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Symptoms

By Mayo Clinic staff

Depending on the cause, pulmonary edema symptoms may appear suddenly or develop slowly.

Signs and symptoms that come on suddenly may include:

  • Extreme shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • A feeling of suffocating or drowning
  • Wheezing or gasping for breath
  • Anxiety, restlessness or a sense of apprehension
  • A cough that produces frothy sputum that may be tinged with blood
  • Excessive sweating
  • Pale skin
  • Chest pain, if pulmonary edema is caused by heart disease
  • A rapid, irregular heartbeat (palpitations)

If you develop any of these signs or symptoms, call 911 or emergency medical assistance right away. Pulmonary edema can be fatal if not treated.

Signs and symptoms that develop more gradually, often due to heart failure, include:

  • Having more shortness of breath than normal when you're physically active.
  • Difficulty breathing with exertion, often when you're lying flat as opposed to sitting up.
  • Awakening at night with a breathless feeling that may be relieved by sitting up.
  • Rapid weight gain when pulmonary edema develops as a result of congestive heart failure, a condition in which your heart pumps too little blood to meet your body's needs. The weight gain is from accumulation of fluid in your body, especially in your legs.
  • Loss of appetite.
  • Fatigue.

Signs and symptoms of pulmonary edema caused by high-altitude generally include:

  • Headache
  • Insomnia
  • Fluid retention
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath

When to see a doctor
Pulmonary edema that comes on suddenly (acute) is life-threatening. Get emergency assistance if you have any of the following acute signs and symptoms:

  • Trouble breathing or a feeling of suffocating (dyspnea)
  • A bubbly, wheezing or gasping sound when you breathe
  • Pink, frothy sputum when you cough
  • Breathing difficulty along with profuse sweating
  • A blue or gray tone to your skin
  • A severe drop in blood pressure
  • A sudden worsening of any of the symptoms associated with chronic pulmonary edema or high-altitude pulmonary edema

Don't attempt to drive yourself to the hospital. Instead, call 911 or emergency medical care and wait for help.

Causes Definition
References
  1. Pulmonary edema. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec07/ch074/ch074b.html. Accessed June 4, 2009.
  2. Schwartzstein RM. Dyspnea and Pulmonary Edema. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y. Mc-Graw Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2863220. Accessed June 4, 2009.
  3. Ware LB, et al. Acute pulmonary edema. New England Journal of Medicine. 2005;353:2788.
  4. Signs and symptoms of heart failure. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/print_presenter.jhtml?identifier=339. Accessed June 6, 2009.
  5. Harris MD, et al. High-altitude medicine. American Academy of Family Physicians. http://www.aafp.org/afp/AFPprinter/980415ap/harris.html?print=yes. Accessed June 6, 2009.
  6. O'Brien JF, et al. Heart failure. In: Marx JA, et al. Rosen's Emergency Medicine Concepts and Practice. Philadelphia, Pa.; Mosby Elsevier: 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/141932241-3/849416907/1365/226.html#4-u1.0-B0-323-02845-4..50085-8--cesec4_3780. Accessed June 6, 2009.
  7. What causes cardiomyopathy? National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/cm/cm_causes.html. Accessed June 6, 2009.
  8. What is ARDS?  National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/Ards/Ards_All.html. Accessed June 4, 2009.
  9. Givertz MM. Noncardiogenic pulmonary edema. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 5, 2009.
  10. Swenson ER. Pathogenesis of high-altitude pulmonary edema: Inflammation is not an etiologic factor. Journal of the American Medical Association. 2002; 287: 2295
  11. Mattu A, et al. Modern management of cardiogenic pulmonary edema. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. 2005;23:1105
  12. Acetazolamide (Prescribing information). Haifa Bay, Israel. Taro Pharmaceuticals, Inc. http://www.taro.com/media/oMedia/Acetazolamide%20Tablets%20%200305-1.pdf. Accessed June 6, 2009.
  13. ABCs of Preventing Heart Disease, Stroke and Heart Attack. American Heart Association. http://americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3035374. Accessed June 6, 2009.
  14. How do I know if I have high blood pressure. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/print_presenter.jhtml?identifier=219. Accessed June 6, 2009.
  15. About high blood pressure. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/print_presenter.jhtml?identifier=468. Accessed June 6, 2009.
  16. How can I reduce high blood pressure? American Heart Association. Accessed June 6, 2009.
  17. Cigarette smoking and cardiovascular disease. American Heart Association. http://www.americanheart.org/print_presenter.jhtml?identifier=4545. Accessed June 6, 2009.
  18. Rosenow EC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. June 12, 2009.
  19. Grogan M (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic. Rochester, Minn. June 12, 2009.

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