Shortness of breath is a complex condition that can cost a person life. Shortness of breath is considered a manifestation of serious illness. An exception is asthma patients who overcome this condition with inhalers.
The scientific name for shortness of breath is dyspnea.
With shortness of breath, there is a disorder in the frequency and volume of inhaled air. In medical practice, acute and chronic shortness of breath is distinguished.
Shortness of breath is related to the physical well-being of the patient. For example, if someone suffers from a shortage of breath even after mild physical exertion, then others never suffer from this condition even after a serious illness of the respiratory tract.
What can cause shortness of breath
– an obstruction during the passage of air through the nose, mouth or throat;
– strong emotions such as anger or aggression;
– pulmonary diseases, for example, pneumonia, bronchitis and bronchial asthma, lung obstruction, increased pulmonary arterial pressure;
– diseases of the cardiovascular system: complications after angina, malfunctions of heart rhythms, heart muscle defects. Lack of breathing can cause disorders of the cardiovascular system, due to which the heart muscle is not able to drive blood through the vessels with sufficient speed, respectively, the internal organs are deficient in oxygen.
– allergic reactions;
– severe blood infections, for example, diabetes and blood infection, a disorder in the ratio of substances in the blood serum;
– poor physical condition, lack of exercise;
– fullness and obesity;
– compression of the sternum wall;
– panic attacks and chronic fears;
– hernias;
– change of environmental conditions when the body does not have time to adapt;
– smoking;
Signs of shortness of breath
The most basic sign of shortness of breath is inhibited communication with the interlocutor. When a person feels short of breath, he becomes unable to understand the questions asked. In addition, with a shortage of breathing, a person lowers his head, since oxygen deficiency in muscles and tissues affects their condition. Another sign of shortness of breath is the inability to concentrate, as a deficiency of oxygen in the blood negatively affects the functioning of the brain.
Shortness of breath is easy to detect when examining a patient. People with difficulty breathing are similar to those who several times went up and down the stairs of a nine-story building. They cannot talk in long sentences, try to breathe deeply, compensating for the lack of air.
If a person suffering from difficulty breathing has the following symptoms, then seek medical help:
– pain and a feeling of compression of the chest;
– difficulty breathing even in a resting position;
– the inability to sleep in a prone position, a person can only sleep in a sitting position;
– whistling and wheezing sounds are heard during breathing;
– it’s hard for a person to swallow;
– the throat feels as if a foreign object;
– for several days in a row an elevated temperature is kept;
– Allergic breathing difficulties are observed.
Employees of the American State Institute of Health believe that an allergic reaction is the main reason leading to shortness of breath. An allergy can open up to household dust, mold, plants, food. In addition, all sorts of insects and animals, drugs can cause allergies. For example, if a person who is allergic to cat hair will pet a cat, then after some time he will have a shortage of breath.