Acute respiratory distress syndrome, or ARDS, is an inflammatory lung injury that happens when fluids build up in small air sacs (called alveoli) in the lungs. Acute respiratory distress syndrome prevents the lungs from filling up with air and causes dangerously low oxygen levels in the blood (hypoxemia).
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This condition prevents other organs such as brain, heart, kidneys and stomach from getting the oxygen they need to function. Acute respiratory distress syndrome is dangerous and can lead to a number of serious and life-threatening problems. Acute respiratory distress syndrome typically happens in hospital settings while the patient is being treated for infection or trauma.
Acute respiratory distress syndrome tends to develop within a few hours to a few days of the event that caused it can worsen rapidly.
Causes
When the protective membrane between blood vessels and air sacs is compromised, levels of oxygen in the blood decrease. Causes of acute respiratory distress syndrome include:
- Sepsis: The most common cause of acute respiratory distress syndrome, a serious infection in the lungs (pneumonia) or other organs with widespread inflammation.
- Aspiration pneumonia: Aspiration of stomach contents into the lungs may cause severe lung damage and acute respiratory distress syndrome.
- The coronavirus (COVID-19): The infection COVID-19 may develop into severe acute respiratory distress syndrome.
- Pancreatitis (severe inflammation in the pancreas), and massive blood transfusion.
- Major trauma and burns: Accidents and falls may directly damage the lungs or other organs in the body that trigger severe inflammation injury in the lungs.
- Inhalational injury: Breathing and exposure to high concentrations of chemical fumes, old rooms or caves (histoplasmosis) smoke etc.
- Drug overdose: An overdose on drugs like cocaine and allopathic drugs like opioids.
Symptoms of acute respiratory distress syndrome
Symptoms of acute respiratory distress syndrome depend on the cause and severity of the case, as well as pre-existing lung or heart conditions. Symptoms include:
- Severe shortness of breath or breathlessness.
- Rapid and labored breathing.
- Extreme tiredness and muscle fatigue.
- Confusion.
- Rapid heart rate.
- Bluish color of fingernails and lips due to low oxygen level in the blood.
- Cough and chest pain.
If acute respiratory distress syndrome is caused by severe infection (sepsis), symptoms of sepsis may also be present (fever, low blood pressure).
Diagnosis
When symptoms of acute respiratory distress syndrome occur, a combination of tests may be done:
- Chest X-ray to measure fluids in the lungs.
- A blood test to determine oxygen level in the blood to help determine the severity of acute respiratory distress syndrome.
- Echocardiogram (ultrasound of the heart) to evaluate heart function.
Sometimes, symptoms and signs of acute respiratory distress syndrome may require additional tests to diagnose other causes that are similar to acute respiratory distress syndrome.
- A computerized tomography (CT scan) may be done to gain detailed information about the lungs.
- Sampling of secretions from the airways may be taken to find the cause of infection.
Allopathic treatment for acute respiratory distress syndrome
Acute respiratory distress syndrome is usually treated in the intensive care unit (ICU) along with 
treatment of the underlying cause.
Mechanical ventilation (a ventilator) is often used in caring for patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. For milder cases of acute respiratory distress syndrome, oxygen may be given through a fitted face mask, or a cannula fitted over the nose.
Steps to minimize complications from acute respiratory distress syndrome are commonly used. These include:
- Sedation to manage pain.
- Breathing tests to determine when it’s safe to remove the tube and ventilator.
- Blood thinners to prevent clots.
- Minimizing fluid buildup in the lungs.
- Minimizing stress ulcers in the stomach.
- Active mobility and physical therapy to prevent muscle weakness.
No direct allopathic drug therapy has been shown to improve survival in acute respiratory distress syndrome, allopathic researchers till to date working on finding treatment. However, in Homeopathy there are many good and proven medicines (explained below).
Homeopathic treatment for acute respiratory distress syndrome
Ledum Pauluster
Cough, with bloody expectoration. Dyspnea: chest feels constricted. Suffocative arrest of breathing. Pain along trachea. Bronchitis with emphysema. Oppressive constriction of chest, acute respiratory distress syndrome. Tickling in larynx; spasmodic cough. Hemoptysis, alternating with rheumatism. Chest hurts when touched. Whooping-cough; spasmodic, double inspiration with sobbing.
Antim Arsenicum
Breathing hard, rapid, wheezy, rattling, marked dyspnea, restlessness, skin moist, alternately hot and cold. Emphysema with excessive dyspnea cough, and much mucous secretion, acute respiratory distress syndrome. Catarrhal pneumonia is associated with influenza. Myocarditis and cardiac weakness. Pleurisy, especially of the left side, with exudation and pericarditis, with effusion.
