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 9–1–1.
• 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.