Collapsed lung after snorkeling?

[Matt S.]

I was on vacation last week with some people from work. After an afternoon on a boat, including some snorkeling, a coworker approached me. The conversation was hours later during our evening beach party, and it went kind of like this.

"So, you do scuba diving, right? It feels like I have a collapsed lung. What could that be?" Scuba, snorkeling in 10 feet of water... pretty close, right?

I said, "Well, there are a lot of ways to hurt yourself scuba diving but that's due to breathing compressed air and you can't get those kinds of injuries while just swimming. I bet you pulled a muscle. I have hurt my back plenty of times and felt like I couldn't take a full breath."

Well, his discomfort continued and after we all got back home, he went to have it looked at. Sure enough, he has a collapsed lung. (!)

Is that one of the rules of swimming I missed when I was a kid?

1. Always wait 30 minutes after eating before you go swimming
2. No glass around the pool
3. Also you might get a collapsed lung at any time

Seriously? How does that happen?

Also, it's apparently a good idea never to ask me any medical questions. I suggest limiting conversations with me to things that may not impact your health. Examples include BBQ rubs, pinball, and stargate dialing protocols.

He's going to be OK, but I sure feel stupid!

[kitsapdiver]

I would have answered the question the same way, of course unless your co-worker started snorkling in the ocean and surfaced in an glacial lake at altitude.

Is BBQ rub really a safe topic. I have a way of making flames big when I BBQ.

Austin

[yodelhawk]

Hi Matt. You will probably never know what caused your buddies injury. Some folks are born with or develop a weakness in the membrane surrounding their lungs. Something as simple as a cough or a sneeze could have caused the injury. Glad your buddy is ok and will live to snorkel another day.

[fmerkel]

Google [spontaneous pneumothorax].
Unusual but occasional occurrence, usually in healthy young males.
ABSOLUTE contraindication for scuba diving.....ever.

Had a buddy that bike raced, so he was aerobically very healthy. Had it happen to him while walking in Paris on vacation. He was 23. Thought he was dying of a heart attack. He couldn't believe his rotten luck.

[scubnewb]

Did he mention if he had ever had a CL before in the past? I have a buddy who got stabbed (I know shitty thing right, but we grew up in a shitty place) in the back and it penetrated his lung causing a CL. Ever since due to that injury he has to be careful because since then he has had it collapse 3 more times, everytime was due to some sort of pressure or force being applied to his back or chest. It could be something similar. either way I am glad to hear he is ok... Kinda scary something like that can just happen when your doing something "somewhat" safe like snorkeling.

I was on vacation last week with some people from work. After an afternoon on a boat, including some snorkeling, a coworker approached me. The conversation was hours later during our evening beach party, and it went kind of like this.

"So, you do scuba diving, right? It feels like I have a collapsed lung. What could that be?" Scuba, snorkeling in 10 feet of water... pretty close, right?

I said, "Well, there are a lot of ways to hurt yourself scuba diving but that's due to breathing compressed air and you can't get those kinds of injuries while just swimming. I bet you pulled a muscle. I have hurt my back plenty of times and felt like I couldn't take a full breath."

Well, his discomfort continued and after we all got back home, he went to have it looked at. Sure enough, he has a collapsed lung. (!)

Is that one of the rules of swimming I missed when I was a kid?

1. Always wait 30 minutes after eating before you go swimming
2. No glass around the pool
3. Also you might get a collapsed lung at any time

Seriously? How does that happen?

Also, it's apparently a good idea never to ask me any medical questions. I suggest limiting conversations with me to things that may not impact your health. Examples include BBQ rubs, pinball, and stargate dialing protocols.

He's going to be OK, but I sure feel stupid!

[Matt S.]

He did not mention ever having the condition before. I thought it was kind of weird to specify that it felt like a collapsed lung, though... I will find out more in a day or two when he is back at work.

[renoun]

What kind of build does he have. There is some lore that gets passed on to med students about tall lean men in particular being prone to spontaneous pneumothorax. At least he didn't get a chest tube in the ER and a hospital stay.

[Matt S.]

Medium height, maybe 5' 8"... He is definitely of slim build though.

