How Does a Punctured Lung Affect Breathing?

What is a punctured lung?

Medically speaking, a punctured lung is synonymous with a collapsed lung, also known as a pneumothorax. Punctured lungs which are similar to collapsed lungs, work by eliminating the pleural pressure that helps to aid lung expansion. When a lung becomes punctured, it releases gas from the lung tissue as well as disrupting the natural vacuum that lung tissue utilizes. As a result, the healthy pressure difference between the lung tissue and the chest becomes altered, making it difficult to breathe.

How does breathing work?

The basic principle of lung expansion depends on pressure differences. Lungs expand when the pressure outside of the lung is less than atmospheric pressure. A punctured lung causes air to simultaneously enter into the pleural space. The difference in the pressure between the pleural space and the lung tissue is what causes the lung to inhale and exhale properly. During inhalation, the lung tissue has a negative pressure relative to the pleural space. This is created by the expansion of the diaphragm, which causes the lung area to expand. As the lung volume increases, the pressure within it drops below atmospheric levels, which causes air to rush in. After the lungs are full, the diaphragm contracts, decreasing the lung volume so that the pressure exceeds atmospheric pressure. This causes air to be expelled from the lungs.

Effects of a punctured lung

When a lung becomes punctured, air escapes from the lung into the pleural cavity. As a result, it is more difficult for the connective tissue around the lung to create the pressure necessary for inhalation and exhalation. As the air seeps in, the pressures needed to expand and contract the lungs become more difficult to achieve. The end result of a punctured lung is an increased difficulty breathing as well as decreased efficiency in air exchange, further increasing breathing effort.