Shortness of breath symptoms with minimal exertion. Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and shortness of breath from what happens? Shortness of breath: what is it and the causes

Shortness of breath is one of the most common health complaints, leading many people across the earth to seek medical advice. Nevertheless, it is important to distinguish between normal physiological shortness of breath as a result of hard work or active pastime, after which breathing is restored, and pathological shortness of breath that accompanies, which we will talk about today.

Shortness of breath - what is it

Shortness of breath (dyspnea)- a special condition, or a symptom of various diseases, in which a person feels a lack of air. Because of this, uncomfortable sensations appear in the chest, and sometimes other respiratory disorders, in the form of more frequent and shallow breathing, the appearance of noises in the chest.

As a rule, the presence of shortness of breath is noticed not only by the person who has it, but also by the people around him, therefore dyspnea has a pronounced severity.

Dyspnea - ICD

ICD-10: R06.8
ICD-9: 786.0
MKB-9-KM: 786.09

Consider the main causes of shortness of breath, depending on the location of the pathology.

Shortness of breath with diseases of the respiratory system

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)- a group of diseases characterized by a number of pathological changes in the structure of the lungs and their components (bronchioles, alveoli, etc.), with impaired functioning. The main symptoms are lack of air and dampness, i.e. with sputum discharge. Usually it is chronic. It is often found in smokers or workers with unfavorable environmental conditions (construction site, production workshops, etc.).

The term COPD means - pulmonary emphysema, chronic obstructive bronchitis, chronic obliterating bronchiolitis, severe forms of bronchial asthma, bronchiectasis, byssinosis, cystic fibrosis.

You can prevent an attack of shortness of breath with the help of various exercises or folk remedies. Let's take a look at them, but remember that regular breathing problems require a medical evaluation.

Changing the position of the body. In some situations, conditions or diseases, changing the position of the body can not only weaken, but also completely stop shortness of breath. Some of these positions are:

Lie on an equal surface and place small bolsters or pillows under your head and knees.
Press the back of your whole body against the wall and stand for a while.
Sit on a chair and relax, while your head should be something to support, for example, a headrest.

Breathing with slightly parted lips. It especially helps with nervous shortness of breath, i.e. breathing problems due to stress. To perform the exercise, sit straight in a chair and relax, compress your lips, leaving a small gap and inhale for 2 seconds, after exhaling for 4 counts, and so on for 10 minutes, attention, with compressed lips.

Deep, even breathing. Lie on a flat surface, put your hands on your stomach and take a deep breath through your nose, while expanding the abdominal cavity. Then hold your breath for 2 seconds and exhale through your mouth. The exercise time is 8 minutes.

Create a favorable microclimate. The best ventilation of the lungs with oxygen occurs if the room is well ventilated and the air in it is slightly cool and humid. A humidifier is perfect for this.

Aromatherapy. The oils of some plants, for example, pine needles, lavender, have an excellent relaxing effect on the nervous system. They also give the body a feeling of being saturated with oxygen.

Walking. To improve the functioning of the heart and respiratory organs, daily walks in the fresh air are great. It breathes beautifully in the forest, on the coasts of rivers, and especially seas and oceans. If you live in a city, find yourself a public garden, a park. If you don't want to walk down the street every day, get a dog. Years later, your pet will make you say thanks to God that he has appeared in your life.

By the way, Professor Tove Fall and other scientists from the University of Uppsala (Sweden) conducted a study and concluded that dog owners, after suffering heavy ones, live 33% longer than those who do not have animals.

Cranberry. Pour 500 ml of boiling water with 5 tbsp. tablespoons of cranberries, let the product brew for about 1 hour, add 1-2 teaspoons of natural honey to it and drink during the day, in equal portions, for 4-5 approaches.

Prevention of shortness of breath

Preventive measures to prevent shortness of breath include:

Timely access to a doctor at the first signs of various diseases in order to prevent chronic respiratory distress;
Compliance;
Avoid or overheat the body, as well as adherence to the work schedule and get enough sleep;
Replenish the body and
Video

I wish you health, peace and kindness!