Sambucus Nigra
Chest oppressed with pressure in stomach, and nausea hoarseness with tenacious mucus in larynx. Paroxysmal, suffocative cough, coming with crying and dyspnea. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Spasmodic croup. Dry coryza. Sniffles of infants; nose dry and obstructed. Loose choking cough. Patient awakes suddenly, nearly suffocating, sits up, turns blue. Millar’s asthma.
Coca Erythroxylon
Weak voice. Phthisis laryngeal, when from irritability of pharynx stomach will retain no food. Rapid breathings, painful shortness of breath. Short breath in athletes and/or smokers. Hemoptysis. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. On coughing, pain in occiput. Cough from cold air or fast walking. Expectoration of small lumps like boiled starch.
Badiaga
Cough; worse in afternoon, better in warm room. The mucus flies out of mouth and nostrils. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Whooping-cough, with thick yellow expectoration; flies out. Hay-fever, with asthmatic breathing. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Pleuritic stitches in chest, neck, and back.
Antimuonium Tartaricum
Hoarseness. Rattling of mucus, but very little is expectorated. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Burning sensation in chest, which ascends to throat. Rapid, short, difficult breathing; seems as if he would suffocate; must sit up. Emphysema of the aged. Coughing and gaping consecutively. Bronchial tubes overloaded with mucus. Cough excited by eating, with pain in chest and larynx. Edema and impending paralysis of lungs. Much palpitation, with uncomfortable hot feeling. Pulse rapid, weak, trembling. Dizziness with cough. Cough and dyspnea.
Ipecacuanha
Dyspnea; constant constriction in chest. Asthma. Attacks of difficult shortness of breathing. 
Continued sneezing; coryza; wheezing cough. Cough incessant and violent, with every breath. Chest seems full of phlegm but does not yield to coughing. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Bubbling rales. Suffocative cough: patient becomes stiff, and blue. Whooping-cough, with nosebleed, and from mouth. Bleeding from lungs, with nausea; feeling of constriction; rattling cough. Croup. Hemoptysis from slightest exertion. Hoarseness. Complete aphonia.
Grindelia Robusta
Wheezing and oppression. The sibilant rales are disseminated with foamy mucus, very difficult to detach. Acts on the pulmonary circulation. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Asthma, with profuse tenacious expectoration. Stops breathing when falling asleep, wakes with a star, and gasps for breath. Must sit up to breathe. Pertussis, with profuse mucous secretion. Bronchorrhea, with tough, whitish, mucous expectoration. Sibilant rales. Weak heart and respiration. Cannot breathe lying down. Cheyne-Stokes respiration.
Opium
Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Breathing stops on going to sleep; must be shaken to start it again. Hoarse. Deep snoring; rattling, stertorous breathing. Difficult, intermittent, deep, unequal respiration. Heat in chest; burning about heart. Cough, with dyspnea and blue face; with bloody expectoration.
Heper Sulphuricum
Loses voice and coughs when exposed to dry, cold wind. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Cough troublesome when walking. Dry, hoarse cough. Cough excited whenever any part of the body gets cold or uncovered, or from eating anything cold. Croup with loose, rattling cough. Choking cough. Rattling, croaking cough; suffocative attacks; has to rise up and bend head backwards. Anxious, wheezing, moist breathing, asthma worse in dry cold air; better in damp. Palpitation of heart.
Arsenic Album
Unable to lie down, fears suffocation. Acute respiratory distress syndrome, air-passages constricted. Asthma worse midnight. Burning in chest. Suffocative catarrh. Cough worse after midnight; worse lying on back. Expectoration scanty, frothy. Darting pain through upper third of right lung. Wheezing respiration. Haemoptysis with pain between shoulders; burning heat all over. Cough dry, as from sulphur fumes; after drinking.
Spongia Tosts
Great dryness of all air-passages. Hoarseness: larynx dry, burns, constricted. Cough, dry, barking, croupy; larynx sensitive to touch. Croup; worse, during inspiration and before midnight. Acute respiratory distress syndrome, respiration short, panting, difficult; feeling of a plug-in larynx. Cough abates after eating or drinking, especially warm drinks. Irrepressible cough from a spot deep in chest, as if raw and sore. Chest weak; can scarcely talk. Laryngeal phthisis. Bronchial catarrh, with wheezing, asthmatic cough, worse cold air, with profuse expectoration and suffocation; worse, lying with head low and in hot room. Oppression and heat of chest, with sudden weakness.
