Pulmonary edema

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Lungs

Respiratory system

Lung/pulmonary congestion; Lung water

• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty breathing
• Feeling of "air hunger" or "drowning"
• Grunting or gurgling sounds with breathing
• Wheezing
• Shortness of breath with lying down -- you may need to sleep with your head propped up or use extra pillows
• Cough
• Anxiety
• Restlessness
• Excessive sweating
• Pale skin

• Nasal flaring
• Coughing up blood
• Inability to speak
• Decrease in level of awareness

The health care provider will perform a physical exam and use a stethoscope to listen to the lungs and heart. You may have:

• Rapid breathing
• Increased heart rate
• Crackles in the lungs or abnormal heart sounds
• Pale or blue skin color

Possible tests include:

• Blood oxygen levels -- low in patients with pulmonary edema
• Chest x-ray -- may reveal fluid in or around the lung space or an enlarged heart
• Ultrasound of the heart (echocardiogram) -- may show a weak heart muscle, leaky or narrow heart valves, or fluid surrounding the heart

Review Date: 07/17/2006
Reviewed By: Glenn Gandelman, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine, New York Medical College, Valhalla, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.