One of the main complaints most often voiced by patients is shortness of breath. This subjective feeling forces the patient to go to the clinic, call an ambulance, and may even be an indication for emergency hospitalization. So what is shortness of breath and what are the main causes of it? You will find answers to these questions in this article. So…

What is shortness of breath

In chronic heart disease, shortness of breath first occurs after physical exertion, and over time begins to bother the patient and at rest.

A healthy person at rest does not pay attention to his breathing. With moderate physical exertion, the frequency and depth of breathing change - a person is aware of this, but this condition does not cause him discomfort, besides, the respiration indicators return to normal within a few minutes after the termination of the load. If shortness of breath with moderate exertion becomes more pronounced, or appears when a person performs elementary actions (when tying shoelaces, walking around the house), or, even worse, does not go away at rest, we are talking about pathological shortness of breath, indicating a particular disease ...

Shortness of breath classification

If discomfort occurs during exhalation, such shortness of breath is called expiratory. It occurs as a result of narrowing of the lumen of the small bronchi and is a sign of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema.

There are a number of reasons for mixed shortness of breath - with a violation of both inhalation and exhalation. The main among them are lung diseases in the late, advanced stages.

There are 5 degrees of severity of shortness of breath, determined based on the patient's complaints - the MRC scale (Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale).

Severity	Symptoms
0 - no	Shortness of breath is not bothering, except for very heavy exertion
1 - light	Shortness of breath occurs only when walking fast or while climbing an elevation
2 - medium	Shortness of breath leads to a slower pace of walking compared to healthy people of the same age, the patient is forced to stop while walking to catch his breath.
3 - heavy	The patient stops every few minutes (approximately 100 m) to catch his breath.
4 - extremely hard	Shortness of breath occurs with the slightest physical exertion or even at rest. Due to shortness of breath, the patient is forced to constantly stay at home.

Causes of shortness of breath

The main causes of shortness of breath can be divided into 4 groups:

Respiratory failure due to:
- violation of bronchial patency;
- diffuse diseases of the tissue (parenchyma) of the lungs;
- diseases of the blood vessels of the lungs;
- diseases of the respiratory muscles or chest.
Heart failure.
Hyperventilation syndrome (with neurocirculatory dystonia and neuroses).
Metabolic disorders.

Shortness of breath with pathology of the lungs

Shortness of breath in COPD is caused by a narrowing of the lumen of the airways, the accumulation of viscous secretions in them. It is permanent, expiratory in nature and, in the absence of adequate treatment, becomes more and more pronounced. Often combined with a cough followed by sputum discharge.

In bronchial asthma, shortness of breath manifests itself in the form of sudden attacks of suffocation. It has the character of an expiratory - a light short inhalation is followed by a noisy, difficult exhalation. When inhaling special medicines that dilate the bronchi, breathing quickly normalizes. Asthma attacks occur usually after contact with allergens - by inhaling them or eating them. In especially severe cases, the attack is not stopped by bronchomimetics - the patient's condition progressively worsens, he loses consciousness. This is an extremely life-threatening condition that requires urgent medical attention.

It is accompanied by shortness of breath and acute infectious diseases - bronchitis, etc. Its severity depends on the severity of the underlying disease and the extent of the process. In addition to shortness of breath, the patient is worried about a number of other symptoms:

an increase in temperature from subfebrile to febrile digits;
weakness, lethargy, sweating and other symptoms of intoxication;
unproductive (dry) or productive (phlegm) cough;
chest pain.

Lung tumors in the early stages are asymptomatic. If a recently emerged tumor was not detected by chance (during prophylactic fluorography or as an accidental finding in the process of diagnosing non-pulmonary diseases), it gradually grows and, when it reaches a sufficiently large size, causes certain symptoms:

at first not intense, but gradually increasing constant shortness of breath;
harsh cough with a minimum of phlegm;
hemoptysis;
chest pain;
weight loss, weakness, pallor of the patient.

Treatment of lung tumors may include surgery to remove the tumor, chemotherapy and / or radiation therapy, and other modern methods of treatment.

The greatest threat to the patient's life is carried by such conditions manifested by shortness of breath as pulmonary embolism, or PE, local obstruction of the airways and toxic pulmonary edema.

