Shortness of breath – causes, treatment and prevention

Shortness of breath

Shortness of breath can have different causes. Anyone who has ever had problems with restricted breathing (e.g. a blocked nose) knows how panicked the body reacts when air becomes scarce. Even with permanent shortness of breath, eg due to a chronic lung disease, the organism suffers more or less severely and its performance is massively restricted.

What is shortness of breath?

Shortness of breath, which is associated with an insufficient air supply, is hidden behind the colloquial term shortness of breath. In medicine, shortness of breath is a clearly diagnosable clinical picture that can occur in a wide variety of groups of people.

With regard to the definition of shortness of breath, doctors also use the terms dyspnea and hyperventilation. These can be closely related to shortness of breath. In the case of shortness of breath, the normal and regular breathing activity is restricted, which can lead to an insufficient supply of the organism with vital oxygen.

causes

The causes of the onset and persistence of shortness of breath are quite variable and are influenced by both internal and external factors.In addition to the organic causes that can lead to shortness of breath, the triggers for shortness of breath in the environment or in a wrong way of life also come into consideration.

In addition, causes that lie in the psyche of a person also lead to temporary or persistent shortness of breath. The shortness of breath is thus seen in relation to the respective causes, either of short or long duration.

First of all, in the case of shortness of breath, acute or chronic existing health restrictions on the functionality of the bronchi and the entire lung organ are taken into account. Heart diseases , massive obesity and some diseases of the neurological, psychological and rheumatic symptom group can be held indirectly responsible for shortness of breath.

When to the doctor?

Shortness of breath occurs after strenuous and intense sporting and other physical activities. Due to the stress, the organism has an increased need for oxygen, which triggers the changed breathing. After a few minutes of regeneration, the shortness of breath is over. If shortness of breath occurs due to increased nervousness or excitement, it will go away after the situation has been dealt with. In these cases, a doctor’s visit is not necessary.

Persistent shortness of breath must be evaluated by a medical professional. If it persists for several hours or days without an apparent reason, further investigations are necessary. If additional symptoms such as pain when breathing, interruptions in breathing or permanently high blood pressure occur, a doctor must be consulted immediately. Other diseases are possible here that need to be clarified. If you have chest pain , you are at risk of having a heart attack. An ambulance must be called and first aid measures must be taken.

Shortness of breath can result from injuries to the respiratory organs or bruises to the ribs . Therefore, a doctor must be consulted, who determines the cause with the help of imaging methods. Other symptoms include chest pain or coughing up blood. As soon as the affected person is afraid of suffocation, a doctor should always be consulted.

diagnosis and course

If, in the case of shortness of breath, the diagnostic examinations have shown that it is either due to obesity , bronchial asthma , inflammation of the heart muscle , inflammatory processes in the pleura or anemia , corresponding progression forms are observed.

Basically, shortness of breath always occurs more intensely when those affected move from a resting phase to physical movement. Initially, intense physical exertion is required, so that the patients soon have to gasp for air and stop their movements. As the disease progresses, those affected suffer from shortness of breath even with normal physical exertion such as lifting objects or carrying their purchases.

When you are short of breath, your breaths become rapid and short, making it impossible to take a deep breath. Due to the rapidity of the successive breaths, the carbon dioxide contained in the blood cannot be exhaled and the hemoglobin is not free to bind oxygen. A lack of oxygen is the result of shortness of breath. The patient quickly suffers from dizziness , the lips can turn slightly bluish and they can lose consciousness.

complications

Various complications can arise in connection with shortness of breath. Affected people are usually less efficient, they can feel pain when breathing and may also get panic attacks . The lack of oxygen can lead to circulatory problems and fatigue. Physical symptoms such as sunken eye sockets and bluish lips can occur. Shortness of breath puts a strain on the entire organism, so prompt treatment is necessary.

Shortness of breath can increase the long-term risk of lung abscesses associated with bacterial diseases, as well as cardiovascular problems. If the shortness of breath is treated too late or not properly, it can lead to chronic shortness of breath. As a result, performance continues to decline. Those affected often feel defeated and suffer from depression and anxiety disorders. Shortness of breath is often treated with therapeutic measures such as breathing exercises. This can lead to increased fatigue in the patient. The respiratory muscles are often overstrained during respiratory exercises, so that the patient often feels dizziness and sharp pains in the lungs. If an undiagnosed heart or lung disease is the cause of the shortness of breath, exercises can also lead to a collapse.

treatment and therapy

Various versions are available for the successful treatment of shortness of breath. Most treatments for shortness of breath require patient compliance, usually based on lifestyle changes. Conventional medicine, naturopaths and homeopaths know medical advice against shortness of breath. Before treating the shortness of breath, however, there is a targeted diagnostic clarification of the causes in order to be able to make a special selection of treatment options. Drugs for shortness of breath can support therapy.

Professionally controlled breathing exercises and inhalation are effective against shortness of breath caused by a lung or respiratory disease. In respiratory gymnastics against shortness of breath, it is important to strengthen the muscles of the respiratory tract. If the shortness of breath is due to an existing heart disease, cardiac gymnastics, stabilizing medication and so-called training therapy can be helpful. In addition, in most cases it makes sense to consider reducing body weight if you are obese if you are experiencing shortness of breath. Even reducing body weight by a few kilograms improves normal breathing in contrast to oppressive shortness of breath.

outlook and prognosis

In any case, shortness of breath is a very serious complaint that must be treated by a doctor. Without treatment, the shortness of breath can, in the worst case, lead to the death of the person concerned. In most cases, there is no self-healing, so that a visit to the doctor is necessary in any case. If the shortness of breath is caused by a foreign object, it can usually be treated fairly easily by removing the foreign object. In severe cases, however, an operation is necessary.

However, shortness of breath can also be caused by other diseases and be associated with other symptoms. Furthermore, the affected person can also lose consciousness and possibly injure himself in a fall. The shortness of breath itself also leads to permanent tiredness and exhaustion in the patient. If the underlying condition of the shortness of breath is treated successfully, the complaint can be limited and combated. However, a positive course of the disease cannot be guaranteed in every case.

prevention

The causative triggers for shortness of breath are well known, so that prevention can be optimally geared towards avoiding these influences.

In order to first damage the lung tissue, especially the extremely sensitive bronchial tubes responsible for breathing, the consumption of nicotine must be stopped.

A calorie-reduced diet and regular physical exercise as well as endurance training support the health of the cardiovascular system and keep it fit. Obesity is avoided. This is useful to prevent shortness of breath.

If it is necessary to take various medicines that support the activity of the heart and lungs, they should be taken exactly according to the instructions to prevent shortness of breath. This reduces existing shortness of breath and prevents acute attacks of shortness of breath.

Dorothy Farrar

Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.

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