Guide To The Causes And Risk Factors Of Atelectasis

Atelectasis is a condition where a lobe of the lung or the entire lung collapses (partially or completely). This malfunction occurs when the alveoli or small air sacs contained with the individual's lung fill with fluid or become deflated. This condition makes it difficult for the affected individual to breathe, causes them to cough and wheeze, it and may result in rapid or shallow breathing. When part or all of a lung collapses, it cannot effectively get oxygen to the alveoli and can result in hypoxemia or low blood oxygen levels. Atelectasis also increases the risk of mucus accumulation in the lung, resulting in pneumonia. This condition is diagnosed using an oximetry test, bronchoscopy, CT scan, and thorax ultrasound. The way atelectasis is treated depends on what its underlying cause is. Mild cases may not require treatment, while severe cases necessitate surgery.

Various factors cause atelectasis or increase an individual's risk of developing it. Read about them now.

Foreign Body Inhalation

Many cases of atelectasis are the result of foreign body inhalation. When an object is inhaled into the lung, the individual's bronchus or bronchiole can become obstructed. The alveoli usually fill up with air that contains oxygen and nitrogen the individual has inhaled, and the constant exchange of gases allows for the alveoli to keep their shape. When an individual inhales a foreign object, the oxygen and nitrogen inside the alveoli, which are located behind the blockage in the air pathway, are eventually all absorbed into the bloodstream. The alveoli function similar to how a balloon works. When there is no more air in the alveoli, they shrink, shrivel, and ultimately collapse into themselves. When numerous alveoli collapse, the patient's lung loses volume. The foreign body is often a piece of food, a toy, or a pill that has gone into the respiratory tube rather than down the esophagus. The most common cases of obstructive atelectasis that occur due to foreign body obstruction occur in infants, toddlers, and young children who put objects into their nasal cavities or their mouth. Many cases of foreign body precipitated atelectasis are the result of elderly or ill individuals who aspirate a piece of food.

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Tumor In The Airway

Some cases of atelectasis are caused by a tumor in the airway of an affected individual. The type of atelectasis is described using the term compressive atelectasis, which can be the result of a cancerous or benign tumor or growth inside of, or directly adjacent to, airways within the lung. When a tumor grows in an individual's lung and slowly causes the compression of one or more of its containing airways, the balance of gas exchange in the alveoli will be disrupted. Healthy individuals breathe oxygen and nitrogen into the trachea, through the bronchi and the further branched off bronchioles, then into the alveoli. The blood in small capillaries in the alveoli absorbs the oxygen and releases carbon dioxide. When there is a tumor or growth inside of, or adjacent to, one of the airways in the lung, it will slowly start to close up. As the airway becomes increasingly narrow, the amount of inhaled air that reaches the following alveoli will be less than the amount of air the blood is absorbing. Eventually, the alveoli do not have enough air and ultimately collapse in on themselves. This type of atelectasis gradually develops over time as numerous alveoli collapse, and the lung loses its volume.

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