What can cause difficulty in breathing. Causes of shortness of breath and methods of dealing with the symptom. Problems with the airways leading to the lungs

If a person is concerned about shortness of breath, the causes of lack of air can be different: diseases of the lungs, bronchi, heart, circulatory and nervous systems. This symptom occurs when the brain does not receive enough oxygen.

The essence of the problem

Difficulty breathing in broncho-obstructive syndrome is a condition that occurs with bronchitis, COPD and bronchial asthma. Despite the fact that the causes of these diseases are different, the mechanism of development of shortness of breath has common features - due to the inflammatory process or spasm, the lumen of the bronchi narrows, as a result, severe shortness of breath occurs on exhalation, the exhalation becomes long and noisy, and until it ends, the patient will not be able to inhale. Air, poor in oxygen, accumulates in the lungs, and the oxygen saturation of the blood drops, so there is a feeling of lack of air. In severe attacks of bronchial asthma, hypoxia is so pronounced that the patient may lose consciousness. In bronchitis and COPD, shortness of breath occurs and increases with physical exertion, but in severe cases it can also occur at rest.

The ingress of a foreign body into the bronchi causes difficulty in breathing both on inhalation and exhalation, the severity of shortness of breath depends on the size of the body that interferes with breathing.

Difficulty breathing also occurs with restrictive pathologies of the lungs.

The feeling of lack of air occurs with congestion in the pulmonary circulation. The cause of stagnation of blood in the small circle can be left ventricular failure, aortic valve stenosis or coarctation of the aorta, pulmonary vein stenosis and other diseases of the heart and blood vessels. Under these conditions, blood enters the small circle from the right ventricle, but the left ventricle is not able to ensure its flow into the large circle in the required volume. Blood is retained in the small circle, but its oxygen saturation does not increase, but gas exchange with lung tissues takes place. The amount of blood entering the brain and the oxygen content in it decreases, and the patient begins to experience symptoms of oxygen starvation - he does not have enough air, but breathing is not difficult. With congestion in the pulmonary circulation, hemosiderosis or a more dangerous condition, pulmonary edema, may occur. There may be a feeling that there is not enough air after a heart attack, if it was extensive, and the restoration of heart function was incomplete.

Conditions that require emergency care

There are several conditions that are accompanied, among other things, by a feeling of lack of air, when it becomes difficult for the patient to breathe, and immediate assistance is required to the patient. The most dangerous of them are status asthmaticus, myocardial infarction and pulmonary edema. Unlike the diseases described above, which develop for a long time, sometimes decades, these life-threatening pathological conditions occur acutely.

Asthmatic status is a condition that occurs in patients with bronchial asthma upon contact with a large amount of an allergen or with several attacks following one after another. In status asthmaticus, due to bronchospasm, the patient cannot exhale, and the air-filled lungs do not allow a full breath to be taken. Characteristic wheezing can be heard at a distance. The face becomes cyanotic, the jugular veins swell, the patient is in a state of panic. Asthmatic status does not stop on its own, and without medical help, loss of consciousness and death occurs.

Emergency care for status asthmaticus - first of all, it is necessary to calm the patient, you need to talk with him, giving clear and unambiguous instructions. It is necessary to persuade him to accept the position of orthopnea with a fixed shoulder girdle (standing or sitting, resting his hands on a hard surface), in this position auxiliary muscles are more easily involved in breathing, and it is also necessary to give him commands to breathe in and out, this helps not only to cope with panic, but also allows the patient to maintain external breathing, despite bronchospasm. It should be remembered that even those patients who have been suffering from bronchial asthma for a long time and have already experienced status asthmaticus cannot always alleviate their condition on their own.

But these measures are only temporary, allowing to stabilize the patient's condition until the ambulance arrives. The arriving team has the possibility of drug therapy for status asthmaticus - usually intravenous administration of aminophylline is used for this, which causes relaxation of the muscles of the bronchi. Bronchoselective β-blockers are also used. An oxygen mask is used to relieve symptoms.

