Rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath. Diagnosis of cardiac dyspnea. What will help improve the condition

A rapid heartbeat, shortness of breath, a feeling of lack of air - all this can spoil the quality of life. A person with such symptoms is overcome by fear and anxiety. Sometimes the feeling of fear can develop so strongly that a person is able to lose consciousness. Not everyone has this condition caused by overwork or stress. Some experience similar attacks every day due to heart pathologies. Often the reason frequent occurrence sensations when there is not enough air, it is difficult to breathe with - diseases of the cardiovascular system.

Rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath

Even healthy man can sometimes worry similar condition. We often experience these symptoms fast run but it's clean physiological changes associated with the work of the heart. When there is a feeling of suffocation and rapid heart rate without special reasons or at rest, you should beware. It is better not to self-medicate, but to visit a cardiologist.

There are a number of situations when it is impossible to hesitate with medical help. Sometimes such simple symptoms can prevent the development serious illnesses hearts. There are a lot of reasons for the appearance of a feeling of lack of air, arrhythmias and shortness of breath, but only a doctor will identify the problem. You should consult a doctor if:

1. heart rate rises sharply (especially during periods of calm),
2. the attack is long and does not pass more than 10-15 minutes,
3. minimal exertion causes shortness of breath,
4. there is dizziness, a sharp feeling of weakness up to loss of consciousness,
5. there is a feeling that the heart skips beats.

These 5 Reasons You Should Know timely diagnosis angina can be prevented ischemic disease heart, myocardial infarction, etc.

Reasons for the appearance

The causes of these symptoms may be:

• excessive physical activity
• experienced stress,
• nervous breakdown,
• unhealthy food,
• smoking,
• alcoholism,
• addiction,
• taking medications,
• excessive consumption of caffeinated drinks.

If you catch your breath and your heart rate increases, then you should know that similar symptoms characteristic of the following types of heart disease:

• heart cough,
• tachycardia,
• arrhythmia,
• heart block,
• vegetative dystonia,
• panic attacks in psychological disorders,
• stroke,
• heart attack.

tachycardia, shortness of breath, severe fatigue, weakness and sudden sweating are manifested due to diseases of the endocrine system. Crashes in hormonal background affect the rhythm of the heart.

What measures to take to normalize the situation?

What to do with a rapid heartbeat and lack of air, if the attack caught suddenly? Everyone who suffers from similar problems should know the answer to this question:

1. stop the panic
2. give up physical activity
3. take a comfortable position
4. provide air access to the room,
5. drink cool water small sips,
6. put on the forehead cold compress to cover the temporal part,
7. breathe according to the scheme (rapid inhalation and slow exhalation),
8. inhale deeply, tensing the abdominal muscles, exhale slowly,
9. rinse your face
10. if the urge to vomit, then press on the root of the tongue,
11. drink vegetable soothing drops Corvalol or Valerian,
12. if breathing is heavy, then provide the person with an oxygen bag.

When the measures taken do not help, call ambulance. Often shortness of breath burning pain in the heart and lack of air accompany an attack of myocardial infarction.

How to diagnose a disease?

Heart palpitations and a feeling of lack of air are the tip of the iceberg, which allows the doctor to decide on possible pathologies or their absence.

To determine the disease, doctors resort to the following diagnostic methods:

• blood and urine tests (it is important to know the amount of hemoglobin, leukocytes and erythrocytes),
• thyroid hormone analysis
• blood test for biochemical composition(helps to determine the amount essential vitamins for normal operation hearts),
• x-ray chest(may show dimensional changes in the heart)
• Holter monitor (a special device reads the work of the heart for several days),
• echocardiography and electrocardiogram functional disorders in the heart, aids in the diagnosis of heart valves).

If necessary, a cardiologist will connect a neurologist, an endocrinologist and a therapist to the diagnosis, if the identified disease is not associated with the functioning of the cardiovascular system.

How to treat the problem?

Frequent and strong heartbeat, fatigue, a feeling of lack of air should be treated only after the recommendations of a doctor. Self-medication is not worth it, as you may not know about true reason the onset of symptoms. Often, doctors consider antiarrhythmic and sedative drugs to be symptomatic treatment in this situation.

Important! Purpose of the specified medicines carried out taking into account individual features patient, as there are drugs that cannot be prescribed to certain groups of people.

