Protecting Against Pulmonary Edema

You are short of breath. You are also wheezing and coughing up phlegm. You are having difficulty breathing in general. You may have pulmonary edema.

Pulmonary edema occurs when there is an accumulation of fluid in the lungs. This is caused by either a weak heart muscle or problems in one of the valves of the heart. These valves regulate the flow of blood from the heart out through the arteries to the rest of the body. To understand how this process works, we need to discuss a little about them.

The heart consists of four chambers: An auricle and ventricle on the left side, and an auricle and ventricle on the right side. The left auricle or chamber gets oxygen rich blood from the lungs, transfers it to the left ventricle and then it is transported out to the rest of the body by the arteries. After the oxygen rich blood is transported out to the body to supply oxygen to all the cells and organs of the body, it is returned to the heart by the veins to receive more oxygen. The blood is returned to the heart through the right auricle or chamber. The right auricle transfers blood to the right ventricle, which transfers it to the lungs for reoxygenation.

Fluid accumulates in the lungs, because either the heart muscle is too weak to push blood out effectively to the rest of the body or there is a problem with one of the heart valves. Obesity, hypertension, coronary artery disease or kidney disease are just some of the conditions that can cause the heart to overwork, thus placing an excess burden on the heart to pump blood to the body.

The heart is like any other muscle; when you overwork any muscle, it doesn’t function as effectively. Because it doesn’t function as effectively as it should, it can’t effectively pump blood out to the body and at the same time, it can’t effectively pull the blood back up to itself to get more oxygen.

In addition to all this, because the heart can’t pump blood to the kidneys, the kidneys are fooled into thinking the body’s blood pressure is too low; in an effort to raise the blood pressure, the kidneys retain salt. Salt causes water to accumulate in the body, causing an even greater burden on the heart to circulate this increased volume through the body. Fluid accumulates not only in the lungs, but also in the extremities (hands, legs, etc.). Right sided heart failure, usually caused by a chronic lung disorder or left sided heart failure usually caused by a defect in the left ventricle can also cause pulmonary edema.

Pulmonary edema can be asymptomatic or without symptoms for a long period of time. However, there are a variety of signs and symptoms of pulmonary edema, depending on the cause. The signs and symptoms are: Shortness of breath, wheezing or gurgling sounds in the chest, shortness of breath while lying down, pale skin color, anxiety, restlessness, excess sweating, edema (swelling caused by too much fluid trapped in the body’s tissue), coughing up blood and nasal flaring.

Pulmonary edema has many causes including pneumonia, inhaling a toxin, certain medicines and inflammation of the pancreas. But the biggest cause is congestive heart failure.

To diagnose pulmonary edema, your physician will first examine your heart and lungs with a stethoscope. If your doctor thinks you have fluid in your lungs, she might order other tests such as a complete blood count, blood chemistries, a pulse oximetry (to check blood oxygen levels), a chest X-ray (to check for fluid in the lungs), an echocardiogram (an ultrasound of your heart to check for abnormal heart activity), an electrocardiogram (to check for heart rhythm problems or heart attack) and a cardiac catheterization (to check for blockages in your coronary arteries).

Pulmonary edema is a serious condition that requires immediate emergency treatment. Some treatment options include:

·       Machines that blow air into your lungs through a mask on your face.

·       Oxygen delivered through prongs in your nose.

·       Ventilators or respirators that blow in air through a tube inserted in your windpipe.

·       Medications that cause you to urinate more to get rid of excess fluid which strengthens your heart.

·       Other medications, when congestive heart failure isn’t the cause of your pulmonary edema, such as antibiotics and steroids.

You can make certain lifestyle choices which may help with preventing pulmonary edema such as taking medications as directed, getting routine vaccinations, seeing your doctor regularly and if you have problems breathing, eating a low salt diet, quitting smoking, maintaining a healthy weight and consulting your doctor if you plan to engage in activities that may bring on pulmonary edema.

If you suspect that you have pulmonary edema, go to the emergency room right away. The outlook for your condition depends on the cause, how severe your condition is and how quickly you receive treatment. The faster you receive treatment, the faster you recover.