What causes lung to collapse?

There are few different reasons why somebody can get collapsed lung. Lung compression caused by fluid around the lung and by air in the pleural space, or it can be foreign object in the airway. As I know prolonged bed rest and heavy sedation can be one of causes. Of course, tumors that obstruct the airway can cause collapsed lung.

Hello there,

The other word for collapse lung is atelectasis.  There are several causes why this condition appears (and probably one of them is causing this condition in your friend’s case) such as: cystic fibrosis, chest injuries and severe asthma. This condition develops when alveoli become pumped out.

Signs and symptoms of this condition usually depends on the underlying cause of the condition, and of course how much of the lung tissue is involved. Sometimes this can be pretty serious condition and treatment usually depends on the cause.

If the atelectasis doesn’t involve major part of lungs sometimes it can go without any treatment at all. But if something serious is in question, like tumor, surgery might be necessary.