Behind the death of a famous singer: What exactly is pneumothorax? Changsha Fourth Hospital explains

Recently, the news of the death of a famous singer due to illness has attracted widespread attention. It is reported that in 2010, he was hospitalized several times due to pneumothorax caused by overwork, and has been fighting against pneumothorax for a long time since then. Pneumothorax, this hidden "health killer", what kind of disease is it? What are the symptoms? Which groups of people need special attention? How to prevent it?

Today, a thoracic surgery expert from Changsha Fourth Hospital will reveal the true face of pneumothorax to everyone.

1. What is pneumothorax?

"Pneumothorax" refers to a disease in which gas abnormally accumulates in the pleural cavity, causing compression and shrinkage of lung tissue, affecting normal respiratory function.

Pneumothorax can be divided into traumatic pneumothorax and spontaneous pneumothorax . Spontaneous pneumothorax refers to the spontaneous rupture of lung tissue without trauma, which causes the gas in the lung to enter the pleural cavity, compress the lung tissue and mediastinum, and affect breathing and circulation. Spontaneous pneumothorax can be divided into primary and secondary.

Primary spontaneous pneumothorax: more common in healthy people without underlying lung diseases, especially young men with tall and thin body types.

Usually due to the presence of weak structures such as bullae on the lung surface, under the influence of some inducements such as strenuous exercise, severe coughing, etc., the pressure in the lungs increases, the alveolar wall ruptures, and pneumothorax forms.

Xiao Liu, an 18-year-old college student, suddenly felt chest tightness and difficulty breathing after exercising during the day, and came to Changsha Fourth Hospital for emergency treatment. CT scans revealed a large amount of air accumulation in his left chest cavity, and the left lung tissue had been compressed by about 90%. The heart, large blood vessels, and trachea were compressed and significantly displaced. CT scans showed that the patient had bullae in his lungs. This is a typical case of primary spontaneous pneumothorax - the patient has a risk factor of bullae in his lungs, and during exercise, the bullae ruptured, leading to spontaneous pneumothorax.

▲What is seen during thoracoscopic surgery: bullae (shaped like fish bubbles, very easy to rupture)

▲Primary spontaneous pneumothorax (large pneumothorax on the left side)

Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax: often occurs in people with underlying lung diseases, mostly the elderly.

Most of these people have a history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, tuberculosis, asthma, cystic fibrosis, etc. These diseases can make lung tissue fragile and more prone to rupture.

Grandpa Wang is 79 years old this year. He often coughs and expectorates. He feels chest tightness and shortness of breath after activities. His breathing difficulties have worsened in recent days. He went to the hospital for a CT scan and found "chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, multiple bullae in both lungs, and spontaneous pneumothorax." Grandpa Wang developed pneumothorax secondary to his lung disease.

▲Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax

2. What are the symptoms?

Due to the compression of lung tissue, patients with pneumothorax will experience varying degrees of chest pain, chest tightness, shortness of breath, dyspnea and other symptoms. The more air accumulates in the pleural cavity, the greater the pressure on the lungs, and the more severe the dyspnea will be.

A large amount of pneumothorax not only compresses the lung tissue, but also squeezes the heart, large blood vessels and trachea. If not treated in time, it will endanger life. Therefore, once the above symptoms occur, you should go to the hospital for treatment in time.

3. What should I do if I discover pneumothorax?

Small initial pneumothorax can be treated conservatively.

For large amounts of pneumothorax, closed chest drainage should be performed promptly to exhaust air, relieve pressure, and relieve breathing difficulties.

If pneumothorax recurs or there are clear bullae, and conservative treatment and closed drainage treatment are ineffective, "thoracoscopic bullectomy + pleurodesis" is recommended.

Thoracoscopic bullectomy + pleurodesis is the current "gold standard" for the treatment of spontaneous pneumothorax. Only a small incision of 2-3 cm is needed, and the operation can be completed in about 30 minutes.

The surgical incision is small, the trauma is small, the recovery is fast, the hospital stay is short, and the recurrence rate is low. The minimally invasive thoracoscopic technique can not only completely remove the lesion and reduce the recurrence, but also preserve the healthy lung tissue to the maximum extent, which is suitable for patients with underlying lung diseases.

4. How to prevent it?

In daily life, quitting smoking, maintaining healthy living habits, avoiding overwork, and avoiding strenuous exercise are all key to preventing spontaneous pneumothorax.

Patients with primary lung diseases should receive active treatment; patients with a history of pneumothorax should consult a doctor in advance to assess whether they are suitable for activities such as flying or diving that may cause large changes in air pressure.

Deputy Chief Physician Zhang Jianxin reminded that pneumothorax is particularly "favored" by tall and thin young boys. If chest pain and difficulty breathing occur after coughing violently or exerting too much force, you should go to the hospital in time to avoid delaying treatment.

Hunan Medical Chat Special Author: Zhang Jianxin, Changsha Fourth Hospital

Follow @湖南医聊 to get more health science information!

(Edited by YT)