Myocardial infarction declares itself, first of all, with pain behind the sternum, which does not go away on its own for ten minutes or more, is not stopped by painkillers and nitroglycerin. Difficulty breathing, feeling short of breath, fear of death make it possible to diagnose a heart attack quite accurately, even without an ECG machine at hand.

First aid for a heart attack is taking aspirin once, nitroglycerin no more than three tablets to relieve pain, once - beta-blockers, if the patient has them with him. The patient should be half-sitting or lying down, he cannot move. It is necessary to ensure the maximum possible access of fresh air to the room: open a window, unfasten a collar, tie or belt that makes it difficult to breathe.

The arriving ambulance team will administer heparin subcutaneously to the patient, if necessary - a thrombolytic drug, and give an oxygen mask to his face. This condition necessarily requires hospitalization, as soon as possible, since the sooner treatment is started, the more complete will be the restoration of the patient's quality of life.

Pulmonary edema

Pulmonary edema is a condition that develops in patients suffering from congestion in the small circle, or can become a complication of myocardial infarction, and, conversely, pulmonary edema can lead to a heart attack. Its symptoms:

• shortness of breath, turning into suffocation;
• cough with copious frothy sputum, sometimes pinkish;
• fear of death.

The patient is somewhat relieved when he sits with his feet on the floor (orthopnea with legs down). Precisely because of the risk of pulmonary edema, it is preferable for a patient with myocardial infarction to sit rather than lie down.

First aid - the patient must be helped to take the position of orthopnea with his legs down, it is strictly contraindicated to move. In order to reduce the volume of blood circulating in the small circle, tourniquets can be applied to the lower limbs (no more than half an hour). Inhalation of ethyl alcohol vapors reduces the amount of foam in the lungs. You can take diuretics, it is absolutely impossible to drink liquid.

The arriving ambulance team will administer diuretics intravenously, use an oxygen mask to reduce foaming and increase oxygen supply to the blood, prescribe drugs that ease the work of the heart to ensure adequate blood flow in the organs, primarily in the brain.

Features of the treatment of lack of air will be made up of the diagnosis and the results of the examination in the hospital. Take care of your health and do not forget to visit a doctor!

The breathing of a healthy person is calm and even, its frequency can be determined by the rise of the chest. With the development of pathological processes associated with lack of air and shortness of breath, the frequency of breathing can change, it becomes intermittent and superficial, noises appear or, on the contrary, the breaths become deep and very quiet.

Symptoms of difficulty breathing

The respiratory rate of a healthy person changes with age: for example, young children take 30-35 breaths, and for adults, the norm is 16-20 breaths.

• persistent cough;
• chest pain;
• feeling of tightness in the chest;
• the impossibility of making a full exhalation / inhalation;
• sensation of a lump in the throat / foreign object;
• bouts of suffocation.

These are the main symptoms based on the individual feelings of the person seeking help from a specialist.

At an early stage of any disease, difficulty in breathing appears after physical exertion, but as the pathology progresses, shortness of breath and lack of oxygen occur even at rest.

Difficulty breathing, lack of air, the reasons may be different, but changes of any nature are a reason to immediately consult a doctor.

Clinical manifestations of breathing problems

Often pathologies associated with breathing are manifested:

• pronounced wheezing and whistling;
• sore throat and cough;
• frequent yawning and widening of the nostrils;
• swallowing/speech disorder;
• hoarseness of voice;
• pale skin;
• blue lips and nails;
• the occurrence of dizziness / fainting;
• deterioration in concentration;
• the appearance of apathy / severe weakness / lethargy.

The patient may complain of pain or unpleasant tingling in the sternum, a feeling of heaviness and squeezing. Also, many note that shortness of breath appears when falling asleep, i.e. the body lies horizontally. A person has to look for a comfortable lying position in order to breathe normally.

