Common Causes And Risk Factors Of A Pneumothorax

Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease that damages and weakens the lungs. This condition is considered one of the major causes of pneumothoraxes. Patients with COPD may experience wheezing, chest pressure, coughing, shortness of breath, and fatigue. They may be unable to exercise due to their symptoms. Some patients could also develop swelling in the ankles and feet, and unintended weight loss may occur in the later stages of this illness.

To treat this condition and reduce the risk of complications, doctors may prescribe bronchodilators to relax the muscles near the airways. Inhaled steroids and combination inhalers can help to reduce the inflammation associated with COPD. Some patients may need to take antibiotics, and oxygen therapy and pulmonary rehabilitation are typically recommended for patients with moderate to severe forms of this condition.

Pneumonia

An individual affected by pneumonia may develop secondary spontaneous pneumothorax as a complication. More cases of secondary spontaneous pneumothorax precipitated by pneumonia have been reported in children than in adults. The form of pneumonia known to cause pneumothorax is bacterial pneumonia. Pneumothorax can occur due to pneumonia that developed when the streptococcus bacteria, staphylococcus bacteria, and other types of bacteria colonize in the patient's lung tissues.

A pneumothorax can develop when fluid begins to build up between the pleura and chest wall as a result of the quantity of fluid present inside of the lung tissues. When the pressure in the pleural space around the patient's lung becomes more than that of the air entering the air sacs in the lungs, the organ can collapse in on itself.