Laurocerasus Officinalis
Cyanosis and dyspnea; worse, sitting up. Patient puts hands on heart. Cough, with valvular disease. Exercise causes pain around heart. Tickling, dry cough. Dyspnea. Constriction of chest. Cough, with copious, jelly-like, or bloody expectoration. Small and feeble pulse. Threatening paralysis of lungs. Gasping for breath; clutches at heart. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Cough, with valvular disease.
Coccus Cacti
Constant hawking from enlarged uvula; coryza, with inflamed fauces; accumulation of thick viscid mucus, which is expectorated with great difficulty. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Suffocative cough: worse, first waking, with tough, white mucus, which strangles. Spasmodic morning cough. Whooping cough attacks end with vomiting of this tough mucus. Chronic bronchitis complicated with gravel; large quantities of albuminous, tenacious mucus, are expectorated.
Bryonia Alba
Cough, dry, at night; must sit up; worse after eating or drinking, with vomiting, with stitches in 
chest, and expectoration of rust-colored sputa. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Frequent desire to take a long breath; must expand lungs. Difficult, quick respiration; worse every movement; caused by stitches in chest. Cough, with feeling severe chest pain; presses his head on sternum; must support chest. Croupous and pleuro-pneumonia. Expectoration brick shade, tough, and falls like lumps of jelly.
Tough mucus in trachea, loosened only with much hawking. Coming into warm room excites cough. Heaviness beneath the sternum extending towards the right shoulder. Cough worse by going into warm room. Stitches in cardiac region. Angina pectoris.
Carbo Vegetabilis
Cough with itching in larynx; spasmodic with gagging and vomiting of mucus. Whooping cough, especially in beginning. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Wheezing and rattling of mucus in chest. Occasional spells of long coughing attacks. Cough, with burning in chest; worse in evening, in open air, after eating and talking. Spasmodic cough, bluish face, offensive expectoration, neglected pneumonia. Breath cold; must be fanned. Hemorrhage from lungs. Asthma with cyanosis.
China Officinalis
Influenza, with debility. Cannot breathe with head low. Labored, slow respiration, constant choking. Suffocative catarrh; rattling in chest; violent, hacking cough. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Hemorrhage from lungs. Dyspnea, sharp pain in left lung. Asthma; worse damp weather.
Hydrocyanicum Acidum
Noisy and agitated breathing. Dry, spasmodic, suffocative cough. Asthma, with contraction of throat. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Whooping-cough. Paralysis of lungs. Marked cyanosis, venously congested lung.
Antimonium Sulphuratum Auratum
Tickling in larynx. Increased mucus with fullness in bronchi. Respiration difficult, pressure in bronchi, with constriction. Tough mucus in bronchi and larynx. Acute respiratory distress syndrome. Dry hard cough. Congestion of upper lobe of left lung. Winter coughs patient is sore all over. Pneumonia, when hepatization occurred and resolution failed to take place.
Complications include
Complications and problems from acute respiratory distress syndrome may develop while a patient is in the hospital or after discharge.
- Blood clots or deep vein thrombosis.
- Collapsed lung (pneumothorax). This may result from pressure applied by the ventilator to the injured stiff lungs.
- Confusion (delirium).
- Muscle weakness.
- Scarred lungs or lung fibrosis.
- Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- Anxiety and depression.
Outlook / Prognosis
Acute respiratory distress syndrome can be life-threatening and deadly, that’s why it’s best to treat with Homeopathic medicines.
Recovery from acute respiratory distress syndrome with allopathic drugs will take a long time, some recover completely, but others may develop chronic lung problems that require care by pulmonologists, some patients may develop post-intensive care syndrome (PICS) and can experience post-traumatic stress disorder, physical weakness, and anxiety and depression.
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P. S: This article is only for doctors having good knowledge about Homeopathy and allopathy, for learning purpose(s).
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None of above-mentioned medicine(s) is/are the full/complete treatment, but just hints for treatment; every patient has his/her own constitutional medicine.
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Dr. Sayyad Qaisar Ahmed (MD {Ukraine}, DHMS), Abdominal Surgeries, Oncological surgeries, Gastroenterologist, Specialist Homeopathic Medicines.
Senior research officer at Dnepropetrovsk state medical academy Ukraine.
Location: Al-Haytham clinic, Umer Farooq Chowk Risalpur Sadder (0923631023, 03119884588), K.P.K, Pakistan.
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