PE is a condition in which one or more branches of the pulmonary artery are clogged with blood clots, as a result of which part of the lungs are excluded from the act of breathing. The clinical manifestations of this pathology depend on the volume lung damage... It usually manifests itself as sudden shortness of breath, disturbing the patient with moderate or insignificant physical activity or even at rest, a feeling of suffocation, tightness and chest pain, similar to that of, often hemoptysis. The diagnosis is confirmed by appropriate changes on the ECG, chest x-ray, during angiopulmography.

Airway obstruction is also manifested by the symptom complex of suffocation. Shortness of breath is inspiratory in nature, breathing is audible at a distance - noisy, stridorious. A frequent companion of shortness of breath in this pathology is a painful cough, especially when changing the position of the body. The diagnosis is made on the basis of spirometry data, bronchoscopy, X-ray or tomographic examination.

Airway obstruction can be caused by:

violation of the patency of the trachea or bronchi due to compression of this organ from the outside (aortic aneurysm, goiter);
damage to the trachea or bronchi by a tumor (cancer, papilloma);
ingress (aspiration) of a foreign body;
the formation of cicatricial stenosis;
chronic inflammation leading to destruction and fibrosis of the cartilage tissue of the trachea (in rheumatic diseases - systemic lupus erythematosus).

Therapy with bronchodilators for this pathology is ineffective. The main role in treatment belongs to adequate therapy of the underlying disease and mechanical restoration of airway patency.

It can occur against the background of an infectious disease, accompanied by severe intoxication or due to exposure to the respiratory tract of toxic substances. At the first stage, this condition is manifested only by gradually increasing shortness of breath and rapid breathing. After a while, shortness of breath is replaced by excruciating suffocation, accompanied by bubbling breathing. The leading direction of treatment is detoxification.

Less often, shortness of breath is manifested by the following lung diseases:

pneumothorax is an acute condition in which air enters the pleural cavity and lingers there, compressing the lung and preventing the act of breathing; occurs due to trauma or infectious processes in the lungs; requires urgent surgical care;
- a serious infectious disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis; requires long-term specific treatment;
actinomycosis of the lungs - a disease caused by fungi;
emphysema of the lungs - a disease in which the alveoli stretch and lose the ability to normal gas exchange; develops as an independent form or accompanies other chronic respiratory diseases;
silicosis - a group of occupational lung diseases arising from the deposition of dust particles in the lung tissue; recovery is impossible, the patient is prescribed supportive symptomatic therapy;
, defects of the thoracic vertebrae, - in these conditions, the shape of the chest is disrupted, which makes breathing difficult and causes shortness of breath.

Shortness of breath with pathology of the cardiovascular system

Persons suffering from one of the main complaints note shortness of breath. In the early stages of the disease, shortness of breath is perceived by patients as a feeling of lack of air during exercise, but over time this feeling is caused by less and less stress, in advanced stages it does not leave the patient even at rest. In addition, for advanced stages of heart disease, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea is characteristic - an attack of suffocation that develops at night, leading to the awakening of the patient. This condition is also known as. It is caused by stagnation of fluid in the lungs.

Shortness of breath in neurotic disorders

Complaints of dyspnea of one degree or another are presented by ¾ patients of neurologists and psychiatrists. The feeling of a lack of air, the impossibility of inhaling deeply, often accompanied by anxiety, fear of death from suffocation, a feeling of "flap", an obstruction in the chest that prevents full inhalation - the complaints of patients are very diverse. Typically, such patients are easily excitable, acutely reacting to stress people, often with hypochondriacal tendencies. Psychogenic breathing disorders are often manifested against the background of anxiety and fear, depressed mood, after the experienced nervous overexcitation. Even attacks of false asthma are possible - suddenly developing attacks of psychogenic shortness of breath. The clinical feature of the psychogenic characteristics of breathing is its noisy design - frequent sighs, groans, groans.

Dyspnea in neurotic and neurosis-like disorders is treated by neuropathologists and psychiatrists.