Antiarrhythmic drugs for the heart are prescribed intravenously and orally. This type heart medications can stop the attack and prevent its occurrence. If the heartbeat has sharply increased by 30-40 beats above the norm, then you can take this type of drug. These drugs include: Adenosine, Propranolol, Flecainide, Verapamil.

As for sedative drugs, their action is aimed at calming the nervous system. Often increased nervousness, feelings of anxiety and fear worsen the condition. Sedatives are: Persen, Deazepam, Valerian, Novopassit, Tenoten.

Heart failure treatment

If the heart, after the slightest physical exertion, felt arrhythmia, the doctor will suspect heart failure. Treatment is based on the following steps:

1. healthy eating, refusal of alcohol, smoking. The patient should consume more vegetables, fruits and protein foods, but less salt.
2. Treatment with ACE inhibitors, glycosides, beta-blockers, diuretics (for swelling), aldactone antagonists, calcium blockers. The dosage of drugs is calculated individually. Sometimes it's enough small dose to stabilize the situation.
3. If treatment fails, then a pacemaker is installed.

Treatment of vegetovascular dystonia

Prescribe a medication regimen or general therapy In this case, a neurologist should

At vegetative dystonia sometimes cardiologists, therapists and endocrinologists can be involved at the diagnostic stage. Often the treatment regimen is presented in the form:

• normalization of the daily routine (at least 8 hours of sleep),
• healthy eating (avoiding fatty and sugary foods),
• increase walking time fresh air,
• physiotherapy procedures.

If this system is insufficient, then medication will be added to the basic treatment. For hypertensive patients - adrenergic blockers, for people with panic attacks- antidepressants and sedatives. Often, the treatment of vegetovascular dystonia does without taking medications. As maintenance therapy, the doctor will prescribe an appointment vitamin complexes based on B vitamins. Important role plays mental attitude patient. Often such people are recommended to undergo auto-training, swimming and athletics.

Difficult breathing, shortness of breath, heart palpitations are symptoms that may indicate pathologies in the body. They are not always associated with the work of the cardiovascular system, so it is important to undergo diagnostics in time. A general practitioner, cardiologist, neurologist, endocrinologist will help solve the problem.

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Causes of palpitations, diagnosis, symptoms, treatment and prevention

Heart palpitations and shortness of breath: what to do? This question worries everyone who is faced with a similar problem. Symptoms may be related to various states which are quite hazardous to human health. Therefore, the problem should not be ignored. It is necessary to visit a doctor, undergo an examination and eliminate the provoking factor.

Pathology is accompanied by shortness of breath or dyspnea, which increases during physical activity. Increased heart rate occurs due to the inability of the heart to fully provide blood supply to the body.

Ischemia is manifested by tachycardia, since in this disease the patency is impaired due to atherosclerotic changes.

All of these pathologies are serious danger for human health and life. Violation of hemodynamics increases the risk of blood clots and impairs the function of all internal organs.

If a strong heartbeat and breathing difficulties appear during stress, the use of drugs, physical activity, then the matter is physiological factors. This often affects older people. To improve your well-being, it is enough to normalize your lifestyle.

What causes

Shortness of breath and tachycardia may occur in response to external stimuli. Increased heart rate usually indicates pathologies of the heart and blood vessels, and can also be caused by:

• excessive physical activity;
• deficit useful substances in the body;
• interruptions in the blood flow;
• disruption of the endocrine system;
• With high temperature;
• the use of certain drugs, alcohol, smoking;
• abuse of drinks containing caffeine.

Shortness of breath occurs when the body tries to adapt to new conditions. At the same time, a person does not suffocate, since the lack of oxygen is stopped by a frequent heartbeat. Breathing problems are usually associated with psycho-emotional and physical stress, poor ventilation of the room. The state in this case normalizes on its own.

