I had severe hypersensitivity pneumonitis in 2005, my chest swelled within minutes and my ribs cracked. Scar tissue on bottom 1/3 of lungs, IPF. Occasionally my chest will swell up within minutes, I have no idea why.
Age 60, weight 200, asthma, RA, pulmonary fibrosis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis.
Now I have rattles, per my GP, and my chest has expanded 4 inches. What causes this swelling, and is it an emergency with the rattles? No pneumonia on chest x-ray.