be confined to the chest, or it may radiate to the shoulders, back, and upper abdomen. When significant mediastinal emphysema is present, persistent retrosternal pain may occur. Pain is the most common complaint of patients with pneumothorax and, in mild cases, may be the only symptom.

4. Other symptoms

When pneumothorax is combined with hemothorax, if the amount of bleeding is heavy, the patient will experience palpitations, low blood pressure, cold limbs, etc.

The above is an introduction to the symptoms of pneumothorax. Do you understand them all? After understanding this, if we find ourselves suffering from the above symptoms in our daily life, we should go to the hospital for diagnosis and treatment in time to avoid worsening of the condition. Finally, I wish you good health!