Lungs and Respiratory Disorders Forum - Spontaneous Pneumothorax

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Q: Spontaneous Pneumothorax

asked by: DoctorQuestion on February 17th, 2008

I am a 39 year old (otherwise) healthy female. I had a spontaneous pneumothorax on January 3. Since I got out of the hospital, I sometimes feel a physical urge to take a deep breath (like a heavy sigh). I have no pain when doing this; my concern is only that for the past few days I have been doing this excessively. I was just wondering if anyone else experienced this or has any idea why I'm doing it?

Replies(2)

Dr. Nikola Gjuzelov , MD

replied on February 25th, 2008

Lungs and Respiratory Disorders Answer A3734

YOU WROTE: Diagnosis that has been suggested: Recent Spontaneous Pneumothorax. Chest tube inserted- began hemorrhaging- doctor performed emergency exploratory surgery- ended up receiving 8 blood transfusions.

I don’t see anything wrong with an occasional physical urge to take a deep breath. If you find that your are sighing and breathing heavily to excess, you can visit your GP. The cause of spontaneous pneumothorax is unknown and may repeat again. Difficult breathing (dyspnoea) is the main symptom of pneumothorax. If not treated in time, pneumothorax could be a fatal condition.

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Comments (1)

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