Shortness of breath associated with pathologies occurs when a person is at rest. It occurs:

1. With diseases of the heart muscle. The heart contracts more often and breathing becomes difficult due to the development of cardiomyopathy, heart failure, defects, arrhythmias, inflammation of the heart membranes.
2. With pathologies respiratory system. Difficulty in inhaling or exhaling is observed if a foreign object has entered the respiratory tract, neoplasms grow, a vessel is blocked by a thrombus, with pneumosclerosis and chronic diseases, bronchitis, emphysema. With such problems, shortness of breath turns into suffocation, there are bouts of coughing with sputum.
3. At cerebral disorders. Damage to the brain causes a rapid heartbeat and breathing difficulties, because in this part of the body the centers of regulation of all organs and systems are located. These symptoms are usually observed during head trauma, stroke, encephalitis, and tumors. Severe neurological disorders are associated with shortness of breath and tachycardia. Whether the organ can recover depends on the severity of the damage and the effectiveness of the prescribed treatment. The development of cerebral dyspnea also occurs when the autonomic nervous system malfunctions due to stress and mental overload.
4. With violations of the composition of the blood. Ratio shaped elements blood is disturbed during anemia, oncological diseases, renal and liver failure, diabetic coma. The patient suffers from lack of air, but pathological changes absent in the heart and lungs. The examination will show an imbalance of electrolytes and gas exchange.

1. Provide fresh air to the room and take horizontal position.
2. To calm down and dilate blood vessels, you need to drink a tincture of hawthorn or motherwort or take Valocordin.
3. Take deep breaths slowly.
4. To make the heart begin to contract more slowly, hold your breath or cough.

With frequent attacks, it is imperative to visit a doctor, especially if you have other symptoms, as this may indicate an impending heart attack or stroke.

Professional help is needed if:

1. Shortness of breath worries with minor exertion.
2. There was weakness and dizziness.
3. Seizures occur frequently without cause long time do not pass.
4. There are irregularities in the heartbeat.

To identify the problem, comprehensive examination.

How is the diagnosis made?

severe shortness of breath and palpitations require treatment, but first you need to determine the cause of these symptoms. To do this, a number of studies are assigned. The process of making a diagnosis consists of:

• analysis of urine and blood;
• computer and magnetic resonance imaging;
• electrocardiograms;
• ultrasound hearts.

As additional techniques can use Holter monitoring and bicycle ergometry. With the help of the first procedure, the efficiency of the heart during the day is determined, and the second is necessary to assess the response to the load.

After examining the results of the examination, the doctor will make a diagnosis and prescribe treatment.

Features of treatment

So that the lack of air and palpitations do not bother, you need to eliminate the primary pathology. Very often, to improve well-being, you do not need to take drugs, it is enough to change the diet, use herbal teas and follow the daily routine.

Symptomatic treatment

To reduce the frequency of heart contractions, special ones are prescribed. I stabilize the pulse with the use of:

1. Antiarrhythmic drugs. They are administered intravenously or orally. They help not only to reduce the heartbeat, but also help to avoid repeated attacks. Symptomatic treatment includes the use of Verapamil, Propranolol, Adenosine and others.
2. Sedative drugs. They are more effective if the tachycardia is caused by dysfunctions of the nervous system. Valerian tincture, Persen, Novopassit has soothing properties.

Heart failure

These signs always accompany heart failure. It is impossible to eliminate the disease completely. Treatment is aimed at reducing the severity of symptoms, slowing the development of the pathological process and increasing survival.

They try to stabilize the patient's condition in heart failure with the help of:

1. regimen and diet. This helps to improve the nutrition of the myocardium and reduce the amount of fluid in the body.
2. Medicines. Therapy includes the use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors, cardiac glycosides, beta-blockers, potassium-sparing diuretics, aldactone antagonists, vasodilators, calcium channel blockers, anticoagulants.
3. Surgical procedures. Medical therapy does not give such good results like an operation. Without surgical treatment won't last long. In most cases, a pacemaker is installed.

Vegetative-vascular dystonia

VSD is accompanied by mass unpleasant symptoms. With this problem, the patient should:

1. Follow the regime of work and rest.
2. Enough sleep.
3. Eat vegetables and fruits to saturate the body with all necessary elements.
4. Avoid stress.
5. Take invigorating baths.
6. Use drugs to dilate blood vessels.
7. Take sedatives.

For symptoms such as shortness of breath and rapid heartbeat do not postpone going to the doctor, as the reasons for this are often very serious.

Not enough air: causes of breathing difficulties - cardiogenic, pulmonary, psychogenic, others

Breathing is a natural physiological act that occurs constantly and to which most of us do not pay attention, because the body itself regulates the depth and frequency respiratory movements depending on the situation. The feeling that there is not enough air, perhaps, is familiar to everyone. It can appear after a quick jog, climbing stairs to a high floor, with strong excitement, but healthy body quickly copes with such shortness of breath, bringing breathing back to normal.

