A significant part of entry level diver training is focused on understanding the risks and procedural avoidance of barotrauma. Professional divers and recreational divers with rescue training are trained in the basic skills of recognizing and first aid management of diving barotrauma.

The primary medications for lung barotrauma are oxygen, oxygen-helium or nitrox, isotonic fluids, anti-inflammatory medications, decongestants, and analgesics.

Diving animals such as mink and burrowing animals, such as rodents and rats, are sensitive to low-oxygen atmospheres and (unlike humans) will avoid them, making purely hypoxic techniques possibly inhumane for them. For this reason, the use of inert gas (hypoxic) atmospheres (without CO) for euthanasia, is also species-specific.

When humans breathe in an asphyxiant gas, such as pure nitrogen, helium, neon, argon, sulfur hexafluoride, methane, or any other physiologically inert gas(es), they exhale carbon dioxide without re-supplying oxygen. Physiologically inert gases (those that have no toxic effect, but merely dilute oxygen) are generally free of odor and taste. As such, the human subject detects little abnormal sensation as the oxygen level falls. This leads to asphyxiation (death from lack of oxygen) without the painful and traumatic feeling of suffocation (the hypercapnic alarm response, which in humans arises mostly from carbon dioxide levels rising), or the side effects of poisoning. In scuba diving rebreather accidents, there is often little sensation but euphoria—however, a slow decrease in oxygen breathing gas content has effects which are quite variable. By contrast, suddenly breathing pure inert gas causes oxygen levels in the blood to fall precipitously, and may lead to unconsciousness in only a few breaths, with no symptoms at all.

Some animal species are better equipped than humans to detect hypoxia, and these species are more uncomfortable in low-oxygen environments that result from inert gas exposure.

There is no cure available for asbestosis. Oxygen therapy at home is often necessary to relieve the shortness of breath and correct underlying low blood oxygen levels. Supportive treatment of symptoms includes respiratory physiotherapy to remove secretions from the lungs by postural drainage, chest percussion, and vibration. Nebulized medications may be prescribed in order to loosen secretions or treat underlying chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Immunization against pneumococcal pneumonia and annual influenza vaccination is administered due to increased sensitivity to the diseases. Those with asbestosis are at increased risk for certain cancers. If the person smokes, quitting the habit reduces further damage. Periodic pulmonary function tests, chest x-rays, and clinical evaluations, including cancer screening/evaluations, are given to detect additional hazards.

Air in subcutaneous tissue does not usually pose a lethal threat; small amounts of air are reabsorbed by the body. Once the pneumothorax or pneumomediastinum that causes the subcutaneous emphysema is resolved, with or without medical intervention, the subcutaneous emphysema will usually clear. However, spontaneous subcutaneous emphysema can, in rare cases, progress to a life-threatening condition, and subcutaneous emphysema due to mechanical ventilation may induce ventilatory failure.

Prevention of pulmonary contusion is similar to that of other chest trauma. Airbags in combination with seat belts can protect vehicle occupants by preventing the chest from striking the interior of the vehicle during a collision, and by distributing forces involved in the crash more evenly across the body. However, in rare cases, an airbag causes pulmonary contusion in a person who is not properly positioned when it deploys. Child restraints such as carseats protect children in vehicle collisions from pulmonary contusion. Equipment exists for use in some sports to prevent chest and lung injury; for example, in softball the catcher is equipped with a chest protector. Athletes who do not wear such equipment, such as basketball players, can be trained to protect their chests from impacts. Protective garments can also prevent pulmonary contusion in explosions. Although traditional body armor made from rigid plates or other heavy materials protects from projectiles generated by a blast, it does not protect against pulmonary contusion, because it does not prevent the blast's shock wave from being transferred to the lung. Special body armor has been designed for military personnel at high risk for blast injuries; these garments can prevent a shock wave from being propagated across the chest wall to the lung, and thus protect wearers from blast lung injuries. These garments alternate layers of materials with high and low acoustic impedance (the product of a material's density and a wave's velocity through it) in order to "decouple" the blast wave, preventing its propagation into the tissues.

High pressure nervous syndrome is rarely of importance to recreational divers. Breathing any gas at great depths (hundreds of feet) can cause seizures. Interestingly it was discovered because divers were using gas mixtures without nitrogen to be able to go to great depths without experiencing nitrogen narcosis. It turns out that nitrogen prevents HPNS. The answer? Add very small amounts of nitrogen to gas mixes when diving at great depth, small enough to avoid nitrogen narcosis, but sufficient to prevent HPNS.

Subcutaneous emphysema is usually benign. Most of the time, SCE itself does not need treatment (though the conditions from which it results may); however, if the amount of air is large, it can interfere with breathing and be uncomfortable. It occasionally progresses to a state "Massive Subcutaneous Emphysema" which is quite uncomfortable and requires surgical drainage. When the amount of air pushed out of the airways or lung becomes massive, usually due to positive pressure ventilation, the eyelids swell so much that the patient cannot see. Also the pressure of the air may impede the blood flow to the areolae of the breast and skin of the scrotum or labia. This can lead to necrosis of the skin in these areas. The latter are urgent situations requiring rapid, adequate decompression. Severe cases can compress the trachea and do require treatment.

In severe cases of subcutaneous emphysema, catheters can be placed in the subcutaneous tissue to release the air. Small cuts, or "blow holes", may be made in the skin to release the gas. When subcutaneous emphysema occurs due to pneumothorax, a chest tube is frequently used to control the latter; this eliminates the source of the air entering the subcutaneous space. If the volume of subcutaneous air is increasing, it may be that the chest tube is not removing air rapidly enough, so it may be replaced with a larger one. Suction may also be applied to the tube to remove air faster. The progression of the condition can be monitored by marking the boundaries with a special pencil for marking on skin.

Since treatment usually involves dealing with the underlying condition, cases of spontaneous subcutaneous emphysema may require nothing more than bed rest, medication to control pain, and perhaps supplemental oxygen. Breathing oxygen may help the body to absorb the subcutaneous air more quickly.

No treatment is known to speed the healing of a pulmonary contusion; the main care is supportive. Attempts are made to discover injuries accompanying the contusion, to prevent additional injury, and to provide supportive care while waiting for the contusion to heal. Monitoring, including keeping track of fluid balance, respiratory function, and oxygen saturation using pulse oximetry is also required as the patient's condition may progressively worsen. Monitoring for complications such as pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome is of critical importance. Treatment aims to prevent respiratory failure and to ensure adequate blood oxygenation. Supplemental oxygen can be given and it may be warmed and humidified. When the contusion does not respond to other treatments, extracorporeal membranous oxygenation may be used, pumping blood from the body into a machine that oxygenates it and removes carbon dioxide prior to pumping it back in.

A preventative procedure (thoracotomy or thoracoscopy with pleurodesis) may be recommended after an episode of pneumothorax, with the intention to prevent recurrence. Evidence on the most effective treatment is still conflicting in some areas, and there is variation between treatments available in Europe and the US. Not all episodes of pneumothorax require such interventions; the decision depends largely on estimation of the risk of recurrence. These procedures are often recommended after the occurrence of a second pneumothorax. Surgery may need to be considered if someone has experienced pneumothorax on both sides ("bilateral"), sequential episodes that involve both sides, or if an episode was associated with pregnancy.

If pneumothorax occurs in a smoker, this is considered an opportunity to emphasize the markedly increased risk of recurrence in those who continue to smoke, and the many benefits of smoking cessation. It may be advisable for someone to remain off work for up to a week after a spontaneous pneumothorax. If the person normally performs heavy manual labor, several weeks may be required. Those who have undergone pleurodesis may need two to three weeks off work to recover.

