Pneumothorax

PNEUMOTHORAX
Pneumothorax is when air or gas collects around the lungs (in the pleural cavity). Pneumothorax is also referred to as a collapsed lung. There are three basic types of pneumothorax: Spontaneous, Tension, and Traumatic. Spontaneous Pneumothorax is an escape of air from the lungs, causing it to collapse. The tension pneumothorax is basically a severe form of the spontaneous pneumothorax and can be life-threatening. Traumatic pneumothorax occurs when the lung is punctured, thus causing the lung to collapse.

SYMPTOMS
-Chest pains (made worse by deep breathing)
-Tension in the chest
-Difficulty breathing
-Accelerated heart rate
-Skin takes a blue tint (caused by lack of oxygen)
-Low blood pressure
-Nasal (nostril) flaring. This is caused by the shortness of breath.
-Coughing

TREATMENT
If it is not too severe, the psneumothorax may disappear on it own.
If the pneumothorax is more severe, a small surgery must performed. The procedure involves a small tube that is stuck in between the lungs into the pleural cavity, and through the said tube the air is drained out of the cavity so that the lung may re-expand.
Some other patients need lung surgery. In these cases, the area which was punctured or wounded is repaired, and chemicals are used to cause scarring.


CAUSES
Pneumothoraces can occur for several reasons. Below are listed a few of the causes.
One huge (and obvious) reason is chest trauma. There are two basic types of trauma: penetrating and blunt. Penetrating is when something (kinfe, bullet, etc.) actually trespasses the thoracic cavity and enters the lung. Blunt traumatic injuries, however, are caused by a severe blow. These usually occur in motor vehicle accidents-- like when a person smashes their chest into the steering wheel.
Also, some diseases increase the chance of a person acquiring this condition. Some of those diseases include: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), asthma, cystic fibrosis, tuberculosis, or whooping cough.
Tall, thin people are more receptive to pneumothoraces.
Spontaneous pneumothoraces are thought to occur for various reasons; among those is the bleb. A bleb is a small blister on the lung that may rupture due to pressure on the lungs. These are caused by weakness in the lung tissue when a person participates in activities or is exposed to situations in which there are great changes in air pressure (scuba diving, flying, mountain climbing, etc.). It is also believed that genetics may play a role in the development of a pneumothorax.
A second type of spontaneous pneumothorax may occur (secondary spontaneous pneumothorax). This one is caused by a disease (such as tuberculosis or cystic fibrosis). Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax occurs because the diseased lung tissue is next to the pleural cavity.
Traumatic pneumothorax is basically the result of a sharp blow to the chest, or a puncturing of the lung (with a knife, bullet, or any penetrating object for that matter).
Tension pneumothorax is the most dangerous. This one occurs when the pressure in the pleural cavity is greater than the atmospheric pressure.


http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000087.htm
https://www.google.com/health/ref/Pneumothorax
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pneumothorax/DS00943
http://www.pneumothorax.org/
http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/emergencies_first_aid/54354