Do you know the symptoms of 'pulmonary edema'?

 

Pulmonary edema is a condition in which liquid components such as blood accumulate in the alveoli, making it impossible to exchange gas between oxygen and carbon dioxide, resulting in hypoxia or dyspnea. There are two main causes of liquid accumulation, and they are classified into those caused by circulatory diseases such as heart disease and those caused by respiratory diseases such as pneumonia. If a symptom occurs, it will lead to difficulty breathing, so even if treated, the probability of survival will decrease. It is important to seek medical attention and treatment before symptoms progress. Learn more about the important points, symptoms, causes, and treatment methods for early detection of pulmonary edema.

Symptoms and causes of pulmonary edema

What is pulmonary edema?

Pulmonary edema is not a disease by itself, as it refers to a condition in which fluid builds up in the alveoli for various reasons. Alveoli are organs that exchange gases for oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs, acting like a filter. If the gas exchange in the alveoli does not go well, the efficiency of receiving oxygen decreases and the state becomes hypoxic. According to the cause of the symptoms, they are classified into the following three categories.

Hydrostatic pulmonary edema: It is caused by heart disease (myocardial infarction, heart failure, etc.) when blood components leak out of the blood vessels due to an increase in hydrostatic pressure in the capillaries of the lungs.

Hyperpermeability Pulmonary Edema: Occurs due to non-heart disease (pneumonia, sepsis, pancreatitis, inhalation of toxic gas, multiple traumas (severe injuries, such as traffic accidents)) when blood components leak out of the blood vessels due to increased vascular permeability.

Mixed pulmonary edema: It is a mixed type of hydrostatic pulmonary edema and hyperpermeable pulmonary edema. It is caused by head trauma, epileptic seizures, nervous system disorders, pheochromocytoma, and altitude sickness.

What are the symptoms?

The main symptom is shortness of breath. In addition, there are various symptoms as follows, which occur in both cases of cardiogenic pulmonary edema and non-atrial pulmonary edema.

• gasping and breathing
• Cyanosis: skin, nails, and lips turn purple
• Rapid drop in blood pressure: Blood pressure drops sharply due to sweating.
• Consciousness Disorder: When blood pressure drops, the state of consciousness worsens.
• Foamy sputum: Pink foamy sputum

A hallmark of psychogenic pulmonary edema is the discharge of pink foamy sputum. This is because cardiogenic pulmonary edema is a condition in which blood is stagnant in the alveoli, so the pressure in the capillaries rises, and bloody fluid pours out into the alveoli, mixing the sputum with blood.

I would like to know the cause of the disease.

There are two main causes of diseases:

• Cardiogenic pulmonary edema: Pulmonary edema caused by heart disease
• Non-acute pulmonary edema: Pulmonary edema caused by causes other than heart disease.

Cardiogenic pulmonary edema is caused by heart diseases such as heart failure, ischemic heart disease (myocardial infarction), valvular disease, and severe hypertension, and the blood remaining in the left ventricle cannot be rescued and is stored in the lungs. Pulmonary edema tends to develop, especially when 'left heart failure' is exacerbated. In the case of non-acute pulmonary edema, there is 'acute respiratory distress syndrome', which is caused by damage to the capillaries surrounding the alveoli. When blood vessels are damaged due to stress such as surgery or trauma, the capillaries cause pulmonary edema because the blood liquid component leaks into the alveoli. Causes of blood vessel damage include sepsis and pneumonia caused by bacterial infection, and in the elderly, aspiration, trauma, burns, and surgery. Even with immunosuppressive drugs or anticancer drugs, as a symptom accompanying edema caused by systemic allergy to drugs, pulmonary edema may occur.

Please tell me the difference from pleural effusion.

Pulmonary edema and pleural effusion both have the image of 'stagnant water in an organ', so they seem similar, but they are different diseases.

In the case of pulmonary edema, fluid is stagnant in the lungs, and in the case of pleural effusion, fluid is accumulating on the outside of the lungs and compressing the lungs.

Pulmonary edema screening and treatment methods

Comprehensive judgment is made by conducting various inspections as follows.

• Auscultation: Check for changes in breath sounds
• Imaging diagnosis: Check the shadow of the lungs by chest X-ray image, chest CT, etc.
• Echocardiography (echo test): to check the movement or function of the heart
• Blood test: Check the degree of heart failure, check the presence of bacteria in the blood

Arterial blood gas test: Respiratory status is assessed by checking the oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the arterial blood.