If short-term shortness of breath after exercise does not cause serious concerns, quickly disappearing during rest, then a long or sudden onset a sharp difficulty in breathing can signal a serious pathology, often requiring immediate treatment. Acute shortness of breath when closing respiratory tract foreign body, pulmonary edema, asthma attack can cost a life, so any respiratory disorder requires clarification of its cause and timely treatment.

In the process of breathing and providing tissues with oxygen, not only the respiratory system is involved, although its role, of course, is paramount. It is impossible to imagine breathing without correct operation muscular frame chest and diaphragm, heart and blood vessels, brain. Breathing is influenced by the composition of the blood, hormonal status, the activity of the nerve centers of the brain and many external causes - sports training, plentiful food, emotions.

The body successfully adjusts to fluctuations in the concentration of gases in the blood and tissues, increasing, if necessary, the frequency of respiratory movements. With a lack of oxygen or increased needs in it, breathing quickens. acidosis associated with infectious diseases, fever, tumors provokes an increase in breathing to remove excess carbon dioxide from the blood and normalize its composition. These mechanisms turn on themselves, without our will and efforts, but in some cases they become pathological.

Any respiratory disorder, even if its cause seems obvious and harmless, requires examination and a differentiated approach to treatment, therefore, if you feel that there is not enough air, it is better to immediately go to a general practitioner, cardiologist, neurologist, psychotherapist.

Causes and types of respiratory failure

When it is difficult for a person to breathe and there is not enough air, they speak of shortness of breath. This sign is considered an adaptive act in response to an existing pathology or reflects the natural physiological process of adaptation to changing external conditions. In some cases, it becomes difficult to breathe, but an unpleasant feeling of lack of air does not occur, since hypoxia is eliminated by an increased frequency of respiratory movements - in case of poisoning carbon monoxide, work in breathing apparatus, a sharp rise to a height.

Shortness of breath is inspiratory and expiratory. In the first case, there is not enough air when inhaling, in the second - when exhaling, but it is also possible mixed type when it is difficult to both inhale and exhale.

Shortness of breath does not always accompany the disease, it is physiological, and this is a completely natural condition. Causes physiological shortness of breath become:

• Physical exercise;
• Excitement, strong emotional experiences;
• Being in a stuffy, poorly ventilated room, in the highlands.

Physiological increase in breathing occurs reflexively and through little time passes. people with bad physical form those who have a sedentary "office" job suffer from shortness of breath in response to physical effort more often than those who regularly visit the gym, swimming pool or just do daily hiking. As the overall physical development, shortness of breath occurs less frequently.

Pathological shortness of breath can develop acutely or disturb constantly, even at rest, significantly aggravated by the slightest physical effort. A person suffocates when the airways are quickly closed by a foreign body, swelling of the tissues of the larynx, lungs and other severe conditions. When breathing in this case, the body does not receive the necessary even minimal amount of oxygen, and other severe disorders are added to shortness of breath.

Main pathological causes on which it is difficult to breathe are:

• Diseases of the respiratory system - pulmonary dyspnea;
• Pathology of the heart and blood vessels - cardiac dyspnea;
• Violations nervous regulation the act of breathing - shortness of breath of the central type;
• Violation of the gas composition of the blood - hematogenous shortness of breath.

cardiac causes

Heart disease is one of the most common reasons why it becomes difficult to breathe. The patient complains that he does not have enough air and notes the appearance of edema on the legs, fatigue etc. Usually, patients whose breathing is disturbed against the background of changes in the heart have already been examined and are even taking appropriate drugs, but shortness of breath can not only persist, but in some cases is aggravated.

With a pathology of the heart, there is not enough air when inhaling, that is, inspiratory dyspnea. It accompanies, can persist even at rest in its severe stages, is aggravated at night when the patient lies.

The most common reasons:

1. arrhythmias;
2. and myocardial dystrophy;
3. Defects - congenital lead to shortness of breath in childhood and even the neonatal period;
4. Inflammatory processes in the myocardium, pericarditis;
5. Heart failure.

The occurrence of breathing difficulties in cardiac pathology is most often associated with the progression of heart failure, in which either there is no adequate cardiac output and tissues suffer from hypoxia, or stagnation occurs in the lungs due to failure of the myocardium of the left ventricle ().

