What Is Pulmonary Congestion?

Pulmonary congestion, or pulmonary edema, is a respiratory condition that occurs when an irregular amount of fluid fills the air sacs of the lungs, causing shortness of breath.

Symptoms

• The symptoms of pulmonary congestion are difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, excessive sweating, pale skin, cough, wheezing, restlessness and gurgling sounds while breathing. Paroxysmal noctural dyspnea is a form of pulmonary congestion that happens during sleep; it causes a patient to wake up feeling as though he is drowning from lack of air.

Causes

• Pulmonary congestion is typically caused by heart failure. When the heart fails, hydrostatic pressure rises in the veins inside the lungs. This causes extravascular fluid to fill the lung sacs.

Treatment

• Treatment ranges from oxygen given via face mask or with a tube through the trachea to assistance from a ventilator.

Prevention/Solution

• A low-fat, low-salt diet should be followed, and all prescribed medications should be taken as directed if a person has a condition that can lead to heart failure or pulmonary edema.

Prognosis

• When blood flow is interrupted, organs receive less oxygen, which can cause damage to vital organs and problems such as kidney failure or death. Patients who undergo assisted breathing with a ventilator generally suffer weakened lung strength.