Dyspnea is the medical term for “shortness of breath” when you can’t get air into your lungs. Whether caused by an underlying medical condition, illness, or physical exertion, dyspnea can be truly frightening to experience. In this article, we’ll explore everything there is to know about dyspnea.
What is Dyspnea?
So, what is dyspnea? Dyspnea, or shortness of breath, is often described as an intense tightening in the chest. A person finds it difficult to breathe and feels suffocated. The main causes for dyspnea can be strenuous exercises, extreme temperatures and obesity. There are two types of dyspnea—acute and chronic.
Acute dyspnea is a condition that comes quickly and doesn’t last very long. Allergies, anxiety, exercise and the common cold or the flu can bring this on. Chronic dyspnea lasts longer, i.e., several weeks or longer, or keeps returning. This can occur due to serious health conditions like asthma, heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). If you have dyspnea, you should see your doctor as soon as possible.
Symptoms of Dyspnea
Shortness of breath can feel different for every person, and its symptoms depend on what’s causing it. Some common signs and dyspnea symptoms include:
- Chest tightness
- Laboured breathing
- Shortness of breath
- The feeling of forceful breathing
- Rapid breathing tachypnea
- Increased heart rate
- Feeling of suffocation
- Noisy breathing or wheezing
- Heart palpitations
- Coughing
Causes of Dyspnea
Many health conditions like heart or lung diseases can cause dyspnea. Your heart and lungs are the main part of the respiratory system, responsible for providing your body with oxygen and expelling carbon dioxide. So, if either of these isn’t working right, you can end up with excess or too little carbon dioxide in your blood, and in such a condition, you breathe harder to get more oxygen in or get carbon dioxide out. Engaging in intense workouts or visiting places at high altitudes are common causes of dyspnea. Resistance in airflow due to blockages or inflammation in your lungs can also lead to this condition.
Other health conditions that are the main shortness of breath causes involve:
Lung and airway conditions:
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- Respiratory illnesses like bronchitis, flu, COVID-19
- Pneumonia
- Inflammation around your lungs
- Pleural effusion
- Pulmonary edema inside the lung
- Scarring or fibrosis inside the lungs
- Lung cancer
- High blood pressure in your lungs causes pulmonary hypertension
- Tuberculosis
- Partial or complete collapsed lung
- Blood clotting or pulmonary embolism
Heart and blood conditions:
- Anaemia
- Heart failure
- Cardiomyopathy
- Abnormal heart rhythm
- Endocarditis
- Pericarditis
- Myocarditis
Other conditions:
- Anxiety
- Broken ribs causing difficulty in breathing
- Some medicines like statins or beta-blockers that are used to treat high blood pressure
- Body mass index above 30
- Lack of exercise
- Sleep apnea (that can cause paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND)
Diagnosis of Dyspnea
To diagnose dyspnea, your healthcare provider will ask for a medical history and perform a physical exam, including listening to your lungs and heart with a stethoscope and noting your blood pressure. You need to explain the episode of the attack with specific details like how long it lasted, how severe it was, and if you get them frequently.
The doctor may order other additional testing, including:
- Chest X-ray: In this technique, pictures of the inside of your chest are taken to know if there’s an issue with your lungs.
- Computed Tomography (CT) scan: This technique involves the use of powerful X-rays that make detailed pictures inside of our body scan.
- Blood Tests: These are done to assess the effectiveness of treatment by taking white and red blood cell counts to look for anaemia or other illnesses.
- Lung function tests. Tests are run to check lung strength and blood oxygen levels to see how well you are breathing.
- Cardiopulmonary exercise testing. This technique involves using a treadmill or stationary bike to check the amount of oxygen you take in and the carbon dioxide you release while exercising to see respiratory activities.
- Echocardiogram: Doctors may use an echocardiogram to assess heart function to assess how blood flows through the heart and heart valves. It creates a picture of the heart using sound waves to find abnormalities, if any.
Treatment of Dyspnea
A person with dyspnea is treated based on what is causing it. For example, if the cause of dyspnea is anaemia, the doctor may prescribe iron supplements. Other forms of dyspnea treatment include:
Diet and exercise
If obesity and difficulty managing your fitness levels are causing dyspnea, a balanced diet and frequent exercise can help reduce the symptoms. It has been reported that moderate weight loss without exercise can also help people deal with obesity, which will help reduce symptoms of dyspnea.
Pulmonary rehabilitation
A pulmonary lung condition like COPD requires the care of a pulmonologist, a doctor who specialises in the health of your lungs and respiratory system. They will treat the patient with medications and breathing exercises to improve lung functioning and muscle strength and increase exercise endurance and conditioning. These dyspnea patients may need supplemental oxygen in a portable tank to help keep them from feeling out of breath.
Cardiac rehabilitation
Dyspnea is usually one of several symptoms of heart failure, whose treatment involves cardiac rehabilitation. This treatment consists of using an artificial pump to assist heart function and help manage heart failure and other heart-related conditions.
How Can Dyspnea Be Prevented?
Preventing dyspnea means avoiding or managing its possible causes to control shortness of breath. This can be done using the following methods:
- Treating underlying conditions
Underlying health disorders such as lung disease, heart disease and obesity, among others, can treat dyspnea. It’s important to follow the proper treatment plan suggested by the doctor.
Air pollution and airborne diseases can also cause respiratory problems and may lead to breathing problems. It is important to use safety measures like wearing masks in places with poor air quality to prevent such diseases.
- Maintaining a moderate weight.
Maintaining a healthy weight and BMI can help a person avoid dyspnea. If you are obese, it is important to seek help from a dietician and nutritionist to maintain a healthy weight.
Intense and strenuous workouts can cause short-term dyspnea. So, minimising such activities can prevent this condition.
- Avoiding asthma triggers
- Quitting smoking
- Avoiding inhaling harmful chemicals and fumes that can irritate your lungs
- Practising relaxation exercises
When Should You Call the Doctor?
Contact a healthcare provider if you have experienced severe shortness of breath, chest pain, or light-headedness. Such symptoms can be a sign of a medical emergency that requires immediate treatment. After assessing the symptoms and causes of the dyspnea, your doctor will provide treatment to help you breathe better. You may also experience dyspnea if you have symptoms of COPD and pneumonia. Pneumonia is an infection of the lungs with symptoms of chills, fever and coughing that produces phlegm. The phlegm can cause more difficulty in breathing alongside dyspnea, and you may have to rush to the hospital to treat it.
Conclusion
Dyspnea, meaning shortness of breath, is characterised by sudden or severe shortness of breath, alongside symptoms like nausea, chest pain or blue skin, and heart palpitations. If you’re experiencing shortness of breath regularly due to an underlying condition like lung and heart disease, speak to your healthcare provider about managing your symptoms. Don’t let dyspnea hold you back from living your best life. Stay informed and proactive in taking good care of your health. And as always, breathe deeply and live fully! Having health insurance can provide access to timely medical care and resources to help manage conditions like dyspnea effectively.
Disclaimer: The information provided in this blog is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Please consult your general physician or another certified medical professional for any questions regarding a medical condition. Relying on any information provided in this blog is solely at your own risk, and ICICI Lombard is not responsible for any effects or consequences resulting from the use of the information shared.