Shortness of breath with anemia

With anemia, the organs and tissues of the patient's body experience oxygen starvation, in order to compensate for which, the lungs are trying to pump more air into themselves.

Anemias are a group of diseases characterized by changes in the composition of the blood, namely, a decrease in the content of hemoglobin and erythrocytes in it. Since oxygen is transported from the lungs directly to organs and tissues with the help of hemoglobin, then with a decrease in its amount, the body begins to experience oxygen starvation - hypoxia. Of course, he is trying to compensate for this state, roughly speaking, to pump more oxygen into the blood, as a result of which the frequency and depth of breaths increase, that is, shortness of breath occurs. Anemias are of different types and they arise due to different reasons:

insufficient intake of iron from food (in vegetarians, for example);
chronic bleeding (with peptic ulcer, uterine leiomyoma);
after recently suffered severe infectious or somatic diseases;
with congenital metabolic disorders;
as a symptom of cancer, in particular blood cancer.

In addition to shortness of breath with anemia, the patient complains of:

severe weakness, loss of strength;
decreased sleep quality, decreased appetite;
dizziness, headaches, decreased performance, impaired concentration, memory.

Persons suffering from anemia are characterized by pallor of the skin, in some types of the disease - its yellow tint, or jaundice.

It is not difficult to diagnose - it is enough to pass a general blood test. With the changes in it, indicating anemia, a number of laboratory and instrumental examinations will be assigned to clarify the diagnosis and identify the causes of the disease. Treatment is prescribed by a hematologist.

Shortness of breath in diseases of the endocrine system

Persons suffering from diseases such as obesity and diabetes, also often complain of shortness of breath.

With thyrotoxicosis, a condition characterized by excessive production of thyroid hormones, all metabolic processes in the body are sharply increased - at the same time, it experiences an increased need for oxygen. In addition, an excess of hormones causes an increase in the number of heart contractions, as a result of which the heart loses the ability to fully pump blood to tissues and organs - they experience a lack of oxygen, which the body is trying to compensate for - shortness of breath occurs.

An excess amount of adipose tissue in the body during obesity hinders the work of the respiratory muscles, heart, lungs, as a result of which the tissues and organs do not receive enough blood and lack oxygen.

In diabetes mellitus, sooner or later the vascular system of the body is affected, as a result of which all organs are in a state of chronic oxygen starvation. In addition, over time, the kidneys are also affected - diabetic nephropathy develops, which in turn provokes anemia, as a result of which hypoxia increases even more.

Shortness of breath in pregnant women

During pregnancy, the respiratory and cardiovascular systems of a woman's body experience increased stress. This load is due to the increased volume of circulating blood, compression from the bottom of the diaphragm by the enlarged uterus (as a result of which the chest organs become cramped and respiratory movements and heart contractions are somewhat hampered), the need for oxygen not only for the mother, but also for the growing embryo. All these physiological changes lead to the fact that during pregnancy, many women develop shortness of breath. At the same time, the respiratory rate does not exceed 22-24 per minute, it becomes more frequent with physical exertion and stress. As pregnancy progresses, shortness of breath also progresses. In addition, expectant mothers often suffer from anemia, as a result of which shortness of breath increases even more.

If the respiratory rate exceeds the above figures, shortness of breath does not go away or does not significantly decrease at rest, the pregnant woman should definitely consult a doctor - obstetrician-gynecologist or therapist.

Shortness of breath in children

Respiratory rate in children of different ages is different. Dyspnea should be suspected if:

in a 0–6 month old child, the number of respiratory movements (RR) is more than 60 per minute;
in a 6–12 month old child, NPV is over 50 per minute;
in a child over 1 year old, the NPV is over 40 per minute;
in a child over 5 years of age, the NPV is over 25 per minute;
in a child 10-14 years old, NPV is over 20 per minute.

During emotional arousal, during physical exertion, crying, feeding, the respiratory rate is always higher, however, if the NPV significantly exceeds the norm and slowly recovers at rest, you should inform the pediatrician about this.

