What is barrel chest

The ribs may angle outward at the joints where they attach to the spine and become fixed in their most expanded position. The barrel shape of the rib cage may be more pronounced in older adults who also have an exaggerated, forward rounding of the back kyphosis.

Generally, barrel chest itself isn't treated, but when the cause is severe emphysema or another disease, the underlying disease is treated. While the condition does not always require medical treatment, when a barrel chest is the result of COPD it may become necessary to manage breathing symptoms. This article explores the causes of barrel chest and discusses how to prevent the onset of factors that can lead to barrel chest. In an adult, a barrel chest is normally associated with either osteoarthritis or COPD.

In children, it may be linked to cystic fibrosis or chronic asthma. A barrel chest can develop if OA develops where the ribs meet the spine. Stiffness occurs and the joints in the ribs lose their flexibility. Eventually, the ribs might appear to be stuck outwards. The condition most often occurs in the spine, hands, hips, and knees.

Stiffness and swelling are two of the most common symptoms. Barrel chest often results from COPD, a respiratory disease that includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis. It is a serious condition that gets worse over time. A person with COPD may not be able to achieve full function without on-going care once the condition reaches its end stage. Individuals with COPD find it harder to breathe as time progresses. This is because COPD damages the lungs in four different ways:. The chest area may change shape to resemble a barrel, and the shape of the diaphragm, a key muscle for moving air and an out of the lungs, will also change.

It loses some of its length and thickness and weakens. If the lungs do not have full function, it can be difficult for someone to inhale or exhale completely. The lungs remain partially inflated most of the time, and the rib cage stays expanded. Request Appointment. Barrel chest: What causes it? Products and services. What causes barrel chest? Answer From Eric J. Olson, M. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information.

Please try again. Something went wrong on our side, please try again. Show references Weaver AA, et al. Morphometric analysis of variation in the ribs with age and sex. Journal of Anatomy. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease COPD.

Merck Manual Professional Version. This clogs the lungs and makes it harder to breathe. Mucus can be yellow, greenish, white, or clear. People with COPD tend to get sick with upper respiratory tract infections more easily and take longer to recover. When you have COPD, the airways that allow oxygen to flow to your lungs are often more narrow than normal. As the air struggles to get through these thinner passageways, it causes the airway walls to vibrate.

The vibration produces a whistling sound known as wheezing. Bronchodilator and steroid medicines can open up your airways to improve breathing and relieve your wheezing. Wheezing is a serious symptom that requires medical attention especially with symptoms that include:.

COPD can also turn your lips and nails a bluish color. Normally, your blood is red. This bluish-colored blood can give your lips and fingernails a blue hue.

A bluish discoloration of the skin is also called cyanosis. Swelling in your legs or feet is another serious symptom. To make up for the damage to your lungs, your heart has to pump harder to get enough oxygen to the rest of your body.

Over time, your heart muscle can become damaged and enlarged from the extra work.