In addition to shortness of breath, often combined with dry excruciating, in persons with cardiac pathology, there are other characteristic complaints that somewhat facilitate diagnosis - pain in the heart area, "evening" edema, cyanosis skin, interruptions in the heart. It becomes more difficult to breathe in the supine position, so most patients even sleep half-sitting, thus reducing the flow venous blood from the legs to the heart and manifestations of shortness of breath.

symptoms of heart failure

With an attack of cardiac asthma, which can quickly turn into alveolar pulmonary edema, a patient in literally suffocates - the respiratory rate exceeds 20 per minute, the face turns blue, the neck veins swell, the sputum becomes frothy. Pulmonary edema requires emergency care.

Treatment of cardiac dyspnea depends on the underlying cause that caused it. An adult patient with heart failure is prescribed diuretics (furosemide, veroshpiron, diacarb), ACE inhibitors(lisinopril, enalapril, etc.), beta-blockers and antiarrhythmics, cardiac glycosides, oxygen therapy.

Children are shown diuretics (diacarb), and drugs of other groups are strictly dosed due to possible side effects and contraindications in childhood. birth defects, in which the child begins to choke from the very first months of life, may require urgent surgical correction and even heart transplants.

Pulmonary causes

Lung pathology is the second reason leading to difficulty in breathing, while both inhalation and exhalation are possible. Pulmonary pathology with respiratory failure is:

• Chronic obstructive diseases - asthma, bronchitis, pneumosclerosis, pneumoconiosis, pulmonary emphysema;
• Pneumo- and hydrothorax;
• tumors;
• Foreign bodies of the respiratory tract;
• in the branches pulmonary arteries.

Chronic inflammatory and sclerotic changes in the lung parenchyma greatly contribute to respiratory failure. They are aggravated by smoking, poor environmental conditions, recurrent infections of the respiratory system. Shortness of breath at first worries during physical exertion, gradually acquiring the character of a permanent one, as the disease passes into a more severe and irreversible stage of the course.

With pathology of the lungs, the gas composition of the blood is disturbed, there is a lack of oxygen, which, first of all, is not enough for the head and brain. Severe hypoxia provokes metabolic disorders in nervous tissue and development of encephalopathy.

Patients with bronchial asthma are well aware of how breathing is disturbed during an attack: it becomes very difficult to exhale, there is discomfort and even pain in the chest, arrhythmia is possible, sputum is difficult to cough up and extremely scarce, the jugular veins swell. Patients with this shortness of breath sit with their hands on their knees - this position reduces venous return and stress on the heart, alleviating the condition. Most often it is difficult to breathe and there is not enough air for such patients at night or in the early morning hours.

In a severe asthma attack, the patient suffocates, the skin becomes bluish, panic and some disorientation are possible, and asthmatic status may be accompanied by convulsions and loss of consciousness.

Respiratory problems due to chronic lung pathology the appearance of the patient changes: the chest becomes barrel-shaped, the spaces between the ribs increase, the jugular veins are large and dilated, as well as peripheral veins limbs. Expansion of the right half of the heart against the background of sclerotic processes in the lungs leads to its insufficiency, and shortness of breath becomes mixed and more severe, that is, not only the lungs cannot cope with breathing, but the heart cannot provide adequate blood flow, overfilling the venous part with blood great circle circulation.

Not enough air also in case pneumonia, pneumothorax, hemothorax. With inflammation of the lung parenchyma, it becomes not only difficult to breathe, the temperature also rises, there are obvious signs of intoxication on the face, and coughing is accompanied by sputum production.

An extremely serious reason sudden violation breathing is considered to be inhalation of a foreign body. It can be a piece of food or a small part of a toy that the baby accidentally inhales while playing. The victim with a foreign body begins to suffocate, turns blue, quickly loses consciousness, cardiac arrest is possible if help does not arrive in time.

Thromboembolism of the pulmonary vessels can also lead to sudden and rapidly increasing shortness of breath, cough. It occurs more often than a person suffering from pathology of the vessels of the legs, heart, destructive processes in the pancreas. With thromboembolism, the condition can be extremely severe with an increase in asphyxia, blue skin, rapid cessation of breathing and heartbeat.

In some cases, the cause of severe shortness of breath is allergy and Quincke's edema, which are also accompanied by stenosis of the lumen of the larynx. The reason may be food allergen, wasp sting, inhalation of plant pollen, medicinal product. In these cases, both the child and the adult require urgent health care to stop an allergic reaction, and in case of asphyxia, a tracheostomy and artificial ventilation of the lungs may be required.

