Common Causes And Risk Factors Of A Pneumothorax

Age And Gender

An individual's age group and gender can put them at a higher risk of a pneumothorax than those in other age groups and of another gender. A primary spontaneous pneumothorax is most prevalent among individuals between fifteen and thirty-four years old. Children under ten years old can be at a greater risk of developing a pneumothorax if they are affected by certain conditions that include echinococcosis, foreign object inhalation, measles, and certain congenital malformations. A child may also be at an increased risk of developing a pneumothorax if they have a family member who has had a pneumothorax previously. Men are more likely than women to experience a pneumothorax overall. Women who do develop a pneumothorax tend to be at least thirty years old, whereas men who develop a pneumothorax tend to be between twenty and twenty-five years old. An explanation for this discrepancy between genders and age groups may be associated with endometriosis-related pneumothorax that tends to occur later in the childbearing years.