Causes of shortness of breath and difficulty breathing

All pathological processes, manifested by symptoms associated with respiratory failure, can be divided into several groups.

Breathing can become difficult when the lungs do not expand enough. Often the causes of such shortness of breath are not dangerous: for example, if breathing is disturbed during sleep, then you should simply change the position of the body.

Pathological respiratory failure in adults

An adult who has constant shortness of breath may look inhibited from the outside: he does not understand the meaning of what has been said, he finds it difficult to answer simple questions, he is poorly oriented in space. This condition is due to the low supply of oxygen to the brain. Insufficient air supply to the muscles and tissues makes it difficult for the patient to keep his head straight. A person may complain of darkening in the eyes and blurring of objects.

It's important to know! Shortness of breath of a healthy person caused by physical exertion should be distinguished from signs of pathologies of the cardiovascular, endocrine, nervous and respiratory systems.

Shortness of breath, as a symptom of the disease, appears regularly, regardless of physical activity and even at complete rest.

There are three types of breathlessness:

1. mixed;
2. inspiratory;
3. expiratory.

The first variant of shortness of breath is characterized by difficulty in inhaling and exhaling. Inspiratory dyspnea refers to problems with inhalation, while expiratory dyspnea refers to exhalation.

Treatment for difficulty breathing

Difficulty breathing requires exceptionally specialized traditional treatment. The use of folk recipes without first consulting a doctor can only aggravate an already difficult condition of a person.

In cases where difficulty in breathing developed suddenly and poses a threat to life, you should immediately call an ambulance. Prior to the arrival of the team, it is important:

• ensure the maximum supply of oxygen: unfasten clothes, open windows, free the airways (for example, from vomit);
• lay the patient horizontally and raise his legs: this will ensure better blood flow to the brain and heart;
• if breathing stops, artificial lung ventilation should be performed (mouth-to-mouth method).

If the cause of breathing problems is stress, then psychological counseling and meditation can help solve the problem.

When there is shortness of breath and lack of air, the causes of which are a serious illness, after diagnostic measures, doctors select and prescribe special medicines and procedures.

Prevention of breathing problems

To get rid of shortness of breath, you should:

• normalize weight;
• to live an active lifestyle;
• give up tobacco;
• avoid nervous strain and stress;
• avoid getting foreign objects into the airways.

But the most important preventive measure is the treatment of the pathology that is the root cause of the problem, especially when it is a violation in the work of the cardiovascular and pulmonary systems.

Sudden shortness of breath should not be ignored, especially when it is accompanied by other symptoms (wheezing, pain in the head or chest, fever).

This condition indicates serious malfunctions in the body, which sometimes lead to death.

Diagnostic measures

To make an accurate diagnosis, the following activities are carried out:

1. Conversation. The doctor necessarily collects an anamnesis of the development of the disease: finds out if there are concomitant symptoms, what is the nature of shortness of breath, finds out whether an attack occurred for the first time or is this a systematic phenomenon. The doctor also talks about the presence of chronic diseases and allergies.
2. Inspection. It involves examining the skin to identify possible allergic rashes or areas of cyanosis (blueness). It is also mandatory to examine the cavity of the oropharynx and nose for the presence of foreign objects.
3. Laboratory research. A blood test to determine the oxygen content in it allows you to exclude / confirm hypoxia.
4. Instrumental studies include:

Respiratory failure and shortness of breath in a child

In most cases, shortness of breath in a child appears for the same reasons as in adults. Special cases are observed if mothers of newborns suffer from diabetes or heart disease. In such cases, babies are at risk of developing pulmonary edema - distress syndrome.

The cause of difficult breathing in newborns may be congenital heart disease, and in infants and older children - false croup, laryngitis, respiratory diseases.

