Ask a doctor on the topic of Internal medicine

Lung and Marfan syndrome

January 31, 2021 | 25,00 EUR | answered by MD Felix Aaslepp

Many people with Marfan syndrome die of burst lung bubbles when they are old. My acquaintance has been inhaling bits of her food for years. For example, if she inhales a flaxseed grain, could it damage her lungs more than in healthy individuals?

MD Felix Aaslepp

Hello!
Although patients with Marfan syndrome may experience a collapse of one lung due to "burst lung bubbles" more often, this is usually not fatal, as the person can survive for a certain period of time with the still intact other lung, and the therapy is not very complicated and mostly successful.
Inhaling a small piece of food, such as a flaxseed, should not pose a greater risk for this.
Just to add: The greatest risk is a rupture of the main artery in the body, which can lead to bleeding out within a short period of time. Therefore, this is regularly monitored in patients.