Best way to treat a pneumothorax?!
Question: Best way to treat a pneumothorax!?
I had a pneumothorax in February and it healed quite nicely after being put on an oxygen drip over night but it has come back and I really don't like hospitals or surgery, consider it an irrational fear!.!.!. Anyway, I was wondering if there's anything I can do to help it but I have walk 6 miles a day from college against my will otherwise I have nowhere to sleep at night and I'd hate to give it up because I'd be behind on all my work so I can't cut down on strenuous movement and I'm doing my very best to quit smoking or just cut down although my doctor said smoking had no effect on it!. I get very worried when I hear the broken bit of skin on my lung flapping about when I'm lying in bed trying to sleep and I don't wanna suffocate in my sleep!. Taking deep breaths hurts my upper chest and lower back so thats kinda out of the question!. Can anyone help me!?Www@Answer-Health@Com
Answers:
Personally I have had a pneumothorax and a collapsed lung!. Both times I had to have a chest tube inserted!. I understand that you don't want to go through the pain/surgery/hospitals but if it is a rather large pneumothorax that may be the only way they can treat you!. A pneumothorax is air in the chest cavity which when left can lead to a collapsed lung!. When I had my chest tube inserted it was the 2nd time I'd ever had one - first time it was inserted while i was asleep - With the 2nd one I was awake!. All they do is give you general and numbing needles - they do help and then they insert the tube, if they offer you pain medication take it as it helps alot!. Afterwards they make sure the part where it goes in is clean then they cover it!. You'll be uncomfortable for the next day or 2 as it's something new and it's hard to manouvre!. When I had mine put in a nurse got me an iv trolley and put the bottle on there and taped it up so that all I had to do was push a trolley around instead of being in pain when I bent down - That definetly helped!. During the time it takes for your lung to reinflate or get rid of the pneumothorax they do the necessary things such as xrays, blood tests!. After it has gone they take it out and you usually go home the next day!. They keep you there for the next 4 hours - get another xray to make sure it's ok and then usually make you stay overnight tomake sure everything is ok!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
was it a spontaneous pneumothorax, and did your lung collapse!? I don't get that you are hearing a bit of skin on your lung flapping around!?Www@Answer-Health@Com