Diseases that can cause serious breathing problems in children:

The occurrence of respiratory disorders is difficult not to see. Oxygen deficiency is instantly noticeable: a person begins to breathe noisily. Many people have a hard time enduring such conditions: due to the fact that you want to breathe deeply, but this becomes impossible, a person may be seized by panic, further aggravating the pathological condition.

To avoid irreversible consequences, you should know exactly the causes of breathing difficulties, be able to provide quick help to yourself and others, and strictly follow the instructions of your doctor.

Shortness of breath (or dyspnea) - an increase in the frequency of breathing due to a lack of oxygen. A symptom appears in many diseases, so it should be evaluated only in combination with other health disorders. At the same time, it is impossible to ignore difficult breathing in any case, because often quite difficult diagnoses are hidden even behind minor discomfort. MedAboutMe will tell you which are the most common.

Types and symptoms of difficulty breathing

Normally, the frequency of inhalations-exhalations is 14-15 times per minute. Dyspnea is a condition in which the respiratory rate (RR) increases to 18 or more, and the breathing itself becomes heavy and sharp. This happens for a number of reasons, which are based on insufficient supply of oxygen to the blood. A healthy body can also experience hypoxia - for example, against the background of physical exertion, oxygen needs in muscle tissue increase significantly, heart rate and breathing become more frequent. Physiological shortness of breath (in a healthy person) differs from pathological (in a patient) in that it always has a visible cause and passes quickly enough. If problems occur during sleep, at rest, or with little exertion, dyspnea is a symptom of the disease.

Doctors distinguish several types of shortness of breath, depending on exactly how difficult it is to breathe:

• Inspiratory - difficulty in inhaling.
• Expiratory - difficulty exhaling.
• Mixed type.

Shortness of breath is often accompanied by other symptoms that indicate a lack of oxygen. So, against the background of heavy breathing, you can observe:

• Fatigue.
• Dizziness.
• Darkening in the eyes.
• Discomfort in the chest area.

The cause of severe shortness of breath is most often diseases of the heart and respiratory organs, because they are involved in the process of oxygen saturation of the blood. Various pathologies of the respiratory system lead to disruption of gas exchange, in which the inhaled air cannot be used effectively. This happens in such cases:

• Acute infectious diseases of the respiratory tract. Shortness of breath is an indispensable symptom of bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchiolitis. This is due to the fact that mucus accumulates in the bronchi, bronchioles and alveoli, which clogs the airways and interferes with gas exchange. Dyspnea in this case is expressed during the disease and normally disappears after the infection is eliminated. If the disease becomes chronic (for example, bronchitis), breathing is difficult all the time, and shortness of breath is especially pronounced during exacerbations.
• Bronchial asthma and various allergic reactions. These diagnoses are characterized by expiratory dyspnea associated with spasm or swelling of the airways.
• Lung diseases that cause damage to lung tissue - tuberculosis, pneumosclerosis, emphysema, pneumoconiosis.
• Toxic edema. An acute condition caused by poisoning, in which lung tissue is damaged. In this case, shortness of breath occurs abruptly, it is very pronounced, the person does not feel better when changing the position of the body or stopping any physical activity.
• Airway obstruction. Accumulated mucus (with infections), as well as foreign bodies or even a neoplasm (tumor, papilloma) can block the airways.
• Pulmonary embolism.
• Pneumothorax.

Shortness of breath in heart disease

The second most common cause of dyspnea is heart disease. In this case, hypoxia occurs not because the blood is not sufficiently saturated with oxygen in the lungs, but because the myocardium cannot cope with its functions, hemodynamics is disturbed. Most often, shortness of breath occurs against the background of such heart diseases:

• Arrhythmias of various kinds, including bradycardia (decrease in heart rate).
• Cardiac ischemia.
• Heart failure.
• Cardiac asthma (breathing problems occur at night).
• Inflammatory diseases - myocarditis, endocarditis, pericarditis.
• Congenital and acquired heart defects.
• Cardiosclerosis.
• Arterial hypertension.