Air travel is discouraged for up to seven days after complete resolution of a pneumothorax if recurrence does not occur. Underwater diving is considered unsafe after an episode of pneumothorax unless a preventative procedure has been performed. Professional guidelines suggest that pleurectomy be performed on both lungs and that lung function tests and CT scan normalize before diving is resumed. Aircraft pilots may also require assessment for surgery.

There is ongoing research on the treatment of ARDS by interferon (IFN) beta-1a to aid in preventing leakage of vascular beds. Traumakine (FP-1201-lyo), is a recombinant human IFN beta-1a drug developed by Faron pharmaceuticals, is undergoing international phase-III clinical trials after an open-label, early-phase trial showed a 81% reduction-in-odds of 28-day mortality in ICU patients with ARDS. The drug is known to function by enhancing lung CD73 expression and increasing production of anti-inflammatory adenosine, such that vascular leaking and escalation of inflammation are reduced.

Barotrauma is injury caused by pressure effects on gas spaces. This may occur during ascent or descent. The ears are the most commonly affected body part. The most serious injury is lung barotrauma, which can result in pneumothorax, pneumomediastinum, pneumopericardium, subcutaneous emphysema, and arterial gas embolism. All divers, commercial air travelers, people traveling overland between different altitudes, and people who work in pressurized environments have had to deal with some degree of barotrauma effect upon their ears, sinuses, and other air spaces. At the most extreme, barotrauma can cause ruptured eardrums, bleeding sinuses, exploding tooth cavities, and the lung injuries described above. This is the reason why divers follow a procedure of not holding their breath during ascent. By breathing continuously, they keep the airways open and avoid pressure differences between their lungs and ambient pressure.

Diseases commonly associated with asbestos include:

- Asbestosis: Progressive fibrosis of the lungs of varying severity, progressing to bilateral fibrosis, honeycombing of the lungs on radiological view with symptoms including rales and wheezing. Individuals who have been exposed to asbestos via home, environment, work should notify their doctors about exposure history.

- Asbestos warts: caused when the sharp fibers lodge in the skin and are overgrown causing benign callus-like growths.

- Pleural plaques: discrete fibrous or partially calcified thickened area which can be seen on X-rays of individuals exposed to asbestos. Although pleural plaques are themselves asymptomatic, in some patients this develops into pleural thickening.

- Diffuse pleural thickening: similar to above and can sometimes be associated with asbestosis. Usually no symptoms shown but if exposure is extensive, it can cause lung impairment.

- Pneumothorax: Some reports have also linked the condition of pneumothorax to asbestos related diseases.

It is important to consult a doctor, particularly if the following symptoms develop: shortness of breath, wheezing or hoarseness, persistent cough that worsens over time, blood in fluid coughed up, pain or tightening in chest, difficulty swallowing, swelling of neck or face, decreased appetite, weight loss, fatigue or anemia.

Smoking has a supra-additive effect in increasing the risk of lung cancer in those exposed to asbestos. Studies have shown an increased risk of lung cancer among smokers who are exposed to asbestos compared to nonsmokers.

To date, no prospective controlled clinical trial has shown a significant mortality benefit of exogenous surfactant in adult ARDS.

Different treatments have been used to manage pulmonary interstitial emphysema with variable success. Admission/transfer to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is common and expected for patients with PIE.

Treatments include:

- Lateral decubitus position with the affected side down

- High-frequency ventilation

- Lobectomy

- Selective Main Bronchial Intubation and Occlusion

Hypercapnia is generally defined as a blood gas carbon dioxide level over 45 mmHg. Since carbon dioxide is in equilibrium with carbonic acid in the blood, hypercapnia can drive serum pH down, resulting in a respiratory acidosis. Clinically, the effect of hypercapnia on pH is estimated using the ratio of the arterial pressure of carbon dioxide to the concentration of bicarbonate ion, PCO/[HCO].

Normal respiration in divers results in alveolar hypoventilation resulting in inadequate CO elimination or hypercapnia. Lanphier's work at the US Navy Experimental Diving Unit answered the question, "Why don't divers breathe enough?":

- Higher inspired oxygen (PiO) at accounted for not more than 25% of the elevation in end tidal CO (etCO) above values found at the same work rate when breathing air just below the surface.

