Info on pneumothorax??
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materialsgirl
Cathlete
It's a collapsed lung. Ouch. Not cool. I dated a guy in high school who had a sudden onset of pneumothorax and was in the hospital for a while during his senior year - he had to get chest tubes and have surgery and whatnot. I can't remember what the cause of his pneumothorax was. He lost a significant percentage of one of the lobes of his lungs. I would imagine that losing lung capacity will be a long-term, irreversible effect - and reduced lung capacity will probably make aerobic exercise feel harder, especially at first. The guy from high school went on to lead a very normal, active life after the incident, so it's very possible your bootcamper will too. 
amyg
Cathlete
She just has to lay low for the next few days and go in Friday to see if it's gotten any better. She said she has excess air pockets and a little fluid. Not sure what that means, but if the doc isn't happy Friday she'll be admitted to the hospital so they can drain the fluid.
Wacky.
Wacky.
alsrnbsn
Cathlete
It sounds like she has a small pneumothorax....which, as long as she follows her doctor's recommendations, she should be okay. Now, if it gets any bigger, she'll need more aggressive treatment, i.e. chest tube. It sounds like the doc is preparing for a thoracentisis (draining of the fluid) which isn't all that big of a deal, they just take a small needle and drain it out (I guess for me, it's not a big deal being an ICU nurse). Sometimes, people who have smoked or have COPD/emphysema have small 'blebs' that pop and create excess air pockets.
Emily- it sounds like your friend in high school had what they call "spontaneous" pneumo....was he tall and very skinny? Young teens/men who are tall and skinny tend to have spontaneous pneumothoraces and grow out of them.
Ame- I hope that your friend is okay.
Emily- it sounds like your friend in high school had what they call "spontaneous" pneumo....was he tall and very skinny? Young teens/men who are tall and skinny tend to have spontaneous pneumothoraces and grow out of them.
Ame- I hope that your friend is okay.
materialsgirl
Cathlete
>Emily- it sounds like your friend in high school had what they
>call "spontaneous" pneumo....was he tall and very skinny?
>Young teens/men who are tall and skinny tend to have
>spontaneous pneumothoraces and grow out of them.
YES! He was tall and very skinny! How interesting!
>call "spontaneous" pneumo....was he tall and very skinny?
>Young teens/men who are tall and skinny tend to have
>spontaneous pneumothoraces and grow out of them.
YES! He was tall and very skinny! How interesting!
materialsgirl
Cathlete
Amy, here's the Wikipedia entry on pneumothorax. It's not a mass (that's a good thing). Here's a good description from the Wiki:
[font color=steelblue]The lungs are located inside the chest cavity, which is a hollow space. Air is drawn into the lungs by the diaphragm (a powerful abdominal muscle). The pleural cavity is the region between the chest wall and the lungs. If air enters the pleural cavity, either from the outside (open pneumothorax) or from the lung (closed pneumothorax), the lung collapses and it becomes mechanically impossible for the injured person to breathe, even with an open airway. If a piece of tissue forms a one-way valve that allows air to enter the pleural cavity from the lung but not to escape, overpressure can build up with every breath; this is known as tension pneumothorax. It may lead to severe shortness of breath as well as circulatory collapse, both life-threatening conditions. This condition requires urgent intervention.[/font]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumothorax
[font color=steelblue]The lungs are located inside the chest cavity, which is a hollow space. Air is drawn into the lungs by the diaphragm (a powerful abdominal muscle). The pleural cavity is the region between the chest wall and the lungs. If air enters the pleural cavity, either from the outside (open pneumothorax) or from the lung (closed pneumothorax), the lung collapses and it becomes mechanically impossible for the injured person to breathe, even with an open airway. If a piece of tissue forms a one-way valve that allows air to enter the pleural cavity from the lung but not to escape, overpressure can build up with every breath; this is known as tension pneumothorax. It may lead to severe shortness of breath as well as circulatory collapse, both life-threatening conditions. This condition requires urgent intervention.[/font]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumothorax
alsrnbsn
Cathlete
No, it's not like a mass in her lung, it's like an air ballon that is on the outside of the lung, instead of inside, thus deflating the lung in that section. I have never heard of excessive exercise causing this, but then again, I don't claim to everything.
The easiest way I can think of to explain it is that the lung actually "sticks" to the pleural cavity lining. This sticking allows the lungs to expand when we inhale and deflate when we exhale. In your friend's case, there's a small section where the lung isn't "sticking", thus is not expanding with the rest of the lung. The resulting air pocket or fluid buildup (because the body does not like an 'empty' space and is trying to fill it up) prevents that section of the lung to re-expand. Overdoing it can cause it to get worse, but if necessary, they can empty out that air or fluid pocket to encourage the lung to re-expand.
Clear as mud?;-)
The easiest way I can think of to explain it is that the lung actually "sticks" to the pleural cavity lining. This sticking allows the lungs to expand when we inhale and deflate when we exhale. In your friend's case, there's a small section where the lung isn't "sticking", thus is not expanding with the rest of the lung. The resulting air pocket or fluid buildup (because the body does not like an 'empty' space and is trying to fill it up) prevents that section of the lung to re-expand. Overdoing it can cause it to get worse, but if necessary, they can empty out that air or fluid pocket to encourage the lung to re-expand.
Clear as mud?;-)
materialsgirl
Cathlete
I like yours better too, Amy! I just copied mine from Wikipedia. That's no fun!
I just copied mine from Wikipedia. That's no fun!
amyg
Cathlete
It explains everything but the fluid... if there is fluid, that's in the non-sticking space too, right?
