Pulmonary edema: What are the symptoms and what should you know?

In most cases, the pulmonary edema is due to…
heart problems. But fluid on the lung can be stacked, and for other reasons, including pneumonia, exposure to certain toxins and medications, trauma to the chest wall, the intense physical exercise or permanent living at high altitudes.
Pulmonary edema is a condition caused by the accumulation of fluid in the lungs. This liquid is collected in the numerous air sacs in the lungs, making it difficult to breath.
The pulmonary edema that develops suddenly (acute) is a medical emergency that requires immediate care. Although the disease may sometimes prove fatal to the life of the patient, the outlook is improving, when receiving immediate treatment for the same condition, and the underlying problem that causes it.
Symptoms
Depending on the cause, the symptoms of pulmonary edema may appear suddenly or evolve gradually over time.
Acute pulmonary edema – symptoms
Extreme shortness of breath or difficulty in breathing that worsens when lying down
Feeling of choking
Wheezing or shortness of breath
Stress, anxiety
Cough that produces frothy sputum which may have blood
Pain in the chest (if the pulmonary edema is caused by heart disease)
Cardiac arrhythmia, palpitations
If you experience any of these signs or symptoms, call 166 or seek emergency medical help immediately. The acute form of the disease can be fatal if not treated immediately.
Chronic pulmonary edema – symptoms
More shortness of breath than normal when you are physically active
Shortness of breath during exercise
Shortness of breath when you are lying down
Wheezing
You wake up in the middle of the night with “bated breath”, a sensation that may be removed when you sit down
Rapid weight gain when pulmonary edema develops as a result of congestive heart failure Is a condition in which the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the needs of your body. The weight gain is from buildup of fluid in your body, especially your legs
Swelling in the lower extremities
Fatigue
Pulmonary edema from permanent living at high altitude – symptoms
Shortness of breath after exertion, which progresses to shortness of breath at rest
Cough
Difficulty walking uphill, which progresses to difficulty walking, even on flat surfaces
Fever
Cough that produces frothy sputum which may have blood
Cardiac arrhythmia, palpitations
Discomfort in the chest
Headaches, which may be the first symptom

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