Symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and a frothy discharge.
In people with a terminal illness, the condition is often fatal.
In others, pulmonary edema is treatable, with as many people surviving for several years or more.
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It also discusses survival rates, life expectancy statistics, and ways to reduce your risk.
What Is Pulmonary Edema?
Under normal circumstances, alveoli are where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged as you inhale and exhale.
Symptoms of Pulmonary Edema
The symptoms of pulmonary edema can vary based on the underlying cause.
The causes may be categorized as being eitheracute(suddenly and severe) orchronic(persistent or recurring).
This can cause adverse effects in the associated organs.
In severe cases, this can lead to complications like:
Can Pulmonary Edema Cause Sudden Death?
Acute pulmonary edema is a medical emergency that can be fatal if not treated immediately.
What Causes Pulmonary Edema?
Both are more common in older adults and people with chronic diseases.
It happens when a heart condition increases blood pressure within the heart.
Almost any kind of heart disease can lead to pulmonary edema.
When this happens, fluids can leak into the alveoli, causing edema.
Noncardiogenic causes of pulmonary edema include:
How Is Pulmonary Edema Diagnosed?
Rapidly diagnosing pulmonary edema is critical, especially if the symptoms are sudden and severe.
Other tests may include:
Cardiogenic or Noncardiogenic?
Cardiac catheterization may be crucial to the diagnosis.
By placing the catheter in the pulmonary artery, the healthcare provider can differentiate cardiogenic from noncardiogenic pulmonary edema.
If blood pressure in the pulmonary artery is elevated, cardiogenic pulmonary edema is the likely cause.
If not, noncardiogenic pulmonary edema is most likely.
How Is Pulmonary Edema Treated?
The ultimate treatment, though, is to handle the underlying cause.
In about one-quarter of hospitalized people, cardiogenic pulmonary edema is fatal.
Pulmonary edema from ARDS is also often fatal.
In severe cases, up to 60% of people die in the hospital.
Those who survive often diminished functional capacity and mental health problems which can severely decrease their quality of life.
Summary
Pulmonary edema is a potentially fatal medical condition where excess fluid fills the lungs' alveoli.
Treatments include oxygen therapy and medications that improve heart output and reduce pressure in lung capillaries.
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