Shortness of breath is a colloquial term. Doctors use the word dyspnea. Shortness of breath is a subjective feeling of lack of air or discomfort when breathing, due to breathing problems. What are the most common causes of breathlessness and when should you be concerned about breathlessness? What are the treatments for shortness of breath?
Contents:
- Shortness of breath: reasons
- Lung diseases
- Diseases of the heart and vessels
- Overweight
- Panic
- Dyspnoea: treatment
Shortness of breathafter intense training, a long run or hard physical work is a normal phenomenon. When it occurs in other circumstances, it can be a signal that something is wrong in our body. Pathological changes causing problems with free breathing can accompany many diseases, not only respiratory diseases. They are very often associated with cardiovascular diseases.
As doctors say, shortness of breath, i.e. shortness of breath, can be caused by several mechanisms. Therefore, when looking for the causes of breathlessness, the doctor focuses on the situations and symptoms that occur with breathlessness.
If a patient has experienced bronchospasm associated with an asthma attack or interstitial pulmonary edema as a result of myocardial ischemia, he will complain of not only shortness of breath but also chest tightness. If you suffer from asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and your condition worsens, your shortness of breath will worsen with exercise.
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Shortness of breath: reasons
Lung diseases
Increasing the activity of the respiratory drive with the consequence of hyperventilation (excessive ventilation) occurs in acute hypoxemia and hypercapnia. A similar phenomenon occurs due to the stimulation of pulmonary receptors in the case of pulmonary embolism, interstitial lung edema, and acute bronchial spasm.
It is important that even with the proper state of the respiratory system, factors such as staying at high altitude, increased progesterone levels during pregnancy or taking certain medications (e.g.acetylsalicylic acid) may cause shortness of breath in some people.
Disturbances in lung ventilation may occur with respiratory diseases such as asthma, emphysema, chronic bronchitis or bronchiectasis.
The cause of dyspnea may also be a reduction in the range of mobility of the chest walls, which occurs in kyphoscoliosis or in diseases associated with a significant weakening of the respiratory muscles. The sick person must put more effort into each breath.
Shortness of breath will also occur when a significant amount of exudative fluid accumulates in the pleural cavity.
Disorders of gas exchange, and therefore problems with breathing, may occur in the course of pneumonia, pulmonary edema, as well as choking (aspiration pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome).
Correction of hypoxemia in pulmonary vascular diseases, interstitial lung diseases or pulmonary congestion does not have the effect of reducing shortness of breath, as it is a consequence of direct stimulation of lung receptors.
Diseases of the heart and vessels
Breathing difficulty with exercise may be seen in mild to moderate anemia. Heart defects related to left-to-right intracardiac shunt may result in increased cardiac output and a feeling of breathlessness, also in the context of the development of pulmonary hypertension.
Dyspnoea during exercise may be a consequence of not only low cardiovascular capacity caused by lack of training, but also disturbances in the process of myocardial relaxation in the course of arterial hypertension, stenosis (aortic stenosis) and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Chronic shortness of breath may also accompany pericarditis.
Shortness of breath may also appear in people with ischemic heart disease.
Overweight
Extra kilos not only make it difficult to move freely, but also negatively affect breathing. This is because adipose tissue takes oxygen from the muscles and other vital organs (including the alveoli), making them get less than they need. In short, they are hypoxic and malnourished.
Panic
When we are nervous, we breathe faster but shallowly. This is hyperventilation that results from a reduction in the amount of carbon dioxide in the blood. This results in heart palpitations and dizziness. To avoid these unpleasant ailments, you should breathe into a paper bag. This will restore the blood levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide to normal, allowing you to calm down and regain equalbreath. Another way to manage shortness of breath resulting from anxiety is to consciously slow down your breathing. Draw air in through your mouth, and then slowly blow it out through your nose or through your mouth folded into the so-called spout.
Dyspnoea: treatment
In every case of shortness of breath, find the cause of its occurrence. The sooner we see a doctor, the better. After examining you and carrying out some basic tests, your doctor will know what treatment to take. If the cause of shortness of breath is lung or heart disease, treat the underlying medical condition. Controlling the disease will also allow you to get rid of shortness of breath, although this is not always possible. If the treatment is impossible or ineffective, and the quality of life is better, you can support your body with oxygen therapy. This is typically used when resting saturation (blood oxygen saturation) is less than 94% or falls below this level during the patient's normal daily physical activity.
About the author
Anna Jarosz A journalist who has been involved in popularizing he alth education for over 40 years. Winner of many competitions for journalists dealing with medicine and he alth. She received, among others The "Golden OTIS" Trust Award in the "Media and He alth" category, St. Kamil awarded on the occasion of the World Day of the Sick, twice the "Crystal Pen" in the national competition for journalists promoting he alth, and many awards and distinctions in competitions for the "Medical Journalist of the Year" organized by the Polish Association of Journalists for He alth.
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