Circulatory disorders that cause shortness of breath are accompanied by other symptoms. So, with heart disease, the following are most often observed:

• Edema that occurs in the evening and is localized in the ankle area.
• fatigue.
• Pain in the region of the heart.
• Cold extremities.

Red blood cells - erythrocytes - are responsible for transporting oxygen to tissues. It is in them that hemoglobin is located, a protein that is able to capture oxygen, and then give it to cells. Therefore, anemia (anemia) is considered the third most common cause of shortness of breath. The disease is diagnosed, as a rule, in two cases:

• A decrease in the number of red blood cells (cells may not be produced by the bone marrow, break down too quickly, or be irregular in shape).
• Decreased hemoglobin level in red blood cells.

Dyspnea is one of the first symptoms of this disease. It cannot be ignored, since progressive anemia can lead to loss of consciousness and even death. In a mild form, the disease is asymptomatic, its progression, along with shortness of breath, manifests itself as follows:

• Paleness of the skin.
• Rapid fatigue, weakness.
• Cardiopalmus.
• Dizziness.
• Tremor (trembling of limbs).
• Bad dream.

Most often, anemia occurs against the background of malnutrition, in which the body receives less iron. However, sometimes anemia in itself is a symptom - a lack of red blood cells is observed in oncological diseases, tuberculosis, osteomyelitis and other pathologies.

Other reasons: obesity, neurosis

Breathing problems also occur against the background of other diseases and conditions. In particular, dyspnea is one of the common signs of endocrine disorders. Patients with diabetes mellitus and thyroid pathologies (hypothyroidism and thyrotoxicosis) suffer from shortness of breath.

Another common cause of breathing difficulties is obesity. Excess weight increases the load on the heart, because blood needs to provide a larger volume of tissues, and excessive fat deposits put pressure on internal organs, including the lungs. Thus, on the one hand, the need for oxygen increases, and on the other hand, the functional volume of the lungs decreases. These factors cause quite severe asthma attacks.

A separate type of dyspnea is psychogenic dyspnea, which manifests itself in patients with neurotic disorders. They have heavy breathing for no apparent reason or against the background of stress. Often during an attack in suspicious people, the condition is aggravated by panic, fear of death - the so-called false asthma develops.

Shortness of breath (dyspnea) is a change in the frequency and depth of breathing, designed to increase the amount of oxygen entering the body. At this moment, a person has a feeling of lack of air, as well as rapid breathing and heartbeat.

Impaired inhalation and exhalation is not in itself a disease and may occur in response to changes in the environment or physical activity. If you are worried about shortness of breath at rest, and shortness of breath is a frequent occurrence, you should consult a doctor.

These symptoms can signal serious health problems.

The article will help you understand what shortness of breath is, describe the causes of bad breath and ways to eliminate the disease.

Etiology of the problem

The only reason why shortness of breath occurs and the heartbeat quickens is the lack of oxygen in the blood and tissues. In this way, the body tries to restore balance in order to prevent serious disturbances in the functioning of the organs.

The feeling of lack of air can occur in a healthy person. It is provoked:

• excessive physical activity (especially in untrained people);
• in conditions of rarefied air (at high altitudes);
• excitement, stress;
• late pregnancy;
• enclosed spaces;
• foreign body in the airways.

Chronic bad breath is observed in people suffering from osteochondrosis, or herniated discs.

The main pathological causes that make it difficult for a person to breathe are diseases:

• respiratory organs (, asthma, pneumonia, pneumosclerosis, lung cancer);
• hearts (, ischemic heart disease, neoplasms);
• nervous system (trauma, tumor, edema,);

The factors that provoke heavy breathing and include physical inactivity, obesity, smoking.

Shortness of breath in children occurs for the same reasons as in adults. But due to the fact that the young body is more vulnerable, rapid breathing can cause even minor disturbances in homeostasis.

