Treatment for water in the lung

Treatment for water in the lungs can be done with oxygen therapy, to improve the body’s oxygenation, in addition to the use of medicines, such as furosemide or nitroglycerin, which help reduce the amount of fluid in the lungs.

In most cases, water in the lungs arises due to an untreated heart problem, such as heart failure, however changes in the nervous system or infections in the lungs can also lead to the accumulation of fluid in the lungs. Discover the main causes of water in the lungs.

Treatment of water in the lungs must be carried out in the hospital by a general practitioner, pulmonologist or cardiologist, as it is a medical emergency that can put life at risk, and therefore, be started quickly depending on its cause.

Main treatments for water in the lung

The main treatments for water in the lung are:

1. Oxygen therapy

Since the lungs are filled with liquid and cannot absorb enough oxygen, one of the first treatments for water in the lungs is oxygen therapy, which consists of inhaling oxygen through a nasal catheter or face mask. Understand better how it works and the main types of oxygen therapy.

This treatment aims to ensure oxygenation of the body, direct water from the lungs back to the blood vessels, reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood and reverse respiratory acidosis.

2. Medicines

Medicines for treating water in the lungs are initially used in the hospital, as this condition is a medical emergency that must be treated immediately in a hospital environment.

Therefore, after starting oxygen therapy, medications such as:

• Diureticssuch as furosemide, administered into the vein, to reduce the amount of fluid in the lungs;
• Vasodilatorssuch as nitroglycerin, to control blood pressure and reduce lung congestion;
• Calcium channel blockerssuch as nifedipine, to help reduce pulmonary arterial pressure and improve gas exchange in cases of pulmonary edema caused by high altitudes;
• Inotropessuch as dobutamine or dopamine, to reduce lung congestion when associated with low blood pressure and decreased tissue oxygenation;
• Opioidssuch as morphine, as it has a powerful analgesic effect and can be used in cases of pulmonary edema associated with coronary syndrome.;

Remedies for treating water in the lungs vary according to the cause and are used in the hospital.

3. Physiotherapy for water in the lung

After pulmonary edema, the lungs may lose some of their ability to expand, no longer being able to carry large amounts of air.

Therefore, the pulmonologist may recommend some respiratory physiotherapy sessions to improve lung capacity and strengthen the respiratory muscles, through exercises recommended by a physiotherapist.

These sessions can be done up to twice a week, for as long as necessary to recover full lung capacity. See how respiratory physiotherapy is done.

Is water in the lungs curable?

Water in the lungs can be cured, as long as treatment is started quickly in the hospital and its cause is identified as soon as possible.

However, when treatment is not started quickly, water in the lung can worsen and cause life-threatening complications.

Signs of improvement and worsening

The first signs of improvement appear a few minutes or hours after starting treatment and include decreased difficulty breathing, increased oxygen levels, reduced chest pain and relief from wheezing when breathing.

On the other hand, when treatment is not started, signs of worsening may appear, including worsening of symptoms such as a feeling of drowning, purple extremities, fainting and, in the most serious cases, respiratory arrest.

How to prevent it from happening again

When the symptoms are controlled and the oxygen levels in the body are balanced, it is important to identify the problem that is causing the accumulation of fluid in the lungs, as, if this problem is not treated, the symptoms of water in the lungs may return.

Depending on the cause, the doctor may also use other medications such as:

• Heart remediessuch as nitroglycerin: relieves pressure on the heart arteries, improving their functioning and preventing the accumulation of blood in the lungs;
• High blood pressure medicinessuch as captopril: reduce blood pressure, making the heart’s work easier and preventing fluid accumulation.

When the cause of pulmonary edema is already known from the beginning, in people who have had heart problems for a few years, for example, treatment can be carried out with these medications from the beginning, to speed up the elimination of excess fluid.

However, in the case of people who had not been diagnosed with a disease until the symptoms of water in the lungs appeared, the pulmonologist may refer them to a cardiologist or another specialty to begin appropriate treatment of the problem, preventing a condition from arising again. water in the lung.