Treatment pulmonary dyspnea should be differentiated. If the cause of everything is a foreign body, then it must be removed as soon as possible, with allergic edema the child and the adult are shown the introduction antihistamines, glucocorticoid hormones, adrenaline. In case of asphyxia, a tracheo- or conicotomy is performed.

At bronchial asthma multistage treatment, including beta-agonists (salbutamol) in sprays, anticholinergics (ipratropium bromide), methylxanthines (eufillin), glucocorticosteroids (triamcinolone, prednisolone).

Acute and chronic inflammatory processes require antibacterial and detoxification therapy, and compression of the lungs with pneumo- or hydrothorax, obstruction of the airway by a tumor is an indication for surgery (puncture pleural cavity, thoracotomy, removal of part of the lung, etc.).

Cerebral causes

In some cases, breathing difficulties are associated with brain damage, because the most important nerve centers regulating the activity of the lungs, blood vessels, heart. Shortness of breath of this type is characteristic of structural damage to the brain tissue - trauma, neoplasm, stroke, edema, encephalitis, etc.

Violations respiratory function in brain pathology are very diverse: it is possible both to slow down breathing and to increase it, the appearance of different types abnormal breathing. Many patients with severe brain pathology are on artificial ventilation lungs because they can't breathe on their own.

The toxic effect of the waste products of microbes, fever leads to an increase in hypoxia and acidification internal environment body, which causes shortness of breath - the patient breathes often and noisily. Thus, the body seeks to quickly get rid of excess carbon dioxide and provide tissues with oxygen.

A relatively harmless cause of cerebral dyspnea can be considered functional disorders in the activity of the brain and peripheral nervous system - neurosis, hysteria. In these cases, shortness of breath is of a “nervous” nature, and in some cases this is noticeable to the naked eye, even to a non-specialist.

With intercostal neuralgia, the patient feels severe pain in half of the chest, aggravated by movements and inhalation, especially impressionable patients may panic, breathe rapidly and shallowly. With osteochondrosis, it is difficult to breathe, and constant pain in the spine can provoke chronic shortness of breath, which can be difficult to distinguish from shortness of breath in pulmonary or cardiac pathology.

Treatment of breathing difficulties in diseases of the musculoskeletal system includes exercise therapy, physiotherapy, massage, drug support in the form of anti-inflammatory drugs, analgesics.

Many expectant mothers complain that as the pregnancy progresses, it becomes more difficult for them to breathe. This symptom may well fit into the norm, because the growing uterus and fetus raise the diaphragm and reduce the expansion of the lungs, hormonal changes and the formation of the placenta contribute to an increase in the number of respiratory movements to provide the tissues of both organisms with oxygen.

However, during pregnancy, breathing should be carefully assessed so as not to miss a seemingly natural increase in it. serious pathology, which may be anemia, thromboembolic syndrome, progression of heart failure with a defect in a woman, etc.

One of the most dangerous reasons, according to which a woman can begin to choke during pregnancy, is considered pulmonary embolism. This condition is a threat to life, accompanied by a sharp increase in breathing, which becomes noisy and ineffective. Possible asphyxia and death without emergency care.

Thus, considering only the most common causes shortness of breath, it becomes clear that this symptom may indicate dysfunction of almost all organs or systems of the body, and in some cases it is difficult to isolate the main pathogenic factor. Patients who find it difficult to breathe need a thorough examination, and if the patient is suffocating, urgent qualified help is needed.

Any case of shortness of breath requires a trip to the doctor to find out its cause, self-medication in this case is unacceptable and can lead to very serious consequences. This is especially true of respiratory disorders in children, pregnant women and sudden attacks of shortness of breath in people of any age.

Video: what prevents breathing? Program “Live healthy!”

How dangerous are attacks of lack of air in a person, shortness of breath, asthma attacks, why does this happen, and how to deal with it?

This article is about those cases when everything is in order with the heart and lungs, no pathologies were found, and a person who suffocates from time to time has already been checked by a neurologist, a pulmonologist, a therapist, and nothing serious was found in him.

This is exactly the situation that is discouraging and frightening, because the specific reason has not been identified why there was a feeling of lack of air, there are no organic pathologies, and shortness of breath and heaviness in the chest still occur, and usually at the most inopportune moment.