Most often, shortness of breath in children occurs with the following pathological conditions:

respiratory distress syndrome of a newborn (often recorded in premature babies, whose mothers suffer from diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disorders, diseases of the genital area; intrauterine hypoxia, asphyxia contribute to it; it is clinically manifested by shortness of breath with a respiratory rate of more than 60 per minute, a blue tint of the skin and their pallor, chest rigidity is also noted; treatment should be started as early as possible - the most modern method is the introduction of a pulmonary surfactant into the trachea of a newborn in the first minutes of his life);
acute stenosing laryngotracheitis, or false croup (a feature of the structure of the larynx in children is its small lumen, which with inflammatory changes in the mucous membrane of this organ can lead to a disruption in the passage of air through it; usually false croup develops at night - edema grows in the vocal cords, leading to pronounced inspiratory shortness of breath and suffocation; in this condition, it is required to provide the child with an influx of fresh air and immediately call an ambulance);
congenital heart defects (due to violations of intrauterine development, the child develops pathological messages between the main vessels or cavities of the heart, leading to mixing of venous and arterial blood; as a result, the organs and tissues of the body receive blood that is not saturated with oxygen and experience hypoxia; depending on the severity defect indicated dynamic observation and / or surgical treatment);
viral and bacterial bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, allergies;
anemia.

In conclusion, it should be noted that only a specialist can determine the reliable cause of shortness of breath, therefore, if this complaint occurs, one should not self-medicate - the most correct solution would be to consult a doctor.

Which doctor to contact

If the diagnosis is not yet known to the patient, it is best to contact a general practitioner (pediatrician for children). After the examination, the doctor will be able to establish a presumptive diagnosis, if necessary, refer the patient to a specialized specialist. If shortness of breath is associated with a pathology of the lungs, it is necessary to consult a pulmonologist, in case of heart disease - with a cardiologist. Anemia is treated by a hematologist, diseases of the endocrine glands - by an endocrinologist, pathology of the nervous system - by a neurologist, mental disorders accompanied by shortness of breath - by a psychiatrist.

Many people are familiar with shortness of breath in our time: it occurs during active physical exertion or when experiencing strong emotions.

As a rule, after a person calms down and breathing quickly returns to normal, a healthy person forgets about it. This is a normal manifestation of physiological shortness of breath. Only if shortness of breath has begun to deliver unpleasant sensations, you should think about a visit to the doctor.

What unpleasant sensations can people experience from shortness of breath, what are the causes of shortness of breath and shortness of breath? Painful shortness of breath manifests itself in different ways: there is a feeling of lack of air and a heaviness in the chest, a feeling that the air does not completely fill the lungs, it is difficult to breathe.

What it is

Shortness of breath or orthopnea is a feeling of shortness of breath, which manifests itself in a patient with a feeling of tightness in the chest.

Dyspnea is understood as the following changes in the clinic - an increase in depth and breathing rate of more than 18 per minute. A healthy person does not notice his own breathing - for him it is a natural process.

Heavy load, for example, when running, causes a change in depth and breathing rate, but this state does not create discomfort, and all indicators literally return to normal within a few minutes.

If shortness of breath manifests itself when performing ordinary household activities, and even worse - at the slightest exertion or at rest, then we are talking about pathological shortness of breath - a symptom of any disease.

Classification

By manifestation, shortness of breath can be divided into:

Subjective- described by patients with psychosomatic conditions and neurological diseases;
Objective- which the patient may not feel, but it is manifested by a change in NPV, breathing rhythm, depth of inhalation / exhalation;
The combined- felt by the patient and confirmed objectively.

Based on the patient's complaints, 5 degrees of severity of dyspnea were developed for people presented in this table.

What causes this pathological and unpleasant condition?

Causes

The main causes of shortness of breath can be divided into 4 groups:

Respiratory failure resulting from diseases of the bronchi and lungs;
Heart failure;
Arising with neurosis and neurocirculatory dystonia;
Arising as a result of anemia and hypoxia.

Shortness of breath with lung diseases

Shortness of breath is observed in almost all diseases of the bronchi and lungs. It can occur acutely (as with pleurisy or pneumothorax), and it can be several weeks, months, or even years (COPD or COPD).

