A pneumothorax is commonly known as a collapsed lung. Normally, the outer surface of the lung sits next to the inner surface of the chest wall. The lung and the chest wall are covered by thin membranes called pleura. A collapsed lung occurs when air escapes from the lungs or leaks through the chest wall and enters the space between the two membranes pleural cavity.
As air builds up, it causes the nearby lung to collapse. To continue reading this article, you must log in. Already a member? Login ». As a service to our readers, Harvard Health Publishing provides access to our library of archived content.
This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Collapsed and normal lung Open pop-up dialog box Close. Collapsed and normal lung In a collapsed lung, air from the lung leaks into the chest cavity.
Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Ferri FF. Pneumothorax, spontaneous. In: Ferri's Clinical Advisor Elsevier; Accessed Feb. Weinberger SE, et al. Pleural disease. In: Principles of Pulmonary Medicine. Tintinalli JE, et al. Do not fly in an airplane until your doctor tells you it is okay. Avoid any situations where there is increased air pressure.
Do not smoke or allow others to smoke around you. If you need help quitting, talk to your doctor about stop-smoking programs and medicines. These can increase your chances of quitting for good. For example, call if: You have severe trouble breathing.
You passed out lost consciousness. Call your doctor or nurse call line now or seek immediate medical care if: You have new or worse trouble breathing. You have new pain or your pain gets worse. You have a fever. You cough up blood. Your chest tube starts to come out or falls out. You are bleeding through the bandage where the tube was put in.
Watch closely for changes in your health, and be sure to contact your doctor or nurse call line if: The skin around the place where the chest tube was put in is red or irritated. You do not get better as expected. Current as of: October 26, Home About MyHealth. Include Images Large Print.
There is a risk of having another pneumothorax because you have already had one , so if symptoms occur again it is important to seek medical attention straight away. Depending on the type and severity of your pneumothorax, you may require follow-up monitoring with chest X-rays. You may also need to avoid air travel as instructed by your medical team.
If you smoke, talk to your doctor about ways to quit, as smoking increases your risk for subsequent pneumothoraces. We need your feedback in order to improve the quality of our service. Please take a few minutes to fill our survey Participate.
Contact Us. You are here: Home Conditions Pneumothorax. Pneumothorax A pneumothorax is when the lung has collapsed due to air entering the space around your lungs known as the pleural space. The image below shows a pneumothorax. Click image to enlarge What causes a pneumothorax?
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