Pneumothorax, also called a collapsed lung, is when air gets between on of your lungs and the wall of your chest. The pressure causes your lung to give way. When this happens you can inhale, but not as fully as you should be able to. There are different types of pneumothorax.

Some are disease related. Simple pneumothorax is when the tissues and organs between your lungs are moved around. Spontaneous pneumothorax is when it occurs without any apparent cause. Tension pneumothorax is when air continues to enter the space between your lung and your chest wall, raising the pressure in your chest. And traumatic pneumothorax results from injury.

Symptoms can range from mild to life threatening. In mild cases you may not even notice a problem. Symptoms include blueish skin, chest pain, coughing, fatigue, fast breathing, fast heartbeats and shortness of breath.

Pneumothorax can be caused by lung disease - damage to the tissue can cause tearing allowing air to leak out. Injuries – a broken rib, knife wound, or gunshot can puncture the lung. In severe cases the escaping air can build-up pressure on your lung and heart and be life threatening. Mechanical ventilation – a machine that helps you breathe, can create uneven pressure in your chest. The result could be a collapsed lung. Sometimes otherwise healthy people get pneumothorax. Sacs or blisters full of air may form on the outside of your lung, and then burst creating pressure. This is most common in tall men, under 40 years of age, who smoke. Pneumothorax often re-occur within a year or two.

Treatment of pneumothorax begins by releasing the pressure outside the lung so it can inflate again. Doctors will want you to stay in hospital, so they can monitor your progress. You many need to breathe oxygen from a container for a short time to help. Recovery may take up to a couple of weeks, and you will have to be mindful not to do anything that jars the body or increases the pressure on the lungs too heavily to prevent reoccurance.