ARDS: Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome is a serious medical condition which has a severe effect on lungs and can lead to life-threatening diseases, if not taken care of in the initial stages. Read this blog to know more about ARDS in detail.

Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome is a situation in which people face multiple breathing problems like breathlessness, it causes inflammation in the lungs and leads to a situation of decreased oxygen in the body. It is very much important to start taking care in the initial stage.

In this blog, we will discuss the full form of ARDS, its causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment options, lung disease caused by ARDS, and will also burst the myths about ARDS and discover some new important facts.

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Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: An Overview

ARDS is a medical issue which usually happens when a fluid gets leaked into the alveoli of the lungs. What actually happens is that when this fluid gets spread into the lungs, it prevents the lungs from getting enough air which leads to a situation of less oxygen and therefore shortness of breath.

Since, there’s no way to get enough oxygen, the amount of oxygen that reaches our bloodstream also gets low. This results in a situation of improper functioning of the body. Organs like the brain, heart, kidneys do not get enough or the required amount of oxygen to perform their functions properly.

Therefore, it is suggested that conditions like ARDS should be treated well in advance, otherwise a small discomfort can become a life threatening disease.

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What is the full form of ARDS?

ARDS, a disease which is no longer an uncommon one. The full form of ARDS is ‘Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome’ which is a serious health condition in which people tend to face shortness of breath, leading to various breathing problems and difficulties.

The situation of ARDS should be treated promptly to avoid any major health concerns in the future.

How does ARDS develop?

The most strange part about the development of ARDS is that the Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome does not begin on its own, instead it spreads as a result of a different or other disease or an accident.

ARDS is a reaction to your body’s existing problem.

When your lungs are exposed to any infection, any injury on the chest, the blood vessels surrounding alveoli become weak which allows the fluid (which is meant to stay in blood) to get leaked into the alveoli resulting in less oxygen supply to the lungs and reduced oxygen flow into the bloodstream.

Does it sound complicated? Let’s understand ARDS with the help of a simple example.

Imagine your lungs are tiny balloons (which are called alveoli) which are filled with air when you breathe. In ARDS, an infection or an injury harms these balloons which makes them leaky.

As a result, instead of filling air these balloons get filled up with the fluid which is supposed to remain in the bloodstream. Therefore, it becomes very difficult for the people with ARDS to breathe normally because there is no proper oxygen level in the body.

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Common Reasons why ARDS happen?

There are multiple reasons why ARDS can happen, it can be due to a chest injury, some infection in the lungs or any minor or major reasons. A list with detailed information about various reasons for ARDS is listed below.

Check out the most common triggers of ARDS as per reports and doctors:

1. Sepsis : Sepsis is one of the most common causes of ARDS. It refers to a severe infection of the bloodstream. When your body tries to fight off the infection, it often overreacts, this over-reaction leads to widespread inflammation in multiple organs of the body including the lungs.

In short, the body responds to a widespread infection in a way that leads to inflammation and a critical condition of ARDS.

2. Pneumonia: Pneumonia refers to an infection that can happen in one or both the lungs due to infection by a bacteria, virus or fungi. It directly affects the alveoli, it actually fills them with pus or fluid causing severe problems.

If the infection spreads in both the lungs, it can adversely damage the lung tissues and trigger ARDS.

3. Injury to the Chest: Any injury can also be a cause for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome as a physical injury like a car accident, fall from height, chest surgery or any other thing which has a direct connection to chest or lungs can damage the lungs.

While the body recovers from the injury it can severely affect the health condition. The process of recovering includes inflammation, which can get excessive and this excessive inflammation leads to ARDS.

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4. Harmful Substances: Harmful substances that go into our lungs while breathing can also harm the lungs and create breathing problems. These substances can be anything like toxic gases, smoke from fires, chemical fumes or even saltwater (saltwater is common in the case of drowning)

Even the consumption of tobacco products, smoking cigarettes etc. also has an adverse effect on lung-it leads to lung disease. These substances harm the lung tissues and burn the lining of air sacs in the lungs.

