Overview
Water in the lungs is also known as pulmonary edema and is a serious condition that requires medical attention. Pulmonary edema involves excess water accumulating in the lungs, filling the little air sacs where oxygen enters the blood and carbon dioxide exits. This condition compromises your body’s ability to receive adequate oxygen.
Symptoms
Symptoms of pulmonary edema are related to your body’s lack of oxygen and the difficulty you experience when breathing. According to the National Library of Medicine, these symptoms include shortness of breath, restlessness and anxiety, feeling like you can’t get enough air, pale skin, cough and other abnormal noises while you breathe such as wheezing or grunting.
Causes
The Mayo Clinic states that pulmonary edema is most commonly caused by cardiovascular disorders. Normally, blood that has delivered oxygen to the body gets pumped through the heart to the lungs to load up with more oxygen. This blood then returns to the heart and is pumped out to the body again. When the heart is unable to pump this oxygenated blood out to the body, the blood backs up into the blood vessels around the lungs. Here, the pressure from the congested blood causes fluid to be forced out of the thin blood vessel walls into the air sacs, creating pulmonary edema.
Other causes of pulmonary edema that do not involve the cardiovascular system include kidney disease, high altitudes, lung infections, inhaling smoke from a fire and drug reactions.
Treatments
Because the body is having difficulty obtaining oxygen, the most immediate treatment that is given is supplemental oxygen. This may be through a mask or through small prongs that rest in your nose. The National Library of Medicine states that if your condition is serious, a tube may be placed in your trachea and a ventilator may be used to help you breathe.
Pulmonary edema is a symptom, and other treatments focus on addressing the cause, such as heart failure, a heart attack or any other diagnosed conditions.
Prevention
Because cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of pulmonary edema, the Mayo Clinic recommends focusing on a heart-healthy diet and lifestyle to help prevent this disorder. Follow the advice of your health-care provider for treating high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and eat a healthy diet low in saturated fats and sodium. Manage your weight and schedule a regular exercise routine.
Considerations
Pulmonary edema can be fatal, and it’s important to follow the medical advice provided to you by your health-care provider. Take the medications you are prescribed and follow any recommendations about lifestyle or diet modification. Because your body may be struggling to get the normal amount of oxygen, you may experience fatigue so be sure to get plenty of rest.
About this Author
Bronwyn Ellison is a nurse in the San Francisco Bay Area. She writes extensively for online publications on health and lifestyle topics. She graduated with an associate’s degree from Los Medanos College with the highest academic honors in her graduating class.