In COPD, shortness of breath occurs as a result of narrowing of the airway lumen and the accumulation of secretions in them. It is expiratory in nature and becomes more pronounced in the absence of treatment. It is often combined with a cough with phlegm.

For bronchial asthma, sudden attacks of suffocation are characteristic. Such shortness of breath also has an expiratory nature: when a light inhalation is followed by a difficult exhalation. Breathing is normalized only by inhaling drugs that dilate the bronchi. Seizures usually occur as a result of contact with allergens.

Frequent shortness of breath without exertion is a constant companion of infectious diseases - bronchitis and pneumonia, it also occurs with a common cold. The severity depends on the course of the disease and the extent of the process.

In addition to shortness of breath, these diseases are characterized by:

Temperature increase;
Weakness and sweating;
Dry cough or phlegm;
Pain in the chest area.

With the treatment of these conditions, shortness of breath goes away within a few days. In severe cases, a complication may occur - heart failure.

Tumors in the initial stages do not have pronounced symptoms.

If they are not detected during a diagnostic examination, they begin to grow and, upon reaching large sizes, cause characteristic symptoms:

Gradually increasing shortness of breath;
Cough with little phlegm;
Hemoptysis;
Chest pain;
Weakness, pallor, weight loss.

The most life-threatening conditions are those that are also manifested by shortness of breath, such as pulmonary embolism, local airway obstruction, or toxic pulmonary edema.

PE is a pathology when the pulmonary artery becomes clogged with blood clots and part of the lungs ceases to function. PE is manifested by sudden shortness of breath, which begins to bother a person even when performing minor actions or at rest. Together with this symptom, the patient suffers from a feeling of suffocation, chest pain, and sometimes hemoptysis. The disease is confirmed by ECG, X-ray and angiopulmography.

Airway obstruction is also manifested by suffocation. Shortness of breath in this disease is inspiratory in nature, noisy breathing is even heard at a distance.

When changing the position of the body, the patient often begins to cough painfully. Diagnose the disease after X-ray, tomography, spirometry and bronchoscopy.

The reason for the difficulty in breathing:

Obstruction of the respiratory tract as a result of compression from the outside;
Swelling of the trachea or bronchi;
Foreign body ingress;
The development of cicatricial stenosis.

It is necessary to treat the disease by restoring the patency of the airways in an operative way.

As a result of exposure to toxic substances (with poisoning with salicylates, methyl alcohol, ethylene glycol, carbon monoxide) or with a prolonged infectious disease, toxic pulmonary edema may occur.

Initially, the disease is manifested by rapid breathing and shortness of breath, but after a while shortness of breath is replaced by choking with bubbling breathing. The disease recedes after detoxification.

Shortness of breath also manifests itself:

Pneumothorax - a condition when air enters and remains in the pleural cavity, compressing the lung and preventing breathing;
Tuberculosis- an infectious disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis;
Actinomycosis - fungal pathology;
Emphysema- pathology in which the alveoli are stretched, losing the ability to exchange gas;
Silicoses- a group of occupational lung diseases developing as a result of dust deposition in the lung tissue;
Scoliosis, pathology of the thoracic vertebrae, osteochondrosis of the thoracic spine, ankylosing spondylitis - a change in the shape of the chest makes breathing difficult, causing shortness of breath.

Treatment of dyspnea in all pulmonary diseases begins with the treatment of the underlying disease, accompanied by maintaining the patency of the respiratory tract and reducing the load on the respiratory system.

Shortness of breath with cardiovascular pathologies

Shortness of breath is one of the most common symptoms of developing heart disease. In the initial stages of the disease, it manifests itself with brisk walking or other physical activity, but with the progression of the disease, it begins to appear even with the slightest movement: when walking, when talking, while coughing and in a calm state. Eventually, there is dyspnea at rest.

With advanced disease, shortness of breath can begin to develop even at night during sleep (nocturnal cardiac asthma) and appear in the morning. It causes stagnation of fluid in the lungs. Accompanied by a state of severe fatigue, blue discoloration of body parts, edema of the extremities, pulse disturbances.

Shortness of breath may develop with prolonged course of hypertension. With high pressure, shortness of breath begins at its peak, lasting no more than 15-20 minutes.

