Does a collapsed lung just go away?

well, depending on how bad it is..... SMALL pneumothorax (collapsed lung), (air in the pleural space) go away on their own sometimes yes. not a significant a pneumothorax. and if it was THAT bad he'd break down and go to the ER. b/c no one can stand a collapsed lung if it is that bad. however, usually a pneumothorax is in the lower lobes of the lungs. maybe it was just bruised. did he have some sort of accident? maybe it is a pneumonia. he really should have went to the doctor to get it diagnosed. but at least it is going away.

one thing you should know is that if it was just spontaneous. like it happened and there was no accident or infection to cause it. it is called a spontaneous pneumothorax. and those can be reoccuring. keep in mind that if it does happen again. he HAS to go to the doctor or ER b/c that is one sign of lung cancer. don't want to scare you. but it is something to have in the back of your mind in case it happens again. good luck.

Treatment For Collapsed Lung

I doubt it was a collapsed lung, he would have had difficulty breathing not just pain. It sounds like it may have been something they call pleurisy. The pain is generally a sharp, stabbing pain, but may also be a dull ache or a burning sensation. It is usually worse when you take a deep breath, cough, or move around. The pain is usually better if you take shallow breaths or lie on the side that hurts. Chest pain is what usually causes people with pleurisy to seek medical attention but regardless he should see go to the doctor to rule out any underlying disease.

Pleurisy-The pleura that lines the inside of the chest is called the parietal pleura. The pleura that covers the lungs is called the visceral pleura. If you are healthy, the pleura is separated by a thin layer of fluid. This lets the lungs expand and contract easily during breathing. The inflammation that occurs with pleurisy can cause pain with breathing and may even cause a large amount of fluid to collect in the pleural sac.

Pleurisy can go away on its own or worsen so that fluid has to be drained from around the lungs. Some people develop scar tissue called adhesions after they have pleurisy. They then have chronic pain or shortness of breath.

Collapsed Lung- refers to a condition in which the space between the wall of the chest cavity and the lung itself fills with air, causing all or a portion of the lung to collapse. Air usually enters this space, called the pleural space, through an injury to the chest wall or a hole in the lung. This result is called a pneumothorax.

No, a collapsed lung is major danger, without medical treatment people die of collapsed lungs. If he is still alive he didn't have a collapsed lung. Men tend not to worry about things so you need to get him to a doctor, he could have an infection or a number of other things. You know how men are!

That is more than likely not a collapsed lung. A collapsed lung, called a pneumothorax, is very serious and causes sever respiratory distress. He would not be able to function with one.

The pain is possible due to heart trouble and may be very serious. 21 year old males do not usually have heart trouble though. It may just be a pulled muscle.

If there is any doubt, he should see his doctor. Unfortunately, you can't MAKE him see a doctor.

My lung has collapsed a good few times. The collapse (in one lung) usually ranges from 5-30.%. At 5 it bearable, at 30 it's excruciating. Anyway, I had a small collapse last week and couldn't be bothered waiting in er to get aspirated. It seems to have cleared up now. :)

Without medical intervention, a collapsed lung does not go away. He may breathe easier, but without knowing what it is that collapsed his lung, it can happen again and it will happen at the worst possible time. Ask him if he like breathing without pain, because that's not going to happen if it collapses again, and it can be worst than the last time.

It is most likely NOT a collapsed lung. He may have bronchitis, pneumonia, pleurisy, or a number of other respiratory complications. He should see a doctor, but if he is refusing, there is really not much you can do. He is a grown man (which could be part of the problem) and will know when he feels bad enough its time to go to the doctor. In the mean time all you can do is make him as miserable as humanly possible by fussing constantly that he needs to go to the doctor! Good luck!

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RE:

Does a collapsed lung just go away?

My 21 yr old husband had pain in his upper right chest when he breathed for a full week - but now he says it's 95% gone and he refuses to go to a doctor's appt I made him today. I am sooo tired of worrying about it... he is so stubborn!! Should I not worry if he isn't worried? He...

a collapsed lung must be reinflated by a chest tube. if your husband had this he would have insisted on seeing a dr by now. sounds like he has a chronic lung infection-ie; a cold that's turned into pnuemonia. what happens is the symptoms come and go over a period of time and the lung swells to compensate. eventually, the lung will become so inflammed it will poke through the ribs causing horrible pain.