5. Pancreatitis: Pancreatitis is a situation of inflammation of Pancreas. What exactly happens is that Acute Pancreatitis causes the pancreas to release digestive enzymes and harmful proteins into the bloodstream which usually travel to the lungs and cause widespread inflammation creating a serious lung disease and breathing problems.

Though the lungs are not directly connected to pancreas, the body responds in a way that it spreads quickly all over the body and lungs get affected.

6. COVID-19: We all know how COVID-19 spoiled our lives. COVID-19 is a viral infection that primarily infects our lungs. In most of the cases, the immune system of the affected person becomes weak causing cytokine storms– a burst of inflammatory chemicals in the lungs.

As these fluids enter into the lungs, the alveoli collapse and the oxygen level dangerously decreases. Many patients of COVID-19 in ICUs developed ARDS and required ventilator support.

7. Massive Blood Transfusions: Blood Transfusions, if done multiple times in a short span can lead to problematic results. When a person receives so many blood transfusions in a short period of time, he/she has a high chance of suffering from TRALI (Transfusion-Related Acute Injury).

In TRALI, the body causes lung inflammation due to the reaction between the donated blood and the receiver’s body. This can lead to a situation of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS).

ARDS is not caused by any one single reason, there are multiple sets of reasons or situations that can lead to a person go through Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome or any other lung disease or breathing problems.

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What are the different Stages of ARDS?

There are mainly three stages that a person goes through while suffering from Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome. Let’s understand each stage step-by-step:

Stage 1: First 7 days

The first stage of the ARDS is the Exudative Phase which are the first 7 days of this disease.

• Fluid starts to leak into the alveoli
• Lung tissues are damaged due to inflammation
• Common noticeable symptoms include: breathing problems like shortness of breath or rapid breathing, low oxygen etc.

Stage 2: 7-21 days

The second stage in the ARDS is the Proliferative Phase which starts after approximately 7 days of the disease and lasts up to 21 days.

• Lung cells multiply to repair the damage caused
• Some people might find improvements in the breathing pattern
• Oxygen support is still required

Stage 3: After 3 weeks

The third stage of the ARDS is the Fibrotic Phase which starts after 3 weeks of this syndrome.

• Fibrosis occurs (there are chances that scar tissue may develop in the lungs)
• Long term lung damage can lead to improper or reduced functioning of the lung
• At this stage, some people recover while others may need long term care

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Common Symptoms of ARDS

There is not any one symptom or reason why ARDS happen but there are multiple causes for the same. Also, there are some noticeable symptoms which can help you decide when is the right time to visit a doctor.

Some of the most common symptoms that you can notice within hours to days of the triggering event are listed below:

• Breathing problems: shortness of breath, rapid breathing
• Low oxygen levels
• Constant tiredness and confusion
• Bluish lips or fingernails
• Cough or chest discomfort

If you face any of these problems for more than a day or two, it is suggested that you instantly visit a doctor and get a chest X-ray or CT Scan done to detect any fluids in the lungs.

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What are the Treatment Options for ARDS?

There is no direct or pre-decided cure for Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome but a proper treatment and care is advised to stop the spread of infection across the lungs.

It is better if you visit a doctor as soon as you feel a bit of discomfort in your lungs or any of the above discussed symptoms.

The treatment options for ARDS include the following:

• Mechanical Ventilation (Breathing support): In this, a tube is inserted into the windpipe and the machine pumps air into the lungs to provide breathing support to the affected person.

• Oxygen Therapy: Oxygen therapy is used in mid to moderate ARDS cases where might not require ventilator support but still require some extra oxygen.

Oxygen can be provided through nasal tubes, face masks or high-flow oxygen systems.

• Medications: Since there’s no properly identified cure of ARDS, various medicines are used to support the recovery process. Antibiotics are used to cure infection like pneumonia or sepsis, whereas pain-killers are used to keep the patient comfortable.

Myths and Facts about ARDS

Many people believe whatever they hear. People have so many misconceptions about lung disease like ARDS, let’s burst those bubbles and provide a clear understanding of facts about Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome.