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Pulmonary Edema: Symptoms, Causes, And Treatment - Healthline
Pulmonary edema is a serious condition that occurs when the lungs fill with fluid. This prevents the body from gaining the oxygen it needs. It is typically caused by another condition, such as heart failure or altitude sickness.
Pulmonary edema is a condition in which the lungs fill with fluid. It's also known as lung congestion, lung water, and pulmonary congestion. When pulmonary edema occurs, the body struggles to get enough oxygen, and you may experience shortness of breath or wheezing.
Pulmonary edema can range in severity. Some people may need critical care. Often, treatment involves treating pulmonary edema along with the related underlying condition.
Timely treatment can improve possible outcomes.
Several possible health conditions and external factors can cause pulmonary edema.
Congestive heart failure
Heart failure happens when the heart can no longer pump blood properly throughout the body. This creates a backup of pressure in the small blood vessels in the lungs, which causes the vessels to leak fluid.
Typically, the lungs will take oxygen from the air you breathe and put it into the bloodstream. But when fluid fills your lungs, they cannot put oxygen into the bloodstream. This deprives the rest of the body of oxygen.
Other medical conditions
Other less common medical conditions that can cause pulmonary edema include:
External factors
Some external factors can also put pressure on the heart and lungs and cause pulmonary edema. These include:
In cases of pulmonary edema, your body cannot gain oxygen effectively. This is due to the increasing fluid in the lungs preventing oxygen from moving into the bloodstream. Symptoms may continue to worsen until you get treatment.
Symptoms depend on the type of pulmonary edema.
Long-term pulmonary edema
The symptoms of long-term pulmonary edema include:
High-altitude pulmonary edema
Pulmonary edema due to altitude sickness, or not getting enough oxygen in the air, will have symptoms that include:
You may need emergency assistance if these symptoms start to get worse. Call 911 or your local emergency services or have someone drive to you the hospital. If you may have pulmonary edema, you should not drive yourself to the hospital.
Pulmonary edema can be an emergency.
Call 911 or your local emergency services immediately for medical help if you experience any of these symptoms:
These may be symptoms of acute pulmonary edema. Acute pulmonary edema develops suddenly. If left untreated, the fluid in your lungs can cause you to drown.
If a doctor suspects you may have pulmonary edema, they may look for fluid in your lungs or symptoms caused by it. They may perform a basic physical examination and listen to your lungs with a stethoscope, looking for:
A doctor may also look for some signs on your body. These may include:
The doctor may discuss your symptoms and ask about your medical history. They may order additional tests if they believe you have fluid in your lungs.
Examples of tests used in diagnosing pulmonary edema include:
Pulmonary edema is a serious condition that requires quick treatment. Treatment for pulmonary edema may include:
Oxygen
Oxygen may be the first line of treatment for this condition, depending on the severity. A healthcare team may prop you up and deliver 100 percent oxygen through an oxygen mask, nasal cannula, or positive pressure mask.
Diuretics
In less severe cases, it may be treated with diuretics, or water pills. You may not have to stay in the hospital. This may be the case if you have congestive heart failure.
Treatment of the underlying condition
A doctor will also diagnose the cause of pulmonary edema and prescribe the appropriate treatment for the underlying cause.
Depending on your condition and the cause of your pulmonary edema, the doctor may also prescribe:
Intensive or critical care
In severe cases, people with pulmonary edema may need intensive or critical care.
In other cases of pulmonary edema, you may need treatment to help you breathe. A machine will deliver oxygen under pressure to help get more air into your lungs. Sometimes this can be done with a mask or cannula, also called continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP).
Your doctor may need to insert an endotracheal tube, or breathing tube, down your throat and use mechanical ventilation.
Pulmonary edema is sometimes confused with pleural effusion, another condition involving fluid buildup in the lungs. However, pleural effusion causes a buildup of fluids in the pleural tissues. These cover the outside of each of your lungs as well as the inside of the chest wall.
