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Collapsed lung and air travel in Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome | CION Cancer Clinics
Most people with Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome can fly safely. The firm rule is never to fly while a lung is collapsed or still healing. Lung cysts in BHD make a collapse more likely than in other people, so knowing the warning signs matters more than avoiding travel. This page explains what a collapse feels like, how it is treated and when you can fly again. At CION Cancer Clinics, our oncologists plan screening and care for families with an inherited cancer syndrome, explained in plain words.
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Medically reviewed by Dr. Naresh GunduConsultant Medical Oncologist · MBBS, DNB (Internal Medicine), DM (Medical Oncology, AIIMS) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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The short answer
Can a person with BHD travel by air?
Yes. Most people with Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome, or BHD, fly without any problem. The one firm rule is never to fly while a lung is collapsed or still healing. Once a doctor confirms the lung has fully re-expanded, air travel is usually possible again.
Why lung cysts and air pressure matter
Most adults with BHD have thin-walled air pockets, called cysts, in their lungs. A plane cabin is kept at a lower pressure than the ground, so air inside the body expands slightly during a flight. In theory this could stretch a cyst near the lung surface. In practice, studies suggest a collapse during a flight is uncommon in BHD, but it is possible.
Why a collapse is more likely in BHD
A collapsed lung, or pneumothorax, happens when a cyst on the edge of the lung bursts and air leaks into the space around it. People with BHD have this happen far more often than other people, and it tends to come back. That is why the advice focuses on knowing the signs and acting quickly, wherever you are.
A collapsed lung that has fully healed is not a reason to stop flying for life. Ask your chest doctor when it is safe.Everyday choices
Which activities need thought, and which are fine?
Most daily life is unaffected. The advice changes only for activities with large or sudden changes in air pressure.
Flying
Usually fine with healthy lungs. Carry a short letter from your doctor saying you have BHD, so that staff at your destination know what to look for if you become unwell.
Scuba diving
Generally advised against for anyone with lung cysts. Pressure changes under water are far larger than in a plane, and a collapse deep under water is dangerous. Snorkelling at the surface is a different matter.
Mountains and high places
Road trips to hill stations are usually no problem. For high-altitude treks far from a hospital, talk to your chest doctor first, because help may be hours away if something happens.
Work, sport and exercise
Walking, running, yoga, cricket and ordinary office or field work are all fine. There is no good evidence that everyday exercise causes a collapse.
Not smoking is the single most useful thing you can do for your lungs.Not sure whether this applies to you?
Ask an oncologistIf it happens
What happens if your lung collapses?
You notice the signs
Usually a sudden sharp pain on one side of the chest, worse on breathing in, with breathlessness. It often starts at rest, not during effort.
A chest X-ray confirms it
At the emergency department a chest X-ray shows how much of the lung has collapsed. Tell the team you have BHD, because it affects what they recommend next.
The air is let out if needed
A small collapse may heal with rest and observation. A larger one is treated by drawing the air out with a needle or by placing a thin tube called a chest drain.
Preventing the next one
Because collapses tend to return in BHD, a chest surgeon may suggest a procedure that makes the lung stick to the chest wall. This is often offered after the first collapse rather than the second.
Clearance before you fly
A repeat X-ray checks that the lung is fully back. Your doctor will tell you how long to wait after that before flying.
In the hospital
What do the words doctors use mean?
- Pneumothorax
- Air in the space between the lung and the chest wall, which makes the lung partly or fully collapse.
- Needle aspiration
- Drawing the leaked air out through a fine needle placed between the ribs, usually under local anaesthetic.
- Chest drain
- A thin tube placed through the chest wall that lets air escape until the lung re-expands. It may stay in for a few days.
- Pleurodesis
- A treatment that makes the lung stick to the inside of the chest wall, so it cannot collapse the same way again.
- Keyhole chest surgery
- Surgery through small cuts using a camera, often called VATS. It is a common way to carry out pleurodesis.
- Tension pneumothorax
- A rare and serious collapse where pressure keeps building. It needs emergency treatment within minutes.
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One thing that cannot wait
Sudden one-sided chest pain with breathlessness in someone with BHD needs the nearest emergency department the same day. Say that you have BHD. If it happens on a plane, tell the cabin crew at once. Do not board a flight with new chest pain, and do not wait until the morning to see if it passes. Severe breathlessness, a racing heart or blue lips means call an ambulance.
Being straight with you
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you when you personally can fly after a collapse, or whether you need surgery to prevent another. Those decisions depend on the size of the collapse, how it was treated, how many cysts you have and whether it has happened before. Your chest doctor or thoracic surgeon has to make that call with your X-rays in front of them.
It cannot read your genetic report
What your specific variant means is a question for the counsellor who ordered the test. A collapsed lung alone does not prove BHD. Many young people have a collapse for other reasons, and a CT scan and genetic counselling are what connect the two.
Who this does not apply to
Most people who have had a single collapsed lung do not have BHD and do not need a genetic test. A tall, thin young man who smokes and has no cysts on his CT scan is the typical example. The advice here is written for families with confirmed or strongly suspected BHD. Evidence on flying comes from small studies, and airline rules differ.
Check your travel insurance before booking, because some policies exclude lung conditions unless you declare them.Commonly believed
What do people with BHD often believe about flying?
"With lung cysts, I can never fly again."
Most people with BHD fly regularly. The rule is to avoid flying while a lung is collapsed or healing, not to avoid flying for ever.
"If I rest, the pain will pass and I do not need a hospital."
A small collapse can settle on its own, but you cannot tell a small one from a large one by how it feels. Only a chest X-ray shows it, so go the same day.
"After surgery, my lung can never collapse again."
Surgery greatly lowers the chance of another collapse on that side. It does not protect the other lung, and in BHD cysts are usually on both sides.
"Lifting heavy things or playing a wind instrument will burst a cyst."
There is no good evidence for this. Collapses in BHD most often happen at rest, for no obvious reason. You do not need to give up ordinary work or hobbies.
Questions we are asked
Common questions about collapsed lungs and travel in BHD
How long after a collapsed lung can I fly?
Only after a chest X-ray shows the lung has fully re-expanded, and usually after a short further wait that your doctor will advise. Airlines may ask for a fitness-to-fly letter. Never fly with a chest drain in place or with a collapse that has not been checked.
Should I tell the airline that I have BHD?
You do not usually need to if your lungs are healthy at the time. If you have had a recent collapse, check the airline's medical rules and carry a letter from your doctor. Always declare BHD to your travel insurer, or a claim may be refused.
Is a long international flight riskier than a short one?
The pressure change is similar on short and long flights. The difference is how far you are from help. On a long flight, know the warning signs, sit where you can reach the crew easily, and carry your doctor's letter and a copy of your CT report.
Can I travel by train or road instead?
Yes, and after a recent collapse your doctor may suggest this while you wait to be cleared for flying. Train and road travel involve no meaningful pressure change. Travelling from a district to Hyderabad by road after treatment is usually fine once you are discharged.
Should I have surgery after my first collapsed lung?
Many specialists suggest considering it after the first collapse in BHD, because collapses so often come back. It is still a choice, weighed against the risks of surgery and your own plans. Discuss it with a thoracic surgeon who knows BHD.
Is scuba diving ever safe with BHD?
Most chest specialists advise people with lung cysts not to scuba dive. The pressure changes under water are much larger than in a plane, and a collapse under water can be fatal. Swimming and snorkelling at the surface do not carry the same risk.
Does the collapsed lung mean my cancer risk is higher?
No. The lung cysts and collapses in BHD are not cancer and do not turn into cancer. The cancer risk in BHD sits in the kidneys, which is why regular kidney scans matter more than any lung test.
Should my relatives worry if they fly often?
Relatives who have not been tested can ask for a test for the family's FLCN fault. Those who test negative carry no extra risk. Those who test positive can fly as normal, but should know the warning signs and start kidney scans as advised.
Your Specialists
Meet CION's oncologists. Bring your family history or genetic report to them.
Our medical oncologists see people with a strong family history of cancer, arrange genetic counselling and testing where it fits, and plan the checks that follow.
Medical Oncologist
Dr. C. Raghavendra Reddy
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Bharati Devi Gorantla
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
Medical Oncologist
Dr. Owais Mohammed
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
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Sources
- GeneReviews (NCBI Bookshelf) — Birt-Hogg-Dubé Syndrome
- MedlinePlus Genetics — Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome
- NHS — Collapsed lung (pneumothorax)
- MedlinePlus — Collapsed lung (pneumothorax)
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
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Had a collapsed lung and wondering about BHD?
If you or a relative has had a collapsed lung, especially more than once, we can help you find out whether BHD is worth testing for. One helpline serves every CION centre.