When a person cannot explain the reason, their own interpretations and arguments arise that cause anxiety, fear that does not improve the situation, even aggravates it.

Causes of difficulty breathing

Probably every person has experienced sudden feeling pressure in the chest, lack of air, when it is hard to take a deep breath ... Why is this happening?

The reason is not in the lungs, not in the bronchi, but in the muscles of the chest, namely in the intercostal muscles and in the muscles that are involved in the act of breathing. You need to figure out what's going on.

• First, there is a tension of this very intercostal muscles, the muscles of the chest, which is why there are sensations of stiffness and difficulty in breathing. In fact, breathing is not difficult, but there is a feeling that there is not enough air, it seems to a person that he cannot breathe.

• When you feel like you can't do it deep breath, fears appear, panic attacks occur, an additional portion of adrenaline is released.

• From this, the intercostal muscles, the muscles of the chest are even more reduced, and this leads to even more difficult breathing. Naturally, while doing this, a person tries to inhale deeper and inhales too much air, more than is necessary.

i.e. there is a feeling that there is not enough air, but at the same time enough oxygen enters through the bronchi, and due to the fact that the person suffering from shortness of breath breathes rapidly and deeply or shallowly, it turns out that too much oxygen is inhaled.

There is, on the one hand, stiffness of the chest muscles and difficulty in breathing, and, on the other hand, due to a feeling of lack of oxygen, rapid deep or rapid breathing, which leads to a supersaturation of the blood with oxygen.

Thus, it is formed vicious circle , in the center of which there is a conscious focus on the feeling of pressure in the chest, on the lack of air for a full breath, which leads to a muscle reaction and to contraction respiratory organs and is interpreted as a feeling of inferior breathing.

It is worth noting that as a result of such a behavioral reaction, which seems to be understandable, logical, but far from functional, the blood is oversaturated with oxygen, acidosis occurs, changes acid-base balance in the blood, and this further aggravates the contraction of the muscles of respiration, leads to the expansion of blood vessels in the heart and brain, there is that same feeling " derealization”, when a person loses a sense of reality, the reality of what is happening.

Types of difficulty breathing

It is also worth mentioning that there are 2 types of shortness of breath:

• Type 1 - when a person cannot inhale to the end (feeling of incomplete inspiration), and the inhalation lasts a long time (inspiratory condition, that is, inhalatory dyspnea). This occurs when breathing through the upper respiratory tract is difficult.

• Type 2 - when it is impossible to exhale completely, and the exhalation lasts a long time without bringing satisfaction (experimental situation). Usually occurs with asthma.

There is also a mixed state of breathing problems, when it is difficult to inhale and exhale. But these types are usually caused by organ pathologies.

When short of breath nervous ground the patient cannot say for sure whether it is difficult for him to inhale or exhale, he simply says “ It's difficult to breathe”, there is a feeling that there is not enough air. And if you start breathing more often or deeper, relief does not come.

How to get rid of shortness of breath, difficulty breathing

• First, you need to identify the reason why, as they say, "the soul and heart hurts." For someone it is the situation in the country, for someone it is a lack of money or family troubles, some kind of unpleasant diagnosis. You need to ask yourself the question - is this problem worth such experiences? This is the beginning of healing, if you answer your question honestly, it will become easier to breathe.

• Excessive compassion should be removed from thoughts. This is a virus in disguise. People are often told: “Be compassionate!”, that is, to suffer together with someone, if one person felt bad, then the second person takes on the suffering of the first, and so along the chain it becomes bad for everyone around, and this leads to heaviness in chest, rapid breathing and, to moral anxiety and despondency. There is a correct program - mercy. It is much wiser to replace compassion with mercy.

• You should not dwell on failures, you need to solve your problems or let them go, especially if they are more far-fetched. Breathing will become much easier, it will feel better in the chest. You should think positively, do not allow gloomy thoughts to come to you.

• Together with the above, you need to use breathing techniques, for example:
  — ;
  – hatha yoga – control of one’s condition through Indian practice;

• Of course it's important correct mode a day and food, enough long sleep, frequent walks in the fresh air, then panic attacks will not bother.

The most important thing is to manage stress

Any - trouble at work or lack thereof, severe physical period after a long illness surgical intervention, divorce, retirement, and even the expectation of a child - can slowly deplete the body. And the body, as we are not inclined to ignore it, needs care and attention.

