How do you prevent a lung from collapsing again?

[findo]

My husband recently had a primary spontaneous pneumothorax - that is, his lung got a hole for no apparent reason and then collapsed. We are told there's a good chance this could happen again, and all the doctor said was "don't fly for six months and don't start smoking". Can anyone offer more advice on prevention? There are no obvious reasons it happened; he was simply lying on the sofa watching tv at the time. Please help, I'm worried about him!

[incitatus]

Primary Spontaneeous Pneumothorax (psp) has a number of causes, but is largely unpredictable. If there is no preexisting lung disease or history of pleurisy and adhesions then the cause is often a ruptured bula or terminal bleb.....ie nothing you can predict or avoid. It is far more common in smokers, and some evidence for frequent flyers. It almost always happens when at rest, too. Most of the time it clears on its own, sometimes it requires chest tube insertion and occasionaly more invasive surgery, but the prognosis is generally very good... the Journal of the American Medical Association referred to psp in undiseased patients as "more of a nuisance than a health risk"....but gives no guidance as to patient led prevention. Sorry not to be more help, but hope the info is reassuring.

[Irishlad74]

Hi

I am currently lying in hospital with a primary spaontaneous pneumothorax. I have been told no flying for 8 weeks, no scuba-diving ever!, avoid smoking if possible (i am currently off them about a week and a half).

There is no known reason for the ailment. If you are a tall slim male between the ages of 20 and 40, you are a high risk candidate. Apparently if it happens once, there is a 40% chance of it re-occuring in the future. a simple procedure can be done to prevent a third attack.

I am curious about this condition myself.... as mine happened out of the blue last monday morning.

Regards,

Brendan