Definition: Pulmonary Edema is a condition that is caused by excess fluid in the lungs. The fluid collects in the alveoli instead of air, preventing oxygen from being absorbed into your bloodstream and making it hard to breathe.
Causes:
The causes of Pulmonary Edema are :
(in most cases) heart problems
- pneumonia
- exposure to certain toxins and medications
- exercising or living at high elevations
Cardiac Pulmonary Edema - Occurs when the diseased or overworked left ventricle of the heart isn't able to pump out enough of the blood it receives from your lungs. It also occurs when the right ventricle is unable to overcome increased pressure in the pulmonary artery.
factors of Cardiac Pulmonary Edema:
- Coronary artery disease
- Cardiomyopathy
- Heart valve problems
- High blood pressure
Non Cardiac Pulmonary Edema - Fluid may leak from the capillaries in your lungs' air sacs because the capillaries themselves become more permeable or leaky.
factors of Non Cardiac Pulmonary Edema:
- Lung infections
- Exposure to certain toxins
- Kidney disease
- Smoke inhalation
- Adverse drug reaction
- Acute respiratory distress syndrome
- High altitudes
Symptoms:
(most common) :
- Extreme shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
- A feeling of suffocating or drowning
- Wheezing or gasping for breath
- Anxiety, restlessness or a sense of apprehension
- A cough that produces frothy sputum that may be tinged with blood
- Excessive sweating
- Pale skin
- A rapid, irregular heartbeat (palpitations)
- coughing up blood or bloody froth
- inability to speak in full sentences
- nasal flaring
(if caused by heart failure) :
- Having more shortness of breath than normal when you're physically active.
- Difficulty breathing with exertion, often when you're lying flat as opposed to sitting up.
- Awakening at night with a breathless feeling that may be relieved by sitting up.
- Rapid weight gain
- Loss of appetite.
- Fatigue.
(caused by high-altitude) :
- Headache
- Insomnia
- Fluid retention
- Cough
- Shortness of breath
** Pulmonary Edema that comes on suddenly is life threatening. If any of the symptoms below are present, see a doctor.
- Trouble breathing or a feeling of suffocating (dyspnea)
- A bubbly, wheezing or gasping sound when you breathe
- Pink, frothy sputum when you cough
- Breathing difficulty along with profuse sweating
- A blue or gray tone to your skin
- A severe drop in blood pressure
Treatments:
- receive oxygen through a face mask or nasal cannula (a flexible plastic tube with two openings that deliver oxygen to each nostril)
- Preload reducers (nitroglycerin and diuretics, such as furosemide (Lasix) )
- Morphine (Astramorph, Roxanol)
- Afterload reducers (nitroprusside (Nitropress), enalapril (Vasotec) and captopril (Capoten))
- Blood pressure medications
Treating high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE):
- descend a few thousand feet (about 600 to 900 meters)
- prescription medication acetazolamide (Diamox)
- oxygen
- Some patients may need to use a breathing machine long term, which may lead to damage of lung tissue
- Also known as lung congestion, lung water, and pulmonary congestion
- Pulmonary Edema is most noticeable while lying down
1. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pulmonary-edema/DS00412
2. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pulmonary-edema/DS00412/DSECTION=symptoms
3. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pulmonary-edema/DS00412/DSECTION=causes
4. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/pulmonary-edema/DS00412/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs
5. http://www.drugs.com/enc/pulmonary-edema.html
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