Acute shortness of breath can occur against the background of attacks of paroxysmal tachycardia (heart palpitations), especially in the elderly, and be accompanied by pain in the heart, dizziness and visual impairment.

Shortness of breath with neuroses

Three quarters of neurological patients also complain of shortness of breath. The feeling of shortness of breath for lack of air in this category of patients is accompanied by anxiety and fear of death.

Psychogenic breathing disorders can manifest themselves after experiencing emotional overexcitement or with prolonged stress. Some even develop attacks of false asthma. The clinical feature of psychogenic shortness of breath is the accompanying attack of frequent sighs and groans.

Shortness of breath with anemia

Anemias are pathologies caused by a decrease in the content of hemoglobin and erythrocytes in the blood.

With a decrease in the amount of hemoglobin, oxygen transport to the tissue worsens, due to which there is not enough oxygen in the body. The body tries to compensate for this condition by increasing the depth and frequency of breaths, that is, shortness of breath develops.

Anemia is diagnosed by taking a general blood test. The disease is accompanied by severe weakness, headaches, loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, and dizziness may appear.

Shortness of breath in diseases of the endocrine system

In patients with thyrotoxicosis, diabetes mellitus and obesity, shortness of breath occurs very often.

With thyrotoxicosis, the body begins to experience a lack of oxygen. An excess of hormones causes an increase in the number of heartbeats and the heart loses its ability to pump blood to the organs normally. The resulting hypoxia triggers a compensation mechanism - shortness of breath.
With obesity, the work of the muscles of the heart and lungs is hampered, due to the pressure of fat on them. As a result, a state of hypoxia also occurs.
In diabetes mellitus, hypoxia develops as a result of damage to the vascular system of the body. Over time, as a result of the progression of the disease, the kidneys are affected - diabetic nephropathy begins, even more provoking anemia.

Shortness of breath after eating

Many people complain of shortness of breath after eating. This is why it happens. The stomach lining and pancreas begin to secrete digestive enzymes to digest food. The nutrients processed by enzymes are absorbed into the bloodstream.

For all these processes, a constant flow of a large amount of blood to the digestive tract organs is required, due to which the blood flow in the body is redistributed.

If there are any diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, this process is disrupted and hypoxia develops in the internal organs, the lungs begin to work more hard to compensate for the condition, which causes shortness of breath. If shortness of breath occurs after eating, you should consult a doctor to find out the cause.

Shortness of breath in pregnant women

During pregnancy, the entire body of a woman experiences an increased load due to an increase in the volume of circulating blood and compression of the diaphragm by an enlarged uterus, which makes it difficult to breathe, especially after eating and at night. Therefore, difficulty breathing occurs in most pregnant women. Often anemia accompanying pregnancy only exacerbates this condition.

Shortness of breath in children

V different ages respiratory rate differs in children.

A state of shortness of breath is called if the child has the number of respiratory movements per minute:

0-6 months - more than 60;
6-12 months - more than 50;
over 1 year old - over 40;
over 5 years old - over 25;
10-14 years - more than 20.

Why shortness of breath can occur in children:

Respiratory distress syndrome of the newborn;
False croup or acute stenosing laryngotracheitis;
Congenital heart disease;
Development of bronchitis, allergies, pneumonia, bronchial asthma;
Anemia.

To find out why shortness of breath appeared and where its roots grow from, it is necessary to consult a therapist who will send for the necessary research and analyzes, find out the causes of shortness of breath in a person and, depending on the results of the examination, send for treatment to a specialized specialist: endocrinologist, pulmanologist, neurologist, hematologist ...

Shortness of breath on exertion: causes and treatment

It is extremely rare for a person to think about how he breathes. This is only natural if he is completely healthy. But if there is often a feeling of tightness in the chest, lack of air, then you should seriously think about it. Such sensations are known to almost every person. After all, shortness of breath most often occurs during exercise. The reasons for this condition can be quite varied, ranging from completely harmless factors to serious pathologies.

