Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a condition wherein fluid builds up in the tiny air sacs in the lungs and fills them. This fluid accumulation prevents enough oxygen from reaching the body parts, making breathing difficult for patients. Most people with ARDS are already injured or are hospitalized due to any health condition. Keep reading to learn more about ARDS, its causes and symptoms, and how to manage it.

Causes and risk factors
The leading cause of ARDS is damage to the membrane of the small blood vessels in your lungs. This protective layer of tissue holds the fluid in the vessels. Once it is destroyed, the fluid leaks into the air sacs called alveoli. Any severe illness or injury can trigger this membrane damage. Less oxygen reaches your bloodstream when these air sacs get filled with fluid. The alveoli lose their capacity to oxygenate blood and expel carbon dioxide when fluid builds up inside them. The common causes of lung injury that leads to ARDS include-

• An injury during a car accident or contact sports
• Inhaling toxic chemicals, salt water, and vomit
• A severe blood infection
• Developing a lung infection, such as pneumonia

Symptoms
Between days one and three following the trauma, injury, or acute pneumonia, ARDS symptoms often start to manifest. When the lungs are severely inflamed, it may become life-threatening. The inflammation usually starts in one lung and spreads to the other. Common symptoms of ARDS are:

• Patients with ARDS may experience severe breathlessness, weakness, muscle weariness, low blood pressure, quick and shallow breathing, confusion, drowsiness, dry cough, headaches, and fever.
• In severe cases, patients may experience respiratory failure and need mechanical ventilation because their lungs may become heavy and unable to expand.
• Due to ARDS, multiple organs, including the heart, kidneys, liver, and brain, may stop functioning properly.

Diagnosis
A few diagnostic tests used to detect ARDS in individuals showing the symptoms are listed below.

• Chest X-ray – To look for fluid accumulation in the lungs
• Blood culture – To detect infection
• Sputum culture – To identify the pathogen involved
• Blood test- To check for signs of anemia or infection
• CT scan – To examine the lungs
• Electrocardiogram – To check heart function
• Echocardiography- To check cardiac function and volume
• A throat and nose swab – To identify any viruses
• Airway examination

A lung biopsy might also be performed to rule out other lung disorders. However, it’s not often done. When the patient is auscultating, The physician can detect a “wet” breathing noise.

Treatment
Mechanical ventilation, supplying additional oxygen, prone positioning, fluid management, and a method known as positive end-expiratory pressure (PEEP) to assist in expelling the fluid out of the air sacs are all part of standard therapy. Alongside this, the original disease or injury, which contributes to ARDS, is also treated.

• The main goal of ARDS treatment is to ensure a person has enough oxygen to prevent organ failure. A doctor may suggest administering oxygen through a mask. Alternatively, mechanical ventilation helps force the air into the lungs and bring down the fluid in the air sacs.
• Patients with ARDS usually lie on their backs in bed. When ventilator or oxygen therapies are administered at high levels, and the blood oxygen levels are still low, patients may occasionally be turned over on their stomachs to increase oxygen levels in the blood. This technique called prone ventilation, can temporarily raise blood oxygen levels. This procedure is challenging, and some patients may be too ill to benefit from this therapy.
• To manage adverse effects, prescription treatments are suggested to ARDS patients to ease discomfort, manage infection, and prevent blood clots from forming in the legs or lungs.
• Recovering ARDS patients may require pulmonary rehabilitation. This supervised program can help strengthen the respiratory system and improve lung capacity. To aid in recovery, ARDS rehabilitation programs are structured, involving exercise training, lifestyle counseling, and support groups.

Recovery
Patients with ARDS might need to be kept on a ventilator for a long time. It usually takes seven to fourteen days. After this point, doctors may advise surgically inserting a tube into the windpipe through the neck (tracheostomy) to reduce airway resistance. It is pertinent to note that most patients with ARDS recover with the help of early diagnosis and timely treatment. They will regain most of their lung function and won’t need oxygen support. Some others may experience muscle weakness and need to return to healthcare providers for further treatment. However, if left untreated, ARDS can lead to life-threatening complications. Therefore, it is important to watch out for the condition’s symptoms.