'I'M JUST UNLUCKY'
I was opening presents when my lung POPPED – I thought I was having a heart attack but doctors have been left baffled
Find out everything there is to know about Olivia's condition, including who's most at risk
A WOMAN was convinced she was having a heart attack when her lung popped out of the blue while she was opening her 21st birthday presents.
Olivia Smith had no prior health issues and was neither a smoker nor a vaper, leaving doctors baffled about what had cause the incident.
10
10
10
10
Since then, her lungs have been riddled with problems, as they went on to collapse a further three times.
The shocking incident occurred the day after Olivia's 21st birthday and she was rushed to A&E racked with pains that “felt like a heart attack”.
Instead, doctors diagnosed her with pneumothorax – a collapsed lung – after an X-ray.
She underwent a chest drain but shockingly, Olivia, now 23, has gone on to suffer more collapses just months later.
Read more on lung health
“My health has always been fine, I’ve had no problems,” Olivia, a social media specialist based in Romford, said.
“The doctors say there is no particular cause – I don’t smoke or have health issues, I’m just unlucky.”
It all started the day after celebrating her landmark birthday in May 2022, when Olivia received an unwanted gift midway through opening presents.
Olivia said: “I felt like I was having a heart attack.
Most read in Health
“I felt shocked and upset as I didn’t know what it was.
“I was being rushed to the resuscitation area and thought it was life-changing.”
My lungs ‘turned to concrete and collapsed’ after vaping left ‘black juice’ leaking from my body
An X-ray found the cause: a spontaneous pneumothorax, which occurs when air leaks into the cavity between the lungs and chest walls, causing a build-up that puts pressure on the lung and makes it difficult to expand during inhales.
In Olivia’s case, her lungs had deflated to around 50 per cent capacity.
She had a chest drain put in to ease the pressure, which initially helped, but suffered a second collapse seven months later in December 2022.
This time, she underwent surgery to repair the issue, but in October 2023 her lung collapsed for a third time.
10
10
10
Again, she had a chest drain fitted, before suffering a fourth collapse in June 2024 – though this time it was smaller.
While doctors said she choose to have further surgery, Olivia has decided against this for the time being to give her body time to recover.
However, if she suffers another popped lung, she plans to go under the knife again.
Olivia's lung is currently at 80 per cent capacity and she's particularly susceptible to colds.
What is a collapsed lung?
A pneumothorax - also known as a collapsed lung - happens when air has leaked out from the lung in to the chest cavity and chest wall.
This causes the lung to collapse down and peel away from the inside of the chest.
When someone who doesn't have any known lung problems develops a pneumothorax, this is called a primary pneumothorax.
Usually the air has leaked from a blister on the surface of the lung which has been present from birth.
A lung can also collapse as a result of conditions like chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema, as well as injuries to the chest wall that cause damage to lung surfaces.
The condition most commonly occurs in smokers.
The most common symptoms are sudden shortness of breath and chest pain, which may be sharp and worse with coughing and breathing.
You may also experience a dry cough.
If air has leaked out into the muscles and skin in your chest wall, you may notice a swelling and a “bubble wrap” sensation if you press on your chest.
Occasionally, if the leak of air has been very large, you may feel faint or light headed.
A pneumothorax is usually diagnosed through an X-ray.
Source:
But the now-23-year-old is focused on getting back to normality.
Olivia is on a mission to raise awareness around pneumothorax and the symptoms.
In a video shared on TikTok, she said: “I did not know a lung could collapse until mine collapsed.
“I had no idea and didn’t know what the symptoms were – I thought I was having a heart attack.”
READ MORE SUN STORIES
She listed possible symptoms for other people to look out for, including a sudden shortness of breath, sharp chest pains, pressure on the chest, and deep pain when laughing or coughing.
While pneumothorax can be caused by chest trauma, lung disease or smoking, Olivia noted that she didn’t have any of those issues - saying there was “no obvious reason” she now suffered from lung damage.
10
10
10
Topics