The mechanism of shortness of breath

First of all, you should understand that this is a symptomatology, which is characterized by three external signs:

the patient feels a lack of air, he has a feeling of suffocation;
there is a change in the depth of inhalation, exhalation, noise is heard;
breathing becomes fast enough.

This condition is familiar to many people, as they often experience shortness of breath during exercise. The reasons for this phenomenon lie in the body's desire to maintain the oxygen level necessary for life. As a result of this, respiratory contractions are accelerated. A signal about a lack of oxygen, the main suppliers of which are the lungs and the heart, goes to the brain. The respiratory center is activated. It gives a signal to speed up inhalation and exhalation.
A similar state is familiar to every person. Shortness of breath after exercise is a normal reaction of an untrained body. It can occur after brisk walking, jogging, or serious cleaning. After such a load, there is a desire to catch your breath, take a breath.
It is quite easy to deal with such a condition. You need to start doing physical education. Especially those people who lead a sedentary lifestyle. After all, their muscular system functions half-heartedly. Accordingly, these contractions are not enough to support the functioning of the heart. Therefore, performing tasks of the same difficulty, physically trained people are less susceptible to a feeling of lack of air than those who suffer from physical inactivity.

When is it necessary to be alert?

Obviously, shortness of breath during exercise, the causes of which are hidden in low mobility, can be easily eliminated. However, is this symptom always the result of such a harmless phenomenon?
Unfortunately, sometimes severe shortness of breath during exercise can be a sign of the development of serious pathologies. It is quite difficult to independently determine when a given symptom portends unfavorable factors.
The presence of the disease can be suspected as follows. For example, a person makes the same route every day. One day he notices that it has become difficult for him to walk. However, he moves at his usual pace. There is a need to stand a little and catch your breath. This movement with periodic stops is the first symptom of trouble. Indeed, as a result of normal physical activity, an increase in the respiratory rate occurs.

There are several reasons that can cause such problems in the body.

Sources of shortness of breath

Many reasons can provoke this phenomenon. Quite frequent sources of such discomfort are:

pathology of the cardiovascular system;
various allergies;
obesity;
lung disease;
psychogenic factors (aggression, anger);
serious blood infections;
climate change;
panic attacks;
hormonal disbalance;
smoking;
physiological disorders that prevent the passage of air through the nose, mouth or throat.

Very often people do not pay special attention to alarming symptoms. And he practically does not think why shortness of breath during physical activity began to occur more often. This phenomenon is attributed to the environment, hard work, bad habits. Ignoring this problem is completely wrong.
Doctors say that in people who are tormented by severe shortness of breath during exercise, the following pathologies are most often diagnosed during the examination process:

Heart disease. This is one of the common causes of this phenomenon, especially among older people. The heart muscle is unable to cope with its functions. As a result, the flow of oxygen to the organs decreases. The brain also suffers from this. Such violations lead to increased breathing rate.

Diseases of the lungs, bronchi. These are common causes of shortness of breath. The phenomenon is provoked by the narrowing of the bronchi, changes in the lung tissue, as a result of which the required amount of oxygen cannot enter the blood. In such conditions, the respiratory system begins to work in an intensive mode.

Anemia. The patient has a normal blood oxygenation due to the correct functioning of the lungs. The heart also copes with its function. It normally pushes oxygen to all organs and tissues. However, there is a lack of hemoglobin and red blood cells (red cells), as a result of which the blood flow does not bring the required amount of oxygen to the tissues.

Heart pathology

Diseases of the cardiovascular system in most cases are accompanied by such an unpleasant symptom as shortness of breath. Among the pathologies that can provoke this phenomenon, the following are distinguished:

heart failure;
hypertension;
myocardial infarction;
paroxysmal tachycardia;
pulmonary embolism;
ischemic disease;
angina pectoris;
rupture of the aortic aneurysm.

Heart failure

In this case, shortness of breath is observed with little physical exertion. For example, this condition can occur while walking. With further progression of the pathology, shortness of breath persists for a long time, including at rest and during sleep.
As a rule, this condition is accompanied by the following symptoms:

swelling of the legs;
heartache;
bluish tinge of fingers, nose tip, feet, earlobes;
periodically increasing heartbeat;
low or high blood pressure;
fatigