what causes a collapsed lung in a teenager
A collapsed lung (pneumothorax) is a buildup of air in the space between the lung and the chest wall (pleural space).As the amount of air in this space increases, the pressure against the lung causes the lung to collapse.This prevents your lung from expanding properly when you try to breathe in, causing shortness of breath and chest pain.n more severe cases, symptoms will develop rapidly and may lead to shock. Symptoms may include: 1  Shortness of breath (dyspnea), which may be mild to severe, depending on how much of the lung is collapsed. 2  Sudden, severe, and sharp chest pain on the same side as the collapsed lung.