- Increased work of breathing accounted for most of the elevation of PACO (alveolar gas equation) in exposures above , as indicated by the results when helium was substituted for nitrogen at .

- Inadequate ventilatory response to exertion was indicated by the fact that, despite resting values in the normal range, PetCO rose markedly with exertion even when the divers breathed air at a depth of only a few feet.

Pulmonary interstitial emphysema often resolves gradually and may take 2–3 weeks. For longer durations of PIE the length of time of mechanical ventilation needed may increase and the incidence of bronchopulmonary dysplasia becomes higher. Some infants may develop chronic lobar emphysema, which may require surgical lobectomies.

Treatment for this condition is the same as for hemothorax and pneumothorax independently: by tube thoracostomy, the insertion of a chest drain through an incision made between the ribs, into the intercostal space. A chest tube must be inserted to drain blood and air from the pleural space so it can return to a state of negative pressure and function normally.

Commonly, surgery is needed to close off whatever injuries caused the blood and air to enter the cavity (e.g. stabbing, broken ribs).

Suicides using bags or masks and gases are well documented in the literature.

Suicide bags have been used with gases other than inert gases, with varying outcomes. Examples of other gases are propane-butane and natural gas.

Suicides using a suicide bag and an inert gas produce no characteristic post-mortem macroscopic or microscopic findings. Forensic death investigations of cause and manner of death may be very difficult when people commit suicide in this manner, especially if the apparatus (such as the bag, tank, or tube) is removed by someone after the death. Petechiae, which are often considered a marker of asphyxia, are present in only a small minority of cases (3%). Frost reported that of the two cases he studied that featured death from inert gas asphyxiation using a suicide bag, one had "bilateral eyelid petechiae and large amounts of gastric content in the airways and that these findings challenge the assumption that death by this method is painless and without air hunger, as asserted in "Final Exit"." A review study by Ely and Hirsch (2000) concludes that conjunctival and facial petechiae are the product of purely mechanical vascular phenomena, unrelated to asphyxia or hypoxia, and do not occur unless ligatures were also found around the neck. The authors wrote,

There are also documented cases of suicide attempts using the suicide bag that failed. A case report study in 2015 discussed the risks associated with failed attempts using this method. The authors wrote, "If the process is interrupted by someone, there is no gas or the tube slips out of the bag, there is a high risk of severe hypoxia of the central nervous system."

Asbestosis is long term inflammation and scarring of the lungs due to asbestos. Symptoms may include shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, and chest pain. Complications may include lung cancer, mesothelioma, and pulmonary heart disease.

Asbestosis is caused by breathing in asbestos fibers. Generally it required a relatively large exposure over a long period of time. Such levels of exposure typically only occur in those who work with the material. All types of asbestos fibers are associated with concerns. It is generally recommended that currently existing asbestos be left undisturbed. Diagnosis is based upon a history of exposure together with medical imaging. It is a type of interstitial pulmonary fibrosis.

There is no specific treatment. Recommendations may include stopping smoking, influenza vaccination, pneumococcal vaccination, or oxygen therapy. Asbestosis affected about 157,000 people and resulted in 3,600 deaths in 2015. Asbestos use has been banned in a number of countries in an effort to prevent disease.

Recommended strategies to prevent mold include: avoiding mold-contamination; utilization of environmental controls; the use of personal protective equipment (PPE) including skin and eye protection and respiratory protection; and environmental controls such as ventilation and suppression of dust. When mold cannot be prevented, the CDC recommends clean-up protocol including first taking emergency action to stop water intrusion. Second, they recommend determining the extent of water damage and mold contamination. And third, they recommend planning remediation activities such as establishing containment and protection for workers and occupants; eliminating water or moisture sources if possible; decontaminating or removing damaged materials and drying any wet materials; evaluating whether the space has been successfully remediated; and reassembling the space to control sources of moisture.