[LCF]

HERE's A pretty good article for the layman about spontaneous pneumothorax. As previously stated, it is most common in tall, thin, young men. Primary pneumothorax is due to some kind of structural abnormality in the underlying lung, most commonly blister-like formations called blebs. As the article mentions, the recurrence rate on spontaneous pneumothoraces is high, up to 40%; it is considered an absolute contraindication to scuba diving.

You don't need to feel sheepish, Matt. There is nothing about swimming or snorkeling that should raise your suspicion for a pneumothorax, and few laymen are aware that you can collapse a lung without any kind of trauma or illness being involved.

[loanwolf]

Has he ever broken or cracked a rib or had a really good blow to the rib cage? They can develop shards and calcium buildup that can act like sand paper over time. Rubbing a weak spot in the lung.

Their are so many different things that can cause this too happen it is not funny. the biggest one that is running around right now is the current strains of Flu we have today. Their is a reason the European and Asian health community refers to N1H1 as "Black Lung". That is what it does to your lungs. It just F's them up and weakens and damages the tissues in many cases that is permanent. If the infection gets anywhere near the sack of the lungs and damages it, it may never heal right and leave a weak spot.

He probably coughed when he breathing was really labored and pop goes the weak spot. I am surprised it was that delayed usually it comes on much faster than that. Had to be a tiny hole, Lucky.

[ktb]

Also, it's apparently a good idea never to ask me any medical questions. I suggest limiting conversations with me to things that may not impact your health. Examples include BBQ rubs, pinball, and stargate dialing protocols.

But on those topics, you are A GENIUS!

Seriously, don't feel like an idiot. If the dude were really worried, he should have gone to a hospital. And yes, how *does* one know what a collapsed lung feels like if you've never had one?

[Matt S.]

A bit more data: while he was snorkeling, he said he did not dive at all. (Not that it matters, as we established.)

He spent 2 days in the hospital, and he's home now, doing well.

Good thing he had no interest in scuba before since it is off-limits now!

[scubnewb]

Glad to hear he is doing well!

A bit more data: while he was snorkeling, he said he did not dive at all. (Not that it matters, as we established.)

He spent 2 days in the hospital, and he's home now, doing well.

Good thing he had no interest in scuba before since it is off-limits now!

[LCF]

BTW, just for reference, and because the statement intrigued me as I had not heard it before . . . I did a Medline search, and I can't come up with anything at all supporting an increased incidence of spontaneous pneumothorax in people who have had influenza of any type. DURING the illness, when it is severe (and particularly if it requires mechanical ventilation), pneumothorax is a known complication. But if there is any long-term risk of it in people who have survived the disease, I am unable to find any reference to that.

[fmerkel]

Well, he did say: [Their is a reason the European and Asian health community refers to N1H1 as "Black Lung".]

Those communities smoke at a rate that the EPA would be all over them as a health hazard if they were in the US. It's pretty bad. Actually, it's beyond bad, it's horrible. The worst lung habits and lung health in existence are in Asia. Some European countries are not far behind.
There is a correlation between having 'rotten lungs' and pneumothorax, but that's not what is being discussed here.

[loanwolf]

BTW, just for reference, and because the statement intrigued me as I had not heard it before . . . I did a Medline search, and I can't come up with anything at all supporting an increased incidence of spontaneous pneumothorax in people who have had influenza of any type. DURING the illness, when it is severe (and particularly if it requires mechanical ventilation), pneumothorax is a known complication. But if there is any long-term risk of it in people who have survived the disease, I am unable to find any reference to that.

One of the top causes of a pneumothorax is Pneumonia, lung damage and would be written up as "blebs" and they wont investigate further than that. I am currently involved in two long term lung studies that involve HAPE High Altitude Pulmonary Edema and its long term effects. Having lost 1/3 or each lung to scare tissue from having it too many times. One is just generally living with it. I go in and get images taken several times a year so if any new Blebs are identified. Then we will try to figure out were it came from. Flu bug with heavy coughing have had Blebs show up a number of times, sometimes they go away fairly fast some are still their from years ago. The other is a long term cancer risk study as well relating to the HAPE damage. Have spent a lot of time talking with doctors about the lungs over last 20+ yrs now.