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Key Points
- ARDS, or acute respiratory distress syndrome, is
a lung condition that leads to low oxygen levels in the blood. ARDS can be life
threatening. This is because your body's organs, such as the kidneys and brain,
need oxygen-rich blood to work properly.
- Most people who develop ARDS are in the hospital
for another serious health problem. Rarely, people who aren't hospitalized have
health problems (such as severe pneumonia) that lead to ARDS. If you have
trouble breathing, call your doctor right away. If you have severe shortness of
breath, call 911.
- In ARDS, infections, injuries, or other
conditions cause the lung's tiny blood vessels to leak more fluid than normal
into the lungs' air sacs. This prevents the lungs from filling with air and
moving enough oxygen into the bloodstream.
- Some common conditions and factors that can lead
to ARDS are sepsis, pneumonia, severe bleeding due to an injury, an injury to
the chest or head, breathing in harmful fumes or smoke, and inhaling vomited
stomach contents from the mouth.
- People at risk for ARDS have a condition or
illness that can directly or indirectly injure their lungs.
- The first signs and symptoms of ARDS are feeling
like you can't get enough air into your lungs, rapid breathing, and low oxygen
levels in the blood. Other signs and symptoms depend on the cause of the
condition. They may occur before ARDS develops.
- Your doctor will diagnose ARDS based on your
medical history, a physical exam, and results from tests.
- ARDS is treated with oxygen, fluids, and
medicines. Treatments are done in a hospital's intensive care unit. Patients
who have ARDS can develop other medical problems while in the hospital. The
most common problems are infections,
pneumothorax (collapsed lung), lung scarring, and blood clots.
- Some people fully recover from ARDS. Others
continue to have health problems. These problems may include shortness of
breath, tiredness and muscle weakness, depression, and problems with memory and
thinking clearly.
- You can take steps to recover from ARDS and
improve your quality of life. Ask you family and friends to help with everyday
activities. Go to pulmonary rehabilitation if you doctor recommends it. Join a
support group for ARDS. Seek help from a mental health professional if you feel
depressed. Don't smoke, and avoid secondhand smoke.
- ARDS treatment has improved in recent years. As a
result, more people are surviving ARDS. Researchers are studying new treatments
for the condition.
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