- How to prevent it from happening again
- Physiotherapy for water in the lung
- Signs of improvement
- Signs of worsening
Treatment for water in the lung, known scientifically as pulmonary edema, should be done as soon as possible in the hospital to maintain adequate oxygen levels and prevent serious complications, such as respiratory arrest or vital organ failure.
Since the lungs are filled with fluid and cannot absorb enough oxygen, treatment should be started with the supply of large amounts of oxygen through a face mask.
After that, in order to remove the oxygen mask and allow the person to breathe normally again, diuretic remedies, such as Furosemide, are administered, which eliminate excess fluids through the urine, allowing the lungs to refill with air.
When this problem is causing great difficulty in breathing or severe pain, the doctor may also use injections of morphine directly into the vein to make the patient more comfortable during treatment.
How to prevent it from happening again
When the symptoms are controlled and the oxygen levels in the body are balanced, it is important to identify which problem is causing the accumulation of fluid in the lungs, because if this problem is not treated, the symptoms of water in the lung can return.
In most cases, water in the lung arises from an untreated heart problem, such as heart failure, but nervous system problems or lung infections can also lead to fluid buildup in the lung. Know the main causes of water in the lung.
Depending on the cause, the pulmonologist may also use other medications such as:
- Heart remedies, such as nitroglycerin: relieves pressure on the arteries of the heart, improving its functioning and preventing the accumulation of blood in the lungs; High blood pressure medications, such as Captopril: reduce blood pressure, making the heart work easier and preventing the accumulation of fluids.
When the cause of pulmonary edema is known from the beginning, in people who have had heart problems for a few years, for example, treatment can be done with these remedies from the beginning, to speed up the elimination of excess fluids.
However, in the case of people who were not diagnosed with a disease until the onset of water symptoms in the lung, the pulmonologist may refer to a cardiologist or other specialty to initiate the appropriate treatment of the problem, preventing a recurrence of symptoms. water in the lung.
Physiotherapy for water in the lung
After pulmonary edema, the lungs may lose some of their ability to expand, failing to carry large amounts of air. Thus, the pulmonologist can recommend some respiratory physiotherapy sessions to improve the lung capacity and strengthen the respiratory muscles, through exercises indicated by a physiotherapist.
These sessions can be done up to 2 times a week, for as long as necessary to recover all lung capacity. Learn more about these physiotherapy sessions.
Signs of improvement
The first signs of improvement appear a few minutes or hours after the start of treatment and include decreased breathing difficulties, increased oxygen levels, reduced chest pain and relief of wheezing when breathing.
Signs of worsening
Signs of worsening appear when treatment is not started and include worsening symptoms such as a feeling of drowning, purplish extremities, fainting and, in the most severe cases, respiratory arrest.
