How to Prevent ARDS

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1Background

2Causes

3Symptoms

4Treatment

5Prognosis

6Prevention

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Expert Q&A

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ARDS, short for acute respiratory distress syndrome, is a serious breathing problem that can happen after a severe illness or injury. If you have trouble breathing, seek immediate medical attention. While this sounds pretty scary, medical professionals can provide the treatment and care you need to recover.

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Question 1 of 6:

Background

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   ARDS happens when fluid builds up in your lungs. ARDS floods the tiny air sacs in your lungs, called alveoli, with fluid. This prevents them from filling with air and deprives your body of oxygen. The fluid in your lungs makes it harder to fill your lungs with air.
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   ARDS develops when you're already seriously sick or injured. While ARDS sounds very scary, the good news is that it doesn’t just come out of nowhere. It only develops after severe respiratory infections or lung damage. You might even already be hospitalized when you develop ARDS, so getting medical help is much easier.
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   Symptoms usually start 24-72 hours after a trauma or illness. According to clinical data, 50% of ARDS patients develop the condition within 24 hours of the trauma, and 85% develop it within 72 hours. This means that in the overwhelming majority of cases, the patient suffered a serious injury or developed a serious illness before experiencing ARDS.
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Question 2 of 6:

Causes

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   Sepsis, or a very serious infection, is the most common cause of ARDS. Sepsis, sometimes called blood poisoning, is a widespread infection in your body. You could develop this infection if you've sustained a bad injury or have a weakened immune system. The infection could flood the lungs with fluid, and this is the most common cause of ARDS.
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   Severe respiratory infections can also cause ARDS. A number of infections and illnesses can cause lung damage and trigger ARDS. Common ones include the flu, pneumonia, and COVID-19.
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   Major trauma or lung injuries can trigger ARDS. Serious falls, car accidents, burns, or blood loss can cause damage and inflammation in your lungs. Head injuries could also damage the part of your brain that controls breathing. These could all lead to ARDS.
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   Inhaling toxic chemicals or water could damage your lungs. If you work around toxic chemicals, breathing them in could cause scarring or inflammation in your lungs that leads to ARDS. Near-drowning is also a possible cause, because water could flood your lungs. Additionally, inhaling vomit could also flood your lungs and trigger ARDS.
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Question 3 of 6:

Symptoms

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   The main symptom is serious breathing trouble. Initially, you will probably feel very short of breath. You might breathe faster than normal to try and get more air, but this won’t bring any relief. You might also cough, wheeze, or feel chest pains because of this labored breathing.
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   Your lips or fingers might turn blue. This is a result of not getting enough oxygen in your lungs. It means that your blood oxygen levels are very low.
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   Extreme fatigue and confusion usually come next. You’ll feel very weak and be unable to move your muscles much. You might also feel confused, dizzy, dazed, or faint. These are all signs that you’re not getting enough oxygen.
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   Low blood pressure or rapid heart rate could also occur. These aren’t universal symptoms, and they depend on the underlying condition that’s causing ARDS. However, they could also happen.

   • The main signs of low blood pressure include dizziness, fatigue, blurred vision, cold and pale skin, and nausea. It might be tough to spot these signs since you'll already be sick by this point.
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Question 4 of 6:

Treatment

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   ARDS requires hospitalization and professional medical treatment. It’s not the kind of thing you can treat at home by yourself. You might already be hospitalized if you had an illness or injury. If you aren’t hospitalized, but experience breathing trouble after an injury or illness, get medical attention right away.
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   Use an oxygen mask to raise your O2 levels. For less serious cases or ARDS, an oxygen mask might be all you need. Doctors will put the mask over your mouth and nose to deliver oxygen to your lungs. If the lung damage isn’t too serious, then this should help you breathe easier until your condition improves.
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   Go onto a ventilator to treat more serious cases of ARDS. This is a more common treatment for ARDS because most cases are pretty serious. The doctors will put a ventilator tube down your throat that pushes oxygen into your lungs and helps clear the fluid out of your alveoli. If you are put on a ventilator, you'll probably be sedated to make you most comfortable. In most cases, you’ll have to stay on the ventilator until your lungs clear.
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   Continue getting treatment for the condition causing ARDS. The treatment for ARDS just makes it easier for you to breathe until your body heals. You’ll still need treatment for whatever caused the ARDS in the first place. The treatment depends on your condition. For sepsis, you’ll probably need antibiotics. For injuries, you may need surgery or physical therapy. Follow all of your doctor’s instructions so the treatment is as successful as possible. Once the underlying condition heals, then the ARDS should clear up as well.
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Question 5 of 6:

