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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Monday, February 8, 2010
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NetWellness provides the highest quality health information and education services created and evaluated by faculty of our partner universities.
Monday, February 8, 2010
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Lung Center |
Collapsed lung and emphesema04/04/2006 |
my husband is 38 and had a collapsed lung 3 months ago doctors could not get the lung to inflate and after 16 days it eventually inflated, they said there was bullaes all around the lung, after going to the hospital last week an xray revealed the other lung has bullaes as well and they have now diagnosed him with emphesema. He was a smoker but is concerned about his job he is a dock worker and has always been exposed to grain and grain dust could this also be a contributory factor of this? will he be able to return to work? and can a collapsed lung cause emphesema? he is very breathless all the time now, stopping smoking but have noticed he is very bloated is this part of the illness?
Emphysema is usually associated with smoking and quitting smoking is the best thing your husband could have done for his lungs and overall health-maintenance of a smoke free lifestyle is extremely important for him. Emphysema is a form of chronic obstructive lung disease (COPD). The prevalence of COPD is increased in workers exposed to dusty trades.
There are also genetic causes of emphysema and, given your husband's young age, he should be tested for the most common cause of inherited emphysema, alpha one antitrypsin deficiency. The screen is a simple blood test. If it does show a deficiency in this enzyme, replacement therapy is available.
Lastly, depending upon the extent and severity of the emphysematous blebs, your husband may be a candidate for surgical resection of the blebs which will allow the remaining lung to function better. The decision to pursue surgery is complex and often requires assessment by a pulmonologist, a lung physician, and a surgeon with special training in lung surgery. He may need to have further testing including pulmonary function tests, a chest CT scan, a ventilation-perfusion scan, and, possibly, pulmonary rehabilitation.
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Ralph Panos, MD Associate Professor Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine Department of Internal Medicine College of Medicine University of Cincinnati |
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