Signs and Symptoms of Atelectasis

Signs and Symptoms of Atelectasis

Atelectasis is commonly a breathing complication usually appears after surgery which affects the major respiratory organ lungs by collapsing few or several lobes of a lung either partially or completely. This is a physiological disorder more than disease. This disease only appears when the tiny air sacs (Known as alveoli) present within the lung become deflated. 

This disease not only means to the simple respiratory confined to lungs only, it’s a complicated process which includes as the after effect of inhalation of foreign objects, lung tumour, presence of fluid inside the lungs, prolonged bed rest with few changes in position, mucus that plugs the air way, shallow breathing, respiratory weakness as well as chest injuries too. 

The percentage of the tissue of lungs which affected by this disease varies in the body of the different patients. This disease finally results in infant respiratory distress syndrome in premature neonates. 

This disease may be classified into two conditions i.e. i) Acute ii) Chronic. In acute condition recently collapsed lung present and airlessness is primarily notable. But in the chronic condition destruction, scarring, infection may be notified. Chronic atelectasis may be present either in middle lobe syndrome or rounded atelectasis. Atelectasis is usually found in patients after surgery or who are admitted in the hospital. 

The main cause for this disease is the blockage of the air passages or the outer pressure on the lung. This disease can only be detected by some of the physiological tests such as chest x-ray, bronchoscopy, chest CT scan etc.

There is a basic difference between the sign & symptoms of any disease. Symptoms are only felt by the patient whereas the signs can be detected by both the patient and the doctors.Like other diseases this disease also has some unique symptoms though some cases also reported that there is no significant symptom found for this disease. Some of the usual symptoms are discussed in the following:

 
  • The most common symptom of this disease is the breathing difficulty of the affected person which may be fast or shallow too. But the difficulty level varies from per to person.
  • As an effect of this disease the saturation of the oxygen decreases significantly in our body thus low oxygen saturation rate is also symptom indicating this disease.
  • Pleural effusion appears as a serious symptom of this disease. This type pleural effusion is also seen as transudate type.
  • There is a direct relationship between the oxygen saturation rate and heart rate. As the oxygen saturation arte decreases so as a result of it the heart rate increases to satisfy the cells with the minimum quantity of the oxygen for carry on all the physiological events.
  • The temperature of the body of the affected persons increases as a symptom of this disease.
  • Cyanosis is also appears as a late symptom of atelectasis.
  • Chest pain occurs sometimes as a result of this disease but this is not common symptoms for all the patients.
  • Cough is also a symptom of this disease this is not prominent for all the persons who are affected by it.

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