How and Why Fluid Builds Up in the Lungs

Human lungs are two large organs like a balloon inside the chest cavity located behind the heart and the upper part of the stomach. The lungs and the body's circulatory system helps in distributed to the internal organs and carbon dioxide push out from the body. Human lungs that are like a pair of spongy organs are normally filled with air and hot fluids. When fluids build up in the lungs, the usual exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide is prevented from happening, this can cause health problems and even death to an ill fated patient.

The question arises that why fluid buildup in the lungs. A person can have lung water or pulmonary edema when there is a fluid buildup in the alveoli. If there is a fluid buildup around the lungs, it is called pleural or pleurisy effusion.

PRESSURE SORES STAGES

Symptoms of fluid build-up in lungs

Pleurisy and pulmonary edema have similar causes and symptoms which are as under;
- Shortness in breath
- Wheezing sound while breathing
- Wet bubbling sounds in the chest
- Weakness
- Coughs in pink or blood-tinged frothy mucus
- Fatigue
- Restlessness and anxiety
- Racing heart rate or pounding
- Swelling in feet and ankles
- Pain in chest or sudden shortness of breath
- Breathing might stop for a couple of seconds during sleep
- Other symptoms like fever may occur

Causes of fluid build-up in lungs

Heart ailment is one of the health problems that can cause fluid build-up in the lungs. Circulation problems can be caused by a weak heart. When the heart fails in pumping enough blood, the blood vessels are built up by pressure around the lungs. When this pressure increases, blood steadily leaks from the capillaries, which are tiny blood vessels, into the alveoli in the lungs. A lot of blood seepage can lead to lung water or pulmonary edema.

Pulmonary edema which happens because of bad blood circulation is frequently caused by high blood pressure or a heart disorder. Although other factors not related to bad blood circulation or heart problems can also be a cause of fluid build-up in the lungs. These factors can be smoking, exposure to chemicals like ammonia, chlorine, nitrogen dioxide, working with asbestos, drug abuse, pneumonia, kidney failure, high altitude sickness and pancreatitis.

Fluids in the lungs are not an infectious condition unless it is caused by exposure to toxins. In such cases, everyone else can also be affected by toxins that were exposed to them in the same way as the patient.

Removing fluid from the lungs

Remove the fluid from lungs is the first step in treating this condition. The process is to insert a tube or needle into the lungs and use it for draining the fluid. This method may not by important if the disease is quickly diagnosed cause of the leakage problem is solved. Addressing problems with smoking or encouraging the patient to have a healthy diet is usually involved in this. Severe cases may even require an operation for removing the excess fluid.

How and Why Fluid Builds Up in the Lungs

PRESSURE SORES STAGES