It can be extremely dangerous to leave a punctured lung unhealed. If you have had a punctured lung you may experience these symptoms. After taking a deep breath or coughing, you may feel pain in your chest. Your chest may start to feel tight and sore. Your breathing may be abnormal and you may feel short of breath. On top of that you may have problems with breathing. Your heart rate may start to increase and you may feel tired. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get Original Essay There are three different types of punctured lungs such as traumatic pneumothorax, primary spontaneous pneumothorax, and secondary spontaneous pneumothorax. Traumatic pneumothorax occurs when a broken rib, bullet, or stab wound injures. There are also some medical procedures that fall into the category of traumatic pneumothorax if they cause a lung to collapse. Primary spontaneous pneumothorax is not caused by any damage and is usually caused by a small tear in a small air sac that causes air to leak into the areas around the lungs. Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax is caused by pre-existing conditions such as lung cancer, COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and asthma. There are several ways to treat a pneumothorax (punctured lung) depending on the size. A small tear may heal on its own. All you need is rest and oxygen to fully recover. A doctor may also inject more air into the lungs to expand them. For a large pneumothorax, they first deflate the lung through a tube that fits into the lungs through the ribs. Then they inflate the lung with a tube that may be the same one they attached before. The tube must be left in for several days. Someone who has experienced repeated pneumothorax may require surgery. Someone with a large may require surgery because the lung tissue may not be able to repair itself. The surgeon will prefer to work through a tube that passes through the throat and into the bronchial airways. It usually takes 6 to 8 weeks for a full recovery, depending on the size of the pneumothorax and how it was treated. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay before it is completely healed, there are some guidelines that you should follow to ensure that there are no more problems with the pneumothorax. You may need to take any medications prescribed by your doctor. You should stay active but still get plenty of rest in an elevated position for the first few days. You should also wear loose clothing and avoid pressure on the rib cage. Avoid smoking, sudden changes in blood pressure and driving. You may need to watch out for any recurrences. Do all the breathing exercises prescribed by your doctor and of course, go to all the appointed doctors to make sure everything is healing properly.