Causes of pleural effusion may include:
With pleural effusion, you may experience:
A chest X-ray can help diagnose pleural effusion. A doctor may take a biopsy from pleural tissues if they suspect cancer. Depending on the cause, pleural effusion may be treated with a combination of fluid removal techniques and surgery.
Pneumonia is another serious condition of the lungs. Unlike edema, pneumonia is caused by viral, fungal, or bacterial infection. As your lungs become infected, fluid builds up in the air sacs (alveoli).
While pulmonary edema and pneumonia cause buildup in the lungs, the former is primarily caused by CHF. Pneumonia, on the other hand, is caused by an infection. A weakened immune system can increase your chances of getting pneumonia from a common cold or flu.
Symptoms of pneumonia may include:
According to the American Lung Association, pneumonia is one of the most common causes of hospitalization in children and adults.
Pulmonary edema isn't a cause of pneumonia. However, the buildup of fluids from pneumonia can lead to pleural effusion. Pneumonia requires immediate treatment to prevent complications. It may require antibiotics and oxygen therapy.
People with heart problems or heart failure are the most at risk for pulmonary edema. Other factors that may put a person at risk include:
There is no way to fully prevent pulmonary edema. Those at high risk should seek immediate attention if they develop symptoms.
The best way to try and prevent pulmonary edema is by taking good care of your health:
You can also decrease your risk for heart failure, the most common cause of pulmonary edema with the following steps:
The outlook for pulmonary edema depends on the severity. If you have a moderate case and receive quick treatment, you will often have a full recovery. Severe cases can be fatal if you delay treatment.
Be sure to see a doctor regularly and get immediate help if you experience any pulmonary edema symptoms.
If you need help finding a primary care doctor, you can browse doctors in your area through the Healthline FindCare tool.
Pulmonary edema is a health condition when the lungs fill with fluid. This fluid can prevent the body from effectively receiving oxygen.
You may experience shortness of breath after exertion and during rest. The severity can range from moderate to severe. Pulmonary edema requires prompt medical treatment.
Pulmonary edema occurs due to another condition, most commonly congestive heart failure. Treatment may involve treating pulmonary edema and its underlying cause.
Pulmonary Edema: Types, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, And Diagnosis - WebMD
Pulmonary edema is a buildup of fluid in your lungs. That can make it hard for you to breathe.
When you take a breath, your lungs should fill with air. If you have pulmonary edema, they fill with fluid instead. When that happens, oxygen from the air can't get from your lungs into your blood, where it's needed.
Acute pulmonary edema comes on suddenly and can be life-threatening. If you have any of these symptoms, call 911 right away:
When the problem happens over time, it's called chronic pulmonary edema. You may:
There are two main kinds of pulmonary edema: cardiogenic and noncardiogenic.
Cardiogenic pulmonary edema
This type is caused by a problem with your heart.
In many cases, your left ventricle (one of the chambers of your heart) isn't able to pump out blood that enters through blood vessels from your lung. This creates a buildup of pressure and fluid.
Narrow arteries, heart muscle damage, heart valve problems, and high blood pressure are among the conditions that can weaken your left ventricle.
Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema
This type isn't related to heart problems. Other causes include:
Pulmonary edema also can be brought on from being in high altitudes, usually above 8,000 feet. Mountain climbers should get to lower ground and seek medical attention if they have:
It's easy to get pulmonary edema mixed up with some other lung conditions.
Pleural effusion
Unlike pulmonary edema, in which fluid collects inside your lungs, pleural effusion is when it builds up in the layers of tissue that line the outside of your lungs and the inside of your chest. Symptoms include chest pain, shortness of breath, and a dry cough. It can be caused by problems like heart failure, blood clots, pneumonia, kidney disease, and tuberculosis.