Shortness of breath in a child can be recorded against the background of:

• hyperthermia;
• high temperature;
• excitement, stress;
• allergies;
• rhinitis;
• physical activity;
• laryngeal edema,;
• diphtheria;
• inflammation of the lungs;
• emphysema;
• heart disease;
• diseases of the immune system;
• virus infection;
• imbalance of hormones;
• ingress of a foreign object into the respiratory system;
• (congenital anomaly).

Important! Rapid breathing, like a rapid heartbeat, in childhood is not always an alarming symptom. A healthy child makes more respiratory movements than an adult.

Physiological norms of the frequency of respiratory acts

If your baby's breathing is abnormal or worrisome, you should contact your pediatrician. Only a doctor can reliably determine whether a child has shortness of breath.

Symptoms

Dyspnea is characterized by general and particular symptoms. The latter are due to pathology, the result of which was difficulty breathing.

Shortness of breath and lack of air have the following clinical picture (both in sick and healthy people):

• pain and pressure in the chest;
• unusual sounds during inhalation and exhalation (wheezing, whistling);
• problems with swallowing;
• sensation of coma and tightness in the throat;
• breathing through the mouth;
• high blood pressure;
• cough;
• yawn.

Panting, most people begin to panic, so fear, nervous tremors, and inappropriate behavior are added to the main symptoms.

Shortness of breath in sick people is accompanied by symptoms specific to a particular pathology.

Respiratory failure in heart disease

Shortness of breath and lack of air are accompanied by pain in the chest and behind the shoulder blade. Observed skin, swelling of the lower extremities. The patient does not have enough air when inhaling, and shortness of breath at rest is a frequent occurrence. In severe cases of the disease, a feeling of lack of air can occur in the supine position (at night in a dream).

Respiratory failure in diseases of the lungs and airways

Cough and shortness of breath in a person signal a violation of the respiratory system.

The patient is equally short of breath when inhaling and exhaling. In the early stages of the disease, rapid breathing appears only in case of physical exertion, then shortness of breath occurs when walking and minimal movements.

When the disease goes into an extreme or irreversible stage, chronic bad breath is recorded.

Shortness of breath in bronchial asthma is a familiar phenomenon for almost 10% of the world's population. It is accompanied by attacks of suffocation, which most often occur in the morning or at night. The patient has a feeling of lack of air, chest pain, arrhythmia joins him, veins in the neck increase.

At the same time, he suffers from a dry cough. Choking, a person can lose orientation in space and the ability to respond adequately. Sometimes an attack leads to convulsions and loss of consciousness.

Respiratory failure in pathologies of the nervous system

The respiratory centers are located in the brain. Rapid breathing may result from structural abnormalities in the medulla oblongata. When the central nervous system is infected, tissue acidification and a decrease in oxygen levels occur, as a result of which the patient has heavy breathing (frequent and noisy).

Lack of air during breathing is noted in people suffering due to impaired blood supply to organs and tissues.

Rapid breathing is accompanied by numbness of the fingers, ringing in the ears, dizziness. In people with VSD, shortness of breath is very common when walking, especially fast, and when moving up stairs.

Patients suffering from bouts of hysteria and other neurotic disorders may also experience shortness of breath. But such a violation of inhalation and exhalation is only superficial and directly depends on emotions. A person may scream "I'm suffocating", but there will be no signs of hypoxia.

Types of respiratory failure

Shortness of breath happens:

1. Physiological. Shortness of breath on exertion, in the mountains, or in a stuffy room.
2. Pathological. It occurs due to a malfunction of the internal organs. Shortness of breath during breathing is felt not only during sports or other efforts, but shortness of breath appears at rest.

Based on when there is a lack of air during breathing, these types of shortness of breath are distinguished:

• inspiratory;
• expiratory;
• mixed.

