Pulmonary Edema

Pulmonary Edema General Information

The name of Pulmonary Edema is a generic medical term used to describe a swelling of the lungs, which may be accompanied by the accumulation of fluid in the lung cavity. Typically this leads to an impairment in the organism’s ability to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide, and may ultimately lead to respiratory failure. It is one of the most common medical emergencies, and may result in the death of the patient if treatment is improperly applied, or if the condition is not treated at all. There are several causes which may result in Pulmonary Edema, most of which are related to underlying cardiac affections. In other cases, factors such as lung injuries, medication, allergies, strokes, excess body fluid, overdose, fever or infections have been known to cause this affection as well.

Typically, the disease is classified as cardiogenic when the underlying problem is an affection of the cardio-vascular system, or non-cardiogenic when it is related to other factors. Especially in acute cases, the affection requires immediate medical attention and possibly even hospitalization of the patient. While there is a high chance that the affection may be fatal, the prognosis is good in most cases when treatment is promptly applied, both for this condition and for the underlining cause. Therapy for this affection is aimed at maximizing the patient’s respiratory function while at the same time attempting to cure the underlying causes removing any possibility of a relapse.

Pulmonary Edema Symptoms

Generally, a patient suffering from a case of Pulmonary Edema will exhibit a series of symptoms which are typical to the condition, and which will allow an examining health care professional to correctly diagnose the affection immediately. The exact symptoms may vary from one case to another, as each organism has a different, possibly even unique way of responding to the affection, but they will maintain within certain limits.

The symptoms of Pulmonary Edema may have a sudden onset, and in such cases immediate medical attention is imperative to ensure the recovery of the patient. It is highly indicated that the patient contacts a specialized health care professional to receive emergency medical attention if he or she begins experiencing extreme difficulty breathing or sudden and severe shortness of breath. This may be accompanied by a sensation of suffocation or drowning, and it is also common for the patient to be wheezing and gasping for breath. In such cases anxiety and restlessness are also common, and the patient may present an increased pallor of the skin as well as excessive sweating. Coughing results in white or pink-tinged frothy sputum.

In other cases, the Pulmonary Edema has a slower development, and it may take months for the affection to set in and for the symptoms to become visible. In such cases, the patient will begin experiencing breathing difficulties when lying down, however the situation generally improves when he or she resumes a sitting or standing position. Physical activity generally results in more pronounced shortness of breath. The patient may awaken at night with a sensation of suffocation. Over time, the condition also results in a significant weight gain due to the accumulation of liquid in the organism, especially in cases of heart failure. The liquid may accumulate anywhere in the organism, but it is common in the lower limbs.

Pulmonary Edema Treatment

The first step in treating the patient presenting Pulmonary Edema is to administer oxygen either through a face mask or through a nasal cannula, in order to ensure that the patient’s organism receives enough oxygen in order to survive. While typically this helps relieve some of the symptoms and results in an improvement of the patient’s condition, in some cases it may be needed to connect the patient to a breathing assistance machine. Ensuring that the patient receives enough oxygen is the first priority in such cases, and only after this will the doctors begin administration of medication treatment.

Medication therapy for Pulmonary Edema may consist of several types of drugs, or a combination between them. Preload reducers are a common type of drug administered in such cases. Nitroglycerin and diuretics (Furosemide) are administered in order to dilate the patient’s blood vessels, which will help decrease the blood pressure. These may be coupled with after load reducers, such as Nitroprusside, Captopril or Enalapril, which dilate the peripheral blood vessels and relieve the pressure on the heart’s left ventricle. Morphine is also common in treatment of Pulmonary Edema in cases where the affection is based on cardiac dysfunctions. It acts by reducing anxiety and also relieving shortness of breath, but since this medicine is a narcotic some specialists consider that the benefits do not outweigh the risks that are associated with such drugs. In patients that do not already follow a therapy with Aspirin, the consulting health care specialist may advise beginning such a treatment;  Aspirin acts towards thinning the patient’s blood, which in turn will lead to an increase in circulation as the blood flows through the smaller blood vessels more easily. Pulmonary Edema patients may also be given medication to return their blood pressure back within normal limits, in cases where the pressure is too high or too low.

It has been noted that Pulmonary Edema symptoms may temporarily appear in patients that are traveling at high altitudes or climbing. This is generally caused by the decrease in air pressure in the environment, and several solutions to prevent this have been proposed. Typically descending to a lower altitude relieves the symptoms, but in cases where this is not possible the patient should be administered oxygen to increase gas exchange. Hyperbaric bags may be employed; these are airtight bags in which air is pumped to simulate lower altitude air pressure. This generally results in a temporary improvement of the patient’s condition, and may prove sufficient to ensure the stability of the patient’s condition until he or she descends to lower altitudes and the situation returns to normal.

Medication is also available for patients that suffer from temporary symptoms caused by high altitude traveling or climbing. Acetazolamide (Diamox) for example is one such drug which is administered to counter the effects of air pressure decrease and the onset of symptoms. However, usage of such drugs may result in the apparition of side effects, such as nausea, thirst, diarrhea, tingling or burning sensations in various body parts. It is highly advised that you consult with your personal physician before taking any medicine, to ensure that the benefit outweighs the risks associated with these drugs.