I read up on the hospitalization part... they stick a tube in the pleural area somewhere and then run a suction on it for 24 hours at least??? In an effort to not only get the non-sticking part to re-stick, but to get the lung back to full capacity?
She was sick a few months ago, had a cold that she said didn't go away for a long time. I'm guessing she had a baby bubble then.
So what makes this to begin with??
OMG some things I'd rather not know about...
I read up on the hospitalization part... they stick a tube in the pleural area somewhere and then run a suction on it for 24 hours at least??? In an effort to not only get the non-sticking part to re-stick, but to get the lung back to full capacity?
She was sick a few months ago, had a cold that she said didn't go away for a long time. I'm guessing she had a baby bubble then.
So what makes this to begin with??
OMG some things I'd rather not know about...
alsrnbsn
Cathlete
The fluid is stuff that the body makes on it's own to try to fill up the 'empty' space. Your body is always creating fluid and disposing of it.
Her being sick a few months ago answers a lot of questions. Coughing hard for a lengthy period of time can also lead to these and yes, she probably had a 'baby' bubble then.
"So what makes this to begin with??"
--It's the body trying to repair itself.
Her being sick a few months ago answers a lot of questions. Coughing hard for a lengthy period of time can also lead to these and yes, she probably had a 'baby' bubble then.
"So what makes this to begin with??"
--It's the body trying to repair itself.
amyg
Cathlete
I don't want to talk about what fluids our bodies create and dispose of... ever!
Amy, do you know if the doc says "no more bubble" what her recovery will look like? She's tons of fun and she makes the hour pass quickly since not all of them are awake at 7am, LOL. I'll miss having her there!!! :+
More questions, more anatomy: she's also been talking about straining ligaments in her chest...
It sounds like some time in there, she overstrained herself by either coughing or exercising. Right?
:+ I should have gone to med school... :7
ever! Amy, do you know if the doc says "no more bubble" what her recovery will look like? She's tons of fun and she makes the hour pass quickly since not all of them are awake at 7am, LOL. I'll miss having her there!!! :+
More questions, more anatomy: she's also been talking about straining ligaments in her chest...
It sounds like some time in there, she overstrained herself by either coughing or exercising. Right?
:+ I should have gone to med school... :7
amyg
Cathlete
I don't want to talk about what fluids our bodies create and dispose of... ever!
Amy, do you know if the doc says "no more bubble" what her recovery will look like? She's tons of fun and she makes the hour pass quickly since not all of them are awake at 7am, LOL. I'll miss having her there!!! :+
More questions, more anatomy: she's also been talking about straining ligaments in her chest...
It sounds like some time in there, she overstrained herself by either coughing or exercising. Right?
:+ I should have gone to med school... :7
ever! Amy, do you know if the doc says "no more bubble" what her recovery will look like? She's tons of fun and she makes the hour pass quickly since not all of them are awake at 7am, LOL. I'll miss having her there!!! :+
More questions, more anatomy: she's also been talking about straining ligaments in her chest...
It sounds like some time in there, she overstrained herself by either coughing or exercising. Right?
:+ I should have gone to med school... :7
alsrnbsn
Cathlete
With a "no more bubble" diagnosis, she should be fine but will need to take exercise easy for a while. How long, it's hard to say.
I don't know about straining ligaments in her chest, but she may have some slight inflammation called "costochondritis", which is the inflammation of the muscles between the ribs. Often, it's caused by frequent and excessive coughing....like in pneumonia or bronchitis. And if she was sick for as long as you said she was, it more than likely stemmed from that.
I don't know about straining ligaments in her chest, but she may have some slight inflammation called "costochondritis", which is the inflammation of the muscles between the ribs. Often, it's caused by frequent and excessive coughing....like in pneumonia or bronchitis. And if she was sick for as long as you said she was, it more than likely stemmed from that.
alsrnbsn
Cathlete
With a "no more bubble" diagnosis, she should be fine but will need to take exercise easy for a while. How long, it's hard to say.
I don't know about straining ligaments in her chest, but she may have some slight inflammation called "costochondritis", which is the inflammation of the muscles between the ribs. Often, it's caused by frequent and excessive coughing....like in pneumonia or bronchitis. And if she was sick for as long as you said she was, it more than likely stemmed from that.
I don't know about straining ligaments in her chest, but she may have some slight inflammation called "costochondritis", which is the inflammation of the muscles between the ribs. Often, it's caused by frequent and excessive coughing....like in pneumonia or bronchitis. And if she was sick for as long as you said she was, it more than likely stemmed from that.
Hi: I had a spontaneous pneumothorax about 25 years ago. Md stated that I had blebs(air filled pockets) that burst. He also stated that if lung did not return to normal within a few days or if I kept getting repeat pneumothorax I would have to go into hospital and have surgery. They would rough up my lung with a special glove that would cause scarring so lung would not collaspe again.
He also asked if I was having my period(which I was),states there seems to be a higher incidence of women getting them when having period. Thinks it had something to do with shedding cells.I have been lucky and have not had any since then.~Linny~
He also asked if I was having my period(which I was),states there seems to be a higher incidence of women getting them when having period. Thinks it had something to do with shedding cells.I have been lucky and have not had any since then.~Linny~
amyg
Cathlete
Okay, so it sounds like it has been the cardio has been causing her some trouble. She has always talked about her chest ligaments with pushups, so when she was talking about having a tough time with the suicide sprints up a hill on Monday (}() I wasn't clear enough to follow that connection. She has been walking rather than running for the past 2 weeks, and didn't exercise the week before that.
Sometimes doctors are a good thing. Now I'm just jealous that she gets to take a mandatory rest! :7
Sometimes doctors are a good thing.
Now I'm just jealous that she gets to take a mandatory rest! :7