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Treatment for water in the lung, also known as pulmonary edema, aims to maintain adequate levels of circulating oxygen, preventing complications such as respiratory arrest or failure of vital organs. Therefore, it is important that the person is referred to the hospital as soon as there is a suspicion of fluid accumulation in the lungs.
Treatment usually consists of the use of oxygen masks and medications that help eliminate excess fluid from the body and restore oxygen circulation. In addition, in some cases, chest physiotherapy may be indicated to strengthen the lungs.
How is the treatment
Since the lungs are filled with fluid and cannot absorb enough oxygen, treatment should begin by providing 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 drugs are administered, such as Furosemide, which eliminate excess fluids through the urine, allowing the lungs to refill with air.
When this problem is causing severe breathing difficulties or severe pain, the doctor may still use morphine injections directly into the vein to make the patient more comfortable during treatment.
Physiotherapy for water in the lungs
After pulmonary edema, the lungs may lose some of their ability to expand and can no longer carry large amounts of air. In this way, the pulmonologist can recommend some sessions of respiratory physiotherapy to improve lung capacity and strengthen the respiratory muscles, through exercises indicated by a physiotherapist.
These sessions can be done up to 2 times a week, during the time necessary to recover all lung capacity. See how respiratory physiotherapy is performed.
Signs of improvement and worsening
First signs of improvement appear a few minutes or hours after starting treatment and include decreased difficulty breathing, increased oxygen levels, reduced chest pain, and relief from wheezing when breathing.
On the other hand, when treatment is not started, some signs of worsening may appear, including worsening symptoms such as a feeling of drowning, purple extremities, fainting and, in the most severe cases, respiratory arrest.
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 lungs can come back.
In most cases, water in the lungs is due to an untreated heart condition such as heart failure, however nervous system disorders or infections in the lungs can also lead to fluid accumulation in the lung. Know the main causes of water in the lungs.
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 their functioning and preventing the accumulation of blood in the lungs;
- High blood pressure medications, such as Captopril: reduce blood pressure, facilitating the heart's work and preventing fluid accumulation.
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 accelerate the elimination of excess liquids.
However, in the case of people who did not have the diagnosis of a disease until the appearance of symptoms of water in the lung, the pulmonologist may refer you to a cardiologist or other speci alty to start the appropriate treatment of the problem, preventing you from returning to appear a picture of water in the lung.
