Living with Pulmonary Edema

Our lungs are the organs of respiration. They contain millions of alveoli-tiny air sacs that make oxygen available to tiny vessels (capillaries) that are wrapped around each of the alveoli-which also remove the carbon dioxide from the blood where it can be blown off when we exhale. This process goes on with every breath we take, which is necessary for life. Carbon dioxide is a waste product of metabolism. The food we eat is broken down so that the components of that food can be used to nourish the cells of the body; one of the waste products from this process is carbon dioxide, which is carried to the lungs to be released to the environment. Normally there is balance between the body's systems and everything works the way it was designed. But for some people the delicate balance gets disrupted for some reason, and pulmonary hypertension develops forcing fluid into the air sacs, which prevents the lungs from absorbing oxygen and removing carbon dioxide. This is called pulmonary edema.

Pulmonary edema is responsible for many heart problems, but there can be other causes also. Pulmonary edema is a symptom and it is up to the doctor to find out what is causing it. Pneumonia is a lung problem that can cause fluid to collect in the lungs. People who live in high elevations may have an increased risk of developing fluid in the lungs, as well as those people who are exposed certain types of medications and toxins. Pulmonary edema can be both gradual and acute. Gradual pulmonary edema is something the person lives with over long periods. The body adjusts and compensates as well as it can; but acute pulmonary edema requires emergency intervention.