- Other Disorders
Causes smoking, air pollution, ionizing radiation, asbestos, nickel, chromium. Symptoms; Hemoptysis, chest pain, dyspnea, cough, weight loss, pleural effusion (usually blood), hoarseness. Treatment; surgery, radiation and chemotherapy.
Pneumothorax
Collection of air or gas in the space inside the chest around the lungs, which leads to lung collapse. Cause due to injury, e.g. knife wound. Sometimes without any external cause. Symptoms include; chest pains, shortness of breath, fatigue, rapid heart rate, bluish colour of skin. Treatment to remove pleural air. Surgical resection of blebs to prevent future recurrence if appropriate.
Obstructive Sleep Apnea
Causes obesity, hypothyroidism, cigarette smoking, hypertension. symptoms; daytime sleepiness, cognitive impairment, thrashing movements during sleep. Treatment; weight loss, stop smoking, limiting alcohol consumption, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), surgery to resect pharyngeal soft tissue.