Pneumonia
Pneumonia also leads to fluid buildup in the tiny air sacs in your lungs, but it's caused by an infection with a virus, bacteria, or fungus. Symptoms include chest pain, coughing, fatigue, a fever, shortness of breath, and stomach problems. Pneumonia can sometimes cause pulmonary edema.
To help your doctor find out what's going on, you may need to:
If you're having trouble breathing and your oxygen level is low, you'll get oxygen right away. You may get it through a face mask, or with tubes put inside your nostrils.
Your treatment will depend on what's causing your pulmonary edema. Whether it's your heart, medication, or an illness, your doctor will try to deal with the problem that brought it on.
The doctor may prescribe medicine such as a diuretic to lower the pressure on your heart and lungs.
Some lifestyle changes can prevent pulmonary edema or help keep the condition in check. Keep your heart healthy by:
If you're going somewhere at a higher elevation, try to get used to the altitude change slowly. Talk to your doctor about medications that might make you less likely to get high-altitude pulmonary edema.
Pulmonary Edema: Key Warning Signs - MadameNoire
Pulmonary edema is a critical condition where fluid accumulates in the lungs, causing leakage from blood vessels into air sacs normally filled with air for oxygen exchange. This accumulation impedes breathing and reduces oxygen transfer into the bloodstream.
Michael Arterburn, who goes by @killer_bee_tactical on Instagram, highlighted the dangers of pulmonary edema in a post on May 10. He referenced the tragic case of Ray Johnson, a 64-year-old from Michigan who allegedly developed the condition and died in February 2022 after snorkeling in Maui.
Although officially ruled a drowning, Johnson's lawyers argue he succumbed to rapid onset pulmonary edema—a severe variant where the lungs fill rapidly with fluid, compromising oxygen delivery and leading to hypoxia, Fox News reported.
What causes pulmonary edema?Per Healthline, pulmonary edema can manifest suddenly or develop gradually, with its presentation varying depending on the underlying cause. Congestive heart failure stands as a frequent instigator of this condition and can occur when the heart fails to effectively circulate blood, leading to elevated pressure in the lungs' small blood vessels and subsequent fluid leakage. Normally, the lungs absorb oxygen from inhaled air into the bloodstream, but when fluid accumulates, this vital exchange falters, depriving the body of essential oxygen.
Additional contributing medical conditions encompass heart attacks, valve disorders, cardiomyopathy, irregular heart rhythms, sudden hypertension, pneumonia, renal failure and severe infections like sepsis. Factors such as higher rates of certain chronic conditions like hypertension, diabetes and heart disease may increase the risk of developing conditions like pulmonary edema in Black people.
As highlighted in Arterburn's video, in the case of Johnson, investigators believe that high-altitude exposure played a role in his fatal rapid-onset pulmonary edema.High-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) can strike adults and children alike during high-altitude travel or within individuals who engage in vigorous exercise at great heights, Arterburn mentioned. Its symptoms resemble those of acute pulmonary edema, including headaches followed by increasing breathlessness, initially with exertion and then even at rest. Reduced stamina is noticeable, accompanied by a dry cough that may transition to a productive cough producing frothy sputum, sometimes tinged pink or streaked with blood as the condition progresses.
Johnson's legal representatives believe his death might have been avoidable if he had waited three days after flying before snorkeling, allowing his lungs to acclimate. Studies show that tourists typically endure at least five hours of flight time to reach Hawaii, where airplane cabins are pressurized to altitudes equivalent to up to 8,500 feet. This pressurization can impact lung membrane permeability, potentially increasing the risk of conditions like rapid onset pulmonary edema, Fox News noted.
Additionally, the swimmer's horizontal stance in the water coupled with the constriction of their snorkel tube imposes resistance that can hamper the flow of oxygen. Swimming itself demands considerable physical effort which can also increase risk.
If you're flying to a tropical destination this summer, it's advisable to wait a few days before participating in water activities. Be vigilant for symptoms of pulmonary edema, such as:
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