Common Causes And Risk Factors Of A Pneumothorax

Smoking

A regular smoker of tobacco products is at a greater risk of experiencing pneumothorax than an individual who does not smoke. Males are around twenty-two times more likely to experience a pneumothorax than individuals who do not smoke, and females are around nine times more likely to experience a pneumothorax than those who do not smoke. Smoking regularly can cause forms of pneumothorax referred to as primary spontaneous pneumothorax and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax.

A regular smoker is more likely to develop lung cancer that can cause pneumothorax by stopping the alveoli from filling with air properly. Long term exposure to irritants can cause damage in the lung tissues that are repaired with fibrous or scar tissue. An individual who smokes tobacco regularly is also at an increased risk of developing this type of fibrosis or scarring in their lungs because of the exposure to harsh chemicals. All of these factors associated with regularly smoking tobacco products can cause a pneumothorax to develop.

Previous Pneumothorax

An individual who has been affected by a previous pneumothorax is at a higher risk of experiencing another pneumothorax than an individual who has never had one. The reoccurrence rate of pneumothorax is reported to be between fifteen and forty percent of individuals who have been previously diagnosed. An individual who previously had a secondary spontaneous pneumothorax is more likely to develop another occurrence than someone who was previously affected by a primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

The highest rate of pneumothorax recurrence is in cystic fibrosis patients. Some researchers have established an association between the presence of air blebs that have been precipitated by inflammation and the development of a pneumothorax recurrence in most patients who have previously had one. An individual who has had a previous pneumothorax and is a female between thirty and forty years old is at a greater risk of developing a severe type of pneumothorax referred to as catamenial pneumothorax.