What Is Dyspnea or Difficulty in Breathing?
Dyspnea, also known as shortness of breath or breathlessness, is a condition in which a person's lungs do not get enough oxygen. It is often less harmful and is a reversible condition. For example, a person becomes normal after taking a rest. However, it could be a serious situation if it does not improve. Dyspnea is often the result of a disease rather than the disease itself. In this condition, heaviness or tightness in the chest is experienced by a few people. People with lung and cardiac issues often experience it. In a few cases, asthmatic and allergic patients also experience shortness of breath. Sometimes the presence of a cold can also lead to shortness of breath. In severe cases, a person begins to feel suffocated.
What Are the Causes of Difficulty in Breathing?
1. It is caused by various heart problems, such as:
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Low Blood Pressure (Hypotension): Blood pressure is the force of blood pushing against the wall of the blood vessels. Hypotension is a common condition that results in shortness of breath. It is caused by suddenly getting up from a sitting position, postprandial (after meals), and suddenly if a person becomes scared.
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Heart Attack: A condition that occurs due to the lack of oxygen-rich blood reaching the heart. Chest pain is a common sign of a heart attack. Other than this, a person can exhibit nausea, difficulty breathing, pain in the arm, upper body aches, sweating, etc.
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Cardiomyopathy: It is a disease of the heart that makes it difficult for the heart muscles to pump blood to the rest of the body. This results in shortness of breath even after a short walk.
2. Due to various lung problems:
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Tuberculosis (TB): It is an infectious disease, usually of the lungs, but it can occur in other body parts, also. It is caused by bacteria and spreads via air droplets. It can be fatal sometimes, but nowadays, its treatments are possible. Many government regimes are also running for the prevention and treatment of TB.
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Asthma: A chronic condition affecting the lungs, resulting in inflammation and narrowing of air spaces inside the lungs. A person faces difficulty in breathing due to a restricted air supply. The patient also feels coughing, breathlessness, and suffocating. Bronchodilators are best suggested in asthmatic patients. Some people use nebulizers as well.
3. Other conditions such as:
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Obesity: It is a condition in which a person becomes overweight. Not only appearance-wise but also medically, being obese is not good as it can result in various diseases such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and other heart diseases. A person suffering from obesity becomes quickly tired and always feels lazy.
Why Does Dyspnea Happen?
The triggering factor is something that increases the level of that disease. For shortness of breath, triggering factors could be environmental pollutants, such as living in dusty places, chemical and fumes inhalation, smoking, etc.
Other factors that are responsible for dyspnea are due to signal interactions between
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Central nervous system.
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Peripheral chemoreceptors.
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Mechanoreceptors in the walls of the chest and respiratory tract.
The medulla, a structure in the brainstem located at the top of the spinal cord, controls breathing. It has chemoreceptors that sense changes in blood activity that detect carbon dioxide levels. The higher the level of carbon dioxide, the more acidic the nature of the blood. This acidic pH triggers the medulla to cause hyperventilation or increased breathing. As a result, the amount of air exhaled becomes greater than the amount of air inhaled, which helps maintain the body's balance as excess carbon dioxide is removed. In cases of low carbon dioxide in the body, the medulla reduces respiration and balances the level of carbon dioxide by increasing it.
In a person's airway, trachea, lungs, lung vessels, and chest walls, mechanoreceptors notice the expansion and control of these structures while breathing. In addition, their communication with the medulla shows how much space is available for air to fill.
The brain controls breathing rate and volume by sending signals to the respiratory muscles of the diaphragm and the lungs. However, it only tells them how much and quickly to expand and contract.
How Is Dyspnea Diagnosed?
In mild cases, it gets better after resting for some time. In severe cases, consult a doctor if a person experiences shortness of breath for longer. It is diagnosed by a thorough body examination and past patient history, especially if any systemic condition persists. In severe cases, a doctor advises diagnostic tests that include:
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X-Ray: A doctor may prescribe chest X-rays to check the condition of the lungs, heart, etc., of the patient.
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CT Scans (Computed Tomography): These are performed to get more precise and best results that X- rays fail to give sometimes.
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Electrocardiograms: These tests are performed to check for any sign of a heart attack or any other problem in the heart.
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Spirometry: It is a test by which the condition of the lung is tested by checking its capacity. This test determines the type and extent of breathing problems in an individual.
What Is the Treatment for Difficulty in Breathing?
The treatment for difficulty breathing depends on the underlying cause.
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The first and foremost thing to be done is to relax. In mild cases, it is reversible. In severe cases, consult the doctor immediately.
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A patient may require oxygen administration if breathing does not get normal. However, every individual suffering from shortness of breath does not necessarily have low blood oxygen levels.
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As per the underlying conditions, various drugs are suggested, such as:
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Bronchodilators - These are the best drugs for asthmatic patients. Steroids are also prescribed in some cases.
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Antibiotics - In the case of bacterial pneumonia or tuberculosis.
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Other drugs such as anti-anxiety and NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) are also prescribed as per the situation.
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Conclusion:
Difficulty breathing or dyspnea is usually a harmless condition due to cycling, exercising, or walking. It usually gets better when you take a rest. However, if it does not, that could be a severe situation caused by underlying conditions such as cardiac, pulmonary, etc. Consult a doctor immediately in such cases. Various drug therapies and breathing exercises are available to treat this condition.
