What is a Pneumothorax?
A pneumothorax is the medical term for a collapsed lung.
Under normal conditions, your lungs fill up the chest cavity like two balloons
inside a box. Between your lungs and your ribs is a tiny space called the pleural space. If air somehow sneaks into this space, it presses against the outside of your lung. That external pressure makes it hard for the lung to expand, causing part—or all—of it to deflate or collapse.
The Two Main Types of Spontaneous Collapsed Lungs
When a lung collapses without an obvious injury (like a car accident or broken rib), doctors call it “spontaneous.” This usually falls into one of two categories:
- Primary Spontaneous Pneumothorax: Happens to people with no known lung disease. It most commonly affects young, tall, thin adults. It usually occurs when a tiny, invisible air bubble (called a bleb) on the top of the lung pops.
- Secondary Spontaneous Pneumothorax: Happens to people who already have an underlying lung condition, such as COPD, asthma, emphysema, or severe infections. Because the lung tissue is already weakened, this type often causes more noticeable symptoms and requires closer monitoring.
How Is a Collapsed Lung Treated?
The main goal of treatment is simple: get the trapped air out of your chest so your lung can re-expand and prevent it from happening again.
Depending on how much air is trapped and how you feel, your care plan will usually follow one of three approaches:
1. Simple Observation and Oxygen Therapy
- When it’s used : For very small air leaks where you feel relatively comfortable.
- How it works: Your body actually reabsorbs small amounts of trapped air on its own over a few days. Giving you extra oxygen through a nose tube accelerates this process, helping your body soak up the extra air up to four times faster.
2. Draining the Air (Needle Aspiration or Chest Tube)
- When it’s used: For moderate-to-large air leaks, or if you are feeling very short of breath.
- How it works:
- Needle Aspiration: A doctor numbs your chest skin and uses a thin tube to pull out the trapped air using a syringe.
- Chest Tube Placement: A small, flexible plastic tube is inserted between your ribs into the chest space. This tube connects to a one-way drainage container, allowing trapped air to escape without letting fresh air back in. The tube usually stays in place for a few days until the lung heals and stays inflated on its own.
3. Surgical Repair (VATS s Pleurodesis)
If a chest tube doesn’t stop the leak, or if this is the second time your lung has collapsed, surgery is usually recommended to fix the root cause.
Today, almost all of these operations are done using Keyhole Surgery (VATS), which uses tiny incisions (sometimes just a single small cut).
This means significantly less pain, tiny scars, and a much faster return to your normal life compared to older open-chest surgeries.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What does a collapsed lung feel like?
The two hallmark symptoms are sudden, sharp chest pain (often worse when taking a deep breath) and sudden shortness of breath. The pain can sometimes radiate to your shoulder or back. If you experience these symptoms, seek emergency medical care immediately.
What is a “tension pneumothorax”?
This is a medical emergency. It happens when trapped air gets stuck in a “one-way valve” loop—air goes into the chest space every time you inhale, but none gets out when you exhale. Pressure builds up rapidly, squishing the collapsed lung and putting dangerous pressure on your heart. Doctors treat this immediately on the spot by relieving the pressure with a needle or tube.
If my lung collapses once, will it happen again?
- Without surgery: After a first lung collapse, there is roughly a 20% to 50% chance it will happen again within two years. If it happens a second time, the risk of a third collapse jumps to over 60%.
- With keyhole surgery (VATS): Fixing the leak surgically and bonding the lung to the chest wall drops your future risk down to less than 3% to 5%.
What should I avoid after having a collapsed lung?
- Smoking: Stop smoking tobacco and cannabis entirely. Smoke directly damages lung tissue and creates the weak air bubbles that cause collapses.
- Air Travel: Avoid flying for at least 1 to 2 weeks after your chest X-ray shows your lung is completely healed and re-expanded. Always check with your surgeon first.
- Scuba Diving: You should never scuba dive after having a collapsed lung unless you’ve had a definitive preventative surgery and were cleared by a thoracic specialist. The pressure changes under water can trigger a dangerous collapse.
- Heavy Lifting: Avoid strenuous workouts, heavy lifting, or straining for 2 to 4 weeks after your treatment.