And then the exhausted and stressed body has no other way to draw attention to itself, except to “tear off” a kind of internal “stop tap” and provoke a panic attack, thereby forcing its “owner” to take care of itself.

Psychiatrists do not like to treat this condition, psychotherapists do not. As a rule, neurologists deal with this issue. Usually prescribed drugs for neuroses, antidepressants and tranquilizers, call it sometimes asthenic syndrome.

In American films, patients who are short of breath are often advised to breathe into a bag to restrict oxygen, although this method is not very effective.

*****
Summing up, we can say with confidence that behind the attacks panic attacks and suffocation is not worth any pathology. If a the cardiovascular system normal, and the cardiologist did not find anything, if the lungs were examined and healthy, then shortness of breath is not associated with organic diseases.

The feeling of suffocation that arises from time to time is nothing but programmed automatic response of the nervous system. Most importantly, it is harmless and harmless, it occurs as a result of expectation or fear of suffocation.

This reaction is absolutely reversible. It is clear that the feeling of fear about the lack of oxygen is very unpleasant in itself, and you need to get rid of it.

In order to avoid these attacks, it is necessary to train nervous system(vegetative), to be more precise, sympathetic department so that he does not get overexcited and overstrained so quickly. For this there are special exercises, for relaxation and a more calm perception of life's problems.

The first step in getting rid of shortness of breath is to understand the origins of the origin, why it occurs, to realize the fact that this is not caused by cardiac or lung disease, and make sure from your own experience that this is a controlled reversible reaction that does not carry any harm. This is not self-hypnosis, indeed, the respiratory and intercostal muscles contract under the influence of nerve impulses.

Being at rest, a person does not think about the fact that his body continues to work constantly. We blink, our heart beats, countless chemical and biological processes. The body takes care of its own condition. But sometimes, during physical tension, we need to control the possibility of air intake. It becomes hard to breathe, there is not enough air and you want to take a deeper breath. It's perfect normal condition after fast running, swimming and serious physical exertion.

But there are situations when it is difficult to breathe, there is not enough air when simply walking or even in a state of complete rest. Here it is already worth thinking about your health and starting to look for the causes of such an uncomfortable state. If it occurs suddenly, it may be due to the onset of a lung disease such as thromboembolism pulmonary asthma, pneumonia. In this case, the temperature may rise, there may be a feeling general malaise, chest pain. You should immediately resort to medical assistance and start appropriate treatment. If it suddenly becomes difficult to breathe, there is not enough air, there are pains in the heart - these are the first harbingers of myocardial infarction and other problems with cardiac activity. The body needs rest and complete rest. Similar situations caused by stress nervous tension, prolonged physical exertion and overwork. Sometimes, due to the occurrence allergic reactions it becomes hard to breathe. This is due to the presence of edema in the larynx, bronchi. The consequence of this is the difficulty in the flow of air into the lungs, and it becomes difficult to breathe.

The reasons can be sought in gradually progressive diseases to which a person has not paid due attention. These are diseases of the heart and blood vessels, lungs and developing fullness. It is necessary to fight with them: lead the right lifestyle, eat right, if necessary, get rid of extra pounds. Separately, situations in which it is difficult to breathe in the last stages of pregnancy should be considered. It's absolutely normal phenomenon and expectant mothers do not need to worry about their health. This is due to the fact that the uterus, when enlarged, increases intra-abdominal pressure, the diaphragm rises and reduces the volume of the lungs. Most often during physical exertion and in lying position pregnant women have difficulty breathing.

Not enough air and heavy smokers. If you smoke a lot and at the same time feel that it is difficult for you to breathe quite often, look for the reasons in the number of cigarettes smoked per day. BUT best solution waking up to get rid of this addiction. As soon as you do this, the lungs will work better and the breathing problem will disappear. High concentration dust in the air is the cause of difficulty breathing. If your job involves a lot of dust, be sure to use a protective device.

One of better ways treatment given state This is oxygen therapy. In our modern age, there are many similar devices that can "extract" oxygen from the air. And inhalation maximum dose oxygen, will get rid of such problems as hypoxemia and hypoxia ( low maintenance oxygen in the body). In case of heart problems, the doctor will prescribe serious problems with lungs (asthma and other chronic diseases) use inhalers. Breathing problems always require the most serious attitude to your body. Although in most cases the situation can be easily corrected, identified and resolved, it is better to consult a specialist with this symptom.