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“you want to go into a season, you want to go throughout the year, without any bumps and bruises, but that’s going to happen,” poyer told espn . “just fighting through ’em, and luckily, we’ve got a great team of trainers here that allow me to get back on the field and perform at my best.”
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anyone who has suffered a collapsed lung, known medically as pneumothorax, shouldn’t fly for two to three weeks, according to the aerospace medical association medical guidelines taskforce . in 2011, a team of researchers recommended waiting at least one to two weeks after successfully treating the collapsed lung, or two weeks if an injury caused the collapsed lung.
a collapsed lung occurs when air escapes the lung, then fills the space between the lung and the inside of the chest wall, according to penn medicine . it’s that buildup of air on the outside of the lung that prevents it from filling as normal when breathing.
some of the regular symptoms of a collapsed lung include sharp pain in the chest or shoulder, shortness of breath, or nasal flaring, while less regular symptoms include blueish skin, light-headedness, fatigue, rapid heart rate, and shock.
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less severe collapsed lungs will generally heal within one to two weeks, with rest and oxygen treatment (providing supplemental oxygen). a doctor may also use a needle to let the air surrounding the lung out so it can expand better. it’s also possible that surgery will be required depending on the location of the oxygen leak that lets the air surround the lung — this can prevent the issue from happening again in the future.
a chemical called pleurodesis can be put over the leaking area in order to seal it with a scar. some side-effects of that procedure include chest tightness, fever, pain, and a risk of infection.
