what is the cause of this swelling and shortness of breath?

@vidapresh- welcome. This must be very troublesome. Tell me, where is your swelling? How long have you had it? Have you seen a doctor?

@vidapresh Welcome to Mayo Connect. We are not doctors, and cannot/will not diagnose medical conditions. What comes to my mind is perhaps a reaction to an irritant or allergen, if it seems to be a sudden issue. Perhaps your friend might look in to that. A newly painted/remodeled place of business/living/ entertainment has caused this? Has your friend been able to be checked by a pulmonologist?
Ginger

@vidapresh Sounds very confusing and none of us are doctors. We would love to help but need a little more information. What did the doctors say when she was discharged?

thanks for the responses but my friend is not in the country, where she is the doctors couldn't diagnose her.

the doctors did actually suggest that it was a pulmonary disease

@vidapresh - I can not diagnose Joan. At Connect we offer emotional support and suggestions based on our own experiences. This is a public forum so we discourage putting personal information, such as test results and lab reports. I'll ask that @colleenyoung take down the synopsis of her health. If the doctors can not diagnose the cause of her swelling, partially collapsed lung bases, liquid in her lungs and swelling in her legs than she needs to find another doctor and quickly, even if she has to fly to another country. A lot of times lung symptoms tie into the heart. Can you tell her to get help immediately?

Hi @vidapresh and welcome to Connect. As members have mentioned, Connect is an online community where people can share experiences and find support. I know that your desire is to help your friend. However, I removed her medical history from this public discussion as it contains quite a bit of personal information and without expressed permission from the patient, we don't want to violate her privacy.
Vida, is travel possible for your friend? Might she be able to return to the US for a consult and diagnosis? If yes, you or she may wish to seek a second opinion at Mayo Clinic. Here are the contact numbers for all 3 locations: http://mayocl.in/1mtmR63 and for International Services at Mayo: https://www.mayoclinic.org/departments-centers/international
I hope this helps. It does sound like she needs the attention of medical professionals.