Lung Complications
When the spine fuses together, it can affect breathing and lung function. Your chest wall gets tighter and rigid, making it harder to take deep breaths. This can also cause chest pain. Bamboo spine can also increase the risk of lung complications. These may include:
- lung infection
- spontaneous pneumothorax: this is when air escapes from a lung, causing it to collapse
- pulmonary fibrosis [5]: this is when tissue in the lung becomes damaged and scar tissue builds up, making it more difficult to breathe
In general, your risk for lung complications are likely to increase the longer you’ve had AS.