Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) is a condition that causes fluid to build up in your lungs so oxygen can’t get to your organs.
Fluid leaks from small blood vessels and collects in tiny air sacs in the lungs so they can’t fill with enough air. Because of this, blood can’t pick up the oxygen it needs to carry to the rest of the body. Organs such as kidneys or brains might not work the way they should or might shut down.
ARDS is sometimes life-threatening and can get worse quickly. But it’s generally treatable, and most people recover. Fast diagnosis and treatment are important.
 

ARDS Causes and Risk Factors

 
ARDS is usually triggered by another health problem, so most people who have it are already in the hospital for something else. Causes of ARDS include:
Sepsis. This is when patients get an infection in their bloodstream and their immune system goes into overdrive, causing inflammation, small blood clots, and bleeding.
Accidents. Injuries from a car wreck or a fall can damage the lungs or the part of the brain that controls breathing.
Breathing in harmful things. Dense smoke or chemical fumes can trigger ARDS.
Other possible causes of ARDS include:

• Pneumonia 

• Bleeding that needs a transfusion

• Inflamed pancreas

• Drug overdose

• Near-drowning

• Burns 

• Reactions to medications

• Breathing food into lungs (aspiration)

Doctors don’t know why some people get ARDS and others don’t. Risk factors include:

• A problem in genes

• Heavy alcohol use

• Smoking tobacco

• Using oxygen for a lung condition

• Recent high-risk surgery or chemotherapy

• Obesity 

ARDS Symptoms

ARDS puts a lot of strain on the lungs. Symptoms include:

• Shortness of breath

• Low blood pressure 

• Unusually fast breathing

• Fast heartbeat

• Cough 

• Fever 

• Chest pain, especially when breathing deeply

• Confusion and exhaustion

• Blue-tinted lips or nails from lack of oxygen in the blood

• Dizziness

Diagnosing ARDS

Diagnosing starts with a physical exam and questions about family or personal health history. Then get one or both of these tests:
Pulse oximetry. The doctor puts a small device on the finger or ear to measure blood’s oxygen level.
Arterial blood gas test. This basic blood test measures levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
It may be needed more tests to look for the cause. That might include things like a chest X-ray or an EKG, which measures electrical signals in the heart.

ARDS Treatment

 Treatment aims to get the oxygen levels in the blood up to where they should be, so organs get what they need. In some cases, doctors might give an air mask and later go to a breathing tube and ventilator. 
Ventilator support
 Prone positioning
 Sedation and medications to prevent movement
 Fluid management
 Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO)
 
Doctors will also treat other conditions that might be causing ARDS.
Treatments include:

• Nutrition and medicine through fluids injected into the blood

• Medication to prevent bleeding and blood clots

• Medication to keep you calm and comfortable

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ARDS Complications

The condition or its treatment can lead to other problems, including:
Collapse parts of the lungs because it can’t inflate the way it should (atelectasis) or because of air between the lung and the chest wall (pneumothorax)
Organ damage or failure
Confusion
High blood pressure in the artery that goes from the heart to the lungs (pulmonary hypertension)
Scarred lung tissue (pulmonary fibrosis)
Blood clots
Infection

Manage ARDS 
 

• Not smoking

• Not drinking alcohol

• Getting a flu shot every year and a pneumonia vaccine as directed by your doctor 

• Avoid cold food items, refrigerated foods, and carbonated drinks.

• ·Avoid too much salt & sodium in diet with causes water retention and affects the breathing

•   Avoid lung irritants, such as air pollution, chemical fumes, dust, and secondhand smoke. 

• Get treatment for depression. If you are depressed, your doctor may recommend medicines or other treatments that can improve your quality of life. 

• Using a mechanical ventilator for a long time may hurt the lungs and windpipe. follow-up care for these complications may be needed.