Please tell me how to treat.

Since treatment depends on the underlying disease, it is urgent to first distinguish between cardiogenic pulmonary edema and non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Diseases are treated by identifying the cause of the symptoms, and in severe cases, various treatments such as oxygen inhalation or drug treatment are provided.

In addition, in pulmonary edema, a decrease in percutaneous oxygen saturation (hypoxemia) occurs, so oxygen administration and artificial respiration management (non-invasive positive pressure ventilation, etc.) are often performed to support the breathing condition. Breathing management that applies pressure (positive pressure) into the airways for the purpose of pushing the liquid components stored in the alveoli into the capillaries is required.

The main treatment methods are as follows.

• Diuretics: Used to expel water accumulated in the alveoli.
• Vasodilators: used to spare blood vessel capacity
• Cardiovascular drugs: used to work the heart in cases of cardiogenic pulmonary edema
• Antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs: In the case of non-acute pulmonary edema, it is used when the cause is a bacterial infection such as pneumonia or sepsis.

How long do I need treatment?

The duration of treatment depends on the severity of the disease or symptoms that caused it. If heart disease is the cause, surgery on the heart may be necessary. As a standard, if you have had heart valve disease or coronary artery bypass surgery, on average, you need to be hospitalized for 2-3 weeks after surgery. If pneumonia is the cause, most of them get better with treatment for about a week.

Precautions for pulmonary edema

People with pre-existing heart conditions are particularly susceptible to pulmonary edema. Get regular check-ups and get guidance from your doctor. Also, if you have any of the following symptoms in your daily life, please get tested as soon as possible.

• Sleeping looking up is frustrating
• Waking up in the middle of the night from boredom
• Panting (heart throbbing)
• pink foamy sputum

In particular, you need to be careful when you feel stuffy when lying down. In people with heart failure, the ability to pump blood from the left ventricle is reduced because the pumping function of the heart is weakened. When blood flow to the pulmonary veins is blocked, the pulmonary venous pressure tends to rise, and when you lie on your stomach, you tend to feel stuffy. If the upward position is so painful that you cannot sleep without sitting, you risk developing pulmonary edema, so you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Also, elderly people need to be careful about 'hidden heart failure'. Heart failure in the elderly may be overlooked in the diagnosis because it is often difficult to detect even with tests because it is often caused by 'dilated failure'.

I would like to know how to prevent psychogenic pulmonary edema.

Since heart disease is the cause, it is important to prevent heart disease in the first place. High blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, and arteriosclerosis are easy causes of heart disease.

• quit smoking
• drink less
• do moderate exercise
• don't eat too much salt
• don't stress

Is there any way to prevent non-atrial pulmonary edema?

As it is caused by pneumonia, sepsis, or severe trauma, the disease that causes it is first prevented, just like cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Pneumonia, in particular, tends to be more likely to occur and become more severe in older people. Prevent pneumonia by paying attention to the following in your daily life.

• Wash hands and gargle
• ventilate the room
• avoid the crowds
• quit smoking
• take note of a balanced diet

Pulmonary edema is not a disease but a symptom that causes difficulty in breathing or respiratory failure due to the accumulation of fluids such as blood in the alveoli. Severe cases require a ventilator, which is a dangerous condition that can lead to death. Whether early detection is possible is important for lifespan. If you have any symptoms related to breathing, such as feeling stuffy when sleeping with your stomach facing up, waking up with stuffiness, or breathing sounds strange, seek medical attention immediately. In order to prevent it, it is important to treat the disease that caused it, and people with chronic heart problems should be especially careful. If the cause is a heart disease, the cardiologist will be examined.

organize

Pulmonary edema is a terrifying symptom in which fluid accumulates in the lungs, making breathing difficult and, in severe cases, difficulty breathing or respiratory failure. There are two types of 'cardiogenic pulmonary edema', which is caused by heart disease, and 'non-atrial pulmonary edema', which is caused by pneumonia or sepsis. Both symptoms and treatment methods are the same. It can be life-threatening because it causes respiratory failure. Early detection becomes important, so pay attention to the discomfort caused by subjective symptoms and seek medical attention as soon as possible if you feel any abnormality. By paying attention to a healthy lifestyle, such as a balanced diet and moderate exercise, you can prevent diseases such as heart disease and pneumonia that cause pulmonary edema. If you have heart problems, you need to be especially careful. Get regular check-ups and get guidance from your doctor.