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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffRisk factors for pneumothorax include:
- Your sex. In general, men are far more likely to have a pneumothorax than women are, though women can develop a rare form of pneumothorax (catamenial pneumothorax) related to the menstrual cycle.
- Smoking. This is the leading risk factor for primary spontaneous pneumothorax. The risk increases with the length of time and the number of cigarettes smoked.
- Age. Primary spontaneous pneumothorax is most likely to occur in people between 20 and 40 years old, especially if the person is very tall and underweight.
- Lung disease. Having another lung disease, especially emphysema, makes a collapsed lung more likely.
- A history of pneumothorax. If you've had one pneumothorax, you're at increased risk of another, usually within one to two years of the first episode. This may occur in the same lung or the opposite lung.
References
- Pneumothorax. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec05/ch060/ch060g.html. Accessed Feb. 17, 2009.
- What are pleurisy and other disorders of the pleura? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/pleurisy/pleurisy_all.html. Accessed Feb. 17, 2009.
- Smith DA. Pulmonary emergencies. In: Stone CK, et al. Current Diagnosis & Treatment: Emergency Medicine. 6th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=3106264. Accessed Feb. 17, 2009.
- Noppen M, et al. Music: A new cause of primary spontaneous pneumothorax. Thorax. 2004;59:722.
- Light RW. Disorders of the pleura and mediastinum. In: Fauci AS, et al. Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine. 17th ed. New York, N.Y.: McGraw-Hill Medical; 2008. http://www.accessmedicine.com/content.aspx?aID=2861952. Accessed Feb. 17, 2009.
- Light RW. Primary spontaneous pneumothorax in adults. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 17, 2009.
- Spontaneous pneumothorax fact sheet. American Lung Association. http://www.lungusa.org/site/pp.asp?c=dvLUK9O0E&b=35772. Accessed Feb. 17, 2009.
- Rosenow EC (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 24, 2009.