Prognosis

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   ARDS is serious, but it's survivable with modern treatments. Since ARDS causes breathing problems and usually occurs alongside injuries and illnesses, it’s a very serious condition. However, modern medical technology, particularly ventilators, makes the condition much more treatable than it was in the past. The fact that many people who develop ARDS are already in the hospital helps a lot, because they can get treatment quickly. Your chances for recovery increase if you get fast treatment.
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   Be prepared for a lengthy recovery to get back to your full strength. Unfortunately, the recovery from ARDS is usually long. It might take a few weeks for you to get healthy enough to leave the hospital. For a few months, you might have breathing problems, muscle weakness, fatigue, and issues with concentration and memory. These tend to improve over time with treatment.
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Question 6 of 6:

Prevention

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   See your doctor for any respiratory infections or trouble breathing. Getting fast medical attention is key to preventing ARDS. Severe respiratory infections and sepsis are the main causes of the condition, so see your doctor if you have a serious illness that won't go away. This could be a set-up for ARDS, and your doctor can get you the right treatment if you're at risk.

   • This also goes for any chest or torso injuries. In most cases, however, the injury needs to be serious enough to need medical attention anyway.
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   Quit smoking to avoid lung damage. Any irritation or damage in your lungs could make you more susceptible to ARDS, especially if you've had it once. Smoking is a major cause for irritation, so definitely avoid that in the future if you smoke now.

   • Secondhand smoke is dangerous as well. Stay away from smoky areas and don't let anyone smoke in your home.
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   Get flu and pneumonia shots to protect your lungs. Any serious respiratory infections could lead to ARDS, so avoid these as much as you can. The best way to do this is with an annual flu vaccine to reduce your chances of catching that illness. Also get a pneumonia shot every 5 years to prevent that infection.

   • This is especially important if you've already had ARDS, because your lungs will be weak and any infections could cause it again.
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Expert Q&A

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• Question

  How can ARDS be detected?

  

  Mohammad Dar, MD
  Board Certified Internist & Health Policy Director

  Dr. Mohammad Dar (MoDar) is a board certified Internist based in Boston, Massachusetts. With over seven years of experience in the medical field, he is skilled in epidemiology, healthcare, and health policy. Dr. Dar has had a myriad of experiences in healthcare, including working on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act at the White House Office of Health Reform, volunteering in rural Uganda with public health initiatives, and leading policy and on-the-ground COVID-19 operations during the pandemic. He has also worked on a number of innovative public health and insurance reform initiatives in Massachusetts. Dr. Dar received a BS in Cell and Molecular Biology and History from The University of Michigan and an MD from The University of Michigan Medical School. He completed his residency training at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, from which he received the Golden Stethoscope Award.

  

  Mohammad Dar, MD

  Board Certified Internist & Health Policy Director

  Expert Answer

  Doctors may find patches of injury (infiltrates) on the lungs through chest. They may also compare a person's blood oxygen versus the amount oxygen being delivered to the person's face. Further tests to evaluate ARDS can include blood work, further imaging tests, and sometimes even a bronchoscopy.

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• Question

  Is ARDS an inflammatory disease?

  

  Mohammad Dar, MD
  Board Certified Internist & Health Policy Director

  Dr. Mohammad Dar (MoDar) is a board certified Internist based in Boston, Massachusetts. With over seven years of experience in the medical field, he is skilled in epidemiology, healthcare, and health policy. Dr. Dar has had a myriad of experiences in healthcare, including working on the implementation of the Affordable Care Act at the White House Office of Health Reform, volunteering in rural Uganda with public health initiatives, and leading policy and on-the-ground COVID-19 operations during the pandemic. He has also worked on a number of innovative public health and insurance reform initiatives in Massachusetts. Dr. Dar received a BS in Cell and Molecular Biology and History from The University of Michigan and an MD from The University of Michigan Medical School. He completed his residency training at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, from which he received the Golden Stethoscope Award.

  

  Mohammad Dar, MD

  Board Certified Internist & Health Policy Director

  Expert Answer

  ARDS is more of a process in the body rather than a single disease or condition. Often, it occurs as part of the body's response to a wide variety of conditions; in fact, over 60 possible causes of ARDS are known.

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Warnings

• Even if you don’t have ARDS, any kind of breathing problem could be serious. Get medical attention as soon as possible if you’re having any trouble breathing.
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