Inspiratory dyspnea is diagnosed if there is not enough air when inhaling. Problems arise against the background of narrowing of the lumen of the airways. In childhood, inspiratory dyspnea is a sign of another throat infection.

A distinctive feature of the second type of shortness of breath is difficult exhalation. It appears due to a decrease in the diameter of the bronchi and bronchioles. This type includes shortness of breath in bronchial asthma.

Causes of mixed shortness of breath - heart failure and serious lung disease

In medical practice, it is customary to distinguish 5 stages of the disease.

To determine the severity of the disease, the doctor finds out how often and under what conditions there is a lack of air when breathing:

• Initial. Shortness of breath during physical exertion, running, playing sports.
• Light. There is shortness of breath when walking over rough terrain or walking in the mountains.
• Average. Heavy breathing occurs when walking at a normal pace and a person is forced to stop to recover.
• Heavy. A person needs rest every 3-5 minutes.
• Very heavy. There is shortness of breath at rest.

Diagnostics

Heavy breathing, which occurs even with minor exertion, is a reason to contact a therapist. Only after an examination and a thorough diagnosis, the doctor will give an answer why there is not enough air when breathing and what to do next.

Diagnosis involves a survey and initial examination. The doctor finds out if the patient was injured and what chronic diseases he has. Examination of the patient is carried out using a phonendoscope, which allows you to detect the presence of wheezing and whistles. To clarify the clinical picture, laboratory tests are prescribed:

• blood analysis;
• chest x-ray;
• electrocardiogram;
• pulse oximetry (determines the degree of saturation of hemoglobin with oxygen);
• spirometry (measurement of the volume and speed of breathing);
• capnometry (measurement of the amount of carbon dioxide during inhalation and exhalation).

If the patient is at rest, all indicators are normal, then tests are carried out with a load. Such studies will help to identify the causes of shortness of breath during walking and exercise. To do this, use a bicycle ergometer, or offer the patient to climb the stairs.

To make a correct diagnosis, the patient is examined by specialists from different fields: a pulmonologist, a cardiologist, a surgeon, an allergist, a neurologist.

Treatment of shortness of breath

It is important for each person to know not only what it is - shortness of breath, but also to be able to provide first aid if necessary.

Algorithm of actions before the arrival of doctors:

• it is convenient to seat the patient or lay on his side;
• remove clothing that can make it difficult to breathe;
• provide additional oxygen supply (open a window or give (if available) an oxygen cushion);
• try to warm the limbs (massage, heating pad).

People suffering from bronchial asthma should:

• avoid contact with the allergen;
• always carry medicines (inhaler, mucolytics) with you.

Medical therapy

Treatment of shortness of breath primarily involves the treatment of the disease itself, which caused it. But to improve the quality of life of the patient, medications are used to stop an unpleasant symptom. The patient is scheduled for:

• bronchial dilators (Atrovent, Berodual, Ipratropium native);
• beta-agonists (Salbutamol, Indacaterol);
• methylxanthines (Teotard, Teopek);
• inhaled steroid hormones (Ingakort, Pulmicort, Bekotid);
• mucolytics (Bizolvon, Lazolvan, Ambrosan);
• antispasmodics (Hyoscyamine, Buscopan);
• sedatives (Persen, Novo-passit);
• multivitamin complexes (Aerovit, Polivitaplex).

Surgery

Surgical treatment is resorted to if it is necessary to remove a tumor that affects the parameters of inhalation and exhalation.

Treatment with folk remedies

What is respiratory failure has been known for a long time, so traditional medicine has accumulated a lot of advice on how to remove shortness of breath.

1. If a person does not have enough air when inhaling, it is recommended to use an infusion of honey, lemon and garlic to alleviate the condition. To prepare it, take 0.5 liters of honey, 5 lemons and 5 heads of garlic. Juice is squeezed out of lemons, peeled garlic is crushed, and then everything is mixed with honey. The mixture is insisted under the lid in a dark place for a week. Take 4 tsp. once a day for 2 months.
2. If you are worried about shortness of breath at rest (especially true for overweight people), you can take an infusion of garlic and lemon juice. 175 g of peeled and mashed garlic is mixed with the juice of 12 lemons. The infusion is left in a jar for a day (covered with gauze on top), not forgetting to shake it regularly. Take 1 tsp. before going to bed, after shaking in a small amount of water.
3. Fresh goat's milk is of great benefit to the respiratory system as a whole. It should be taken on an empty stomach several times a day.

Important! The use of folk remedies must be carried out under the supervision of a doctor!

Exercises

To make breathing easier, doctors suggest doing the following:

• sit up straight and straighten your shoulders;
• place palms on the chest (below);
• breathe through your nose without taking very deep breaths.

Exercise is performed every 40-45 minutes throughout the day.

Prevention

• stop smoking;
• to live an active lifestyle;
• do sport;
• control your weight;
• avoid stress;
• timely treat diseases that cause shortness of breath;
• regularly undergo preventive examinations.

Forecast

The prognosis for life is favorable. The exception is inspiratory dyspnea, which has arisen due to the ingress of a foreign object into the respiratory tract, as well as dyspnea at rest, which has occurred against the background of severe diseases of the respiratory system, heart, or injury.

Even a perfectly healthy person from time to time gets into such situations when he becomes. Difficulty breathing can be caused by a variety of reasons, from completely harmless to very serious, requiring immediate medical attention.

Common Causes

Breathing may be difficult due to any obstruction in the throat, nose or mouth that interferes with the free movement of air when inhaling. A similar state can also occur with a sudden outbreak of rage, anger, aggression.

Difficulty breathing is part of the symptom complex of psychological disorders such as chronic phobias or panic attacks. Even the process of adaptation of the organism to new, unusual conditions for it can sometimes manifest itself as a similar symptom. Relatively safe and well-founded causes of difficulty breathing are climbing to high altitudes, where the air is rarefied, smoking, overweight, physical inactivity.

Most often for respiratory disorders allergy sufferers complain. When exposed to household dust, chemicals, plant pollen, pet dander, eating allergenic foods, or taking certain medications in people with allergies, shortness of breath is one of the first signs of an attack.

Dangerous reasons

The factors listed above are not a threat to human health, since each of them can be easily eliminated. As a result, breathing again becomes even and quickly returns to normal.

There are also causes of difficulty breathing, which are not so easy to eliminate. These are internal diseases and pathologies that require serious medical treatment.

Breathing disorders can develop against the background of high blood pressure or diseases of the pulmonary system, such as bronchitis, bronchial asthma, inflammation and obstruction of the lungs. Sometimes shortness of breath appears as a complication after a severe sore throat.

It is difficult to breathe from time to time becomes cores - people suffering from diseases of the cardiovascular system, pathologies of blood vessels, heart muscle, heart. Serious breathing problems occur with congenital heart pathologies, left ventricular volume insufficiency, coronary disease, rheumatic heart disease, endocarditis. This is explained by the fact that due to the impaired functioning of the CCC organs, oxygen starvation occurs, which negatively affects the work of the whole organism, including the functions of the respiratory tract, the organs of the pulmonary system.

Other causes of difficulty breathing include:

• blood infection;
• hernia;
• croup;
• embolism;
• epiglottis;
• pulmonary hypertension;
• bronchial or lung cancer;
• emphysema;
• pleurisy;
• pulmonary edema.

In addition, frequent complaints of shortness of breath are observed in patients who, due to circumstances, are forced to lead a sedentary lifestyle, as well as in people who have suffered severe physical injuries.

You should immediately consult a doctor if breathing does not recover at rest, if there is a feeling of tightness and pain in the chest, with shortness of breath, wheezing and wheezing sounds that occur during sleep, if breathing is difficult for several days, and