Can a collapsed lung recover on own?
The first person’s answer is incorrect – a spontaneous pneumothorax (collapsed lung) CAN resolve on its own if it is small, and the lung has resealed itself. The body would reabsorb the air in the chest cavity at a rate of 1-2% a day. So to answer your question, Yes, it can resolve on its own, if it is small. A collapsed lung can be slightly painful or not painful at all. One of the main symptoms would be shortness of breath, if at all. You may feel an air bubble moving around in your chest area, (I did with all of mine). You may have a little dry cough, too. Plus the severity of the symptoms may not reflect how large the collapse is. You could be in a lot of pain on inhalation, but your lung is only 5-10% collapsed or you could have a 100% collapse and have NO symptoms, either. It’s funny like that. I suppose it could occur after bronchitis, illness is one of the factors that could cause it (pneumonia, influenza, cancer). If it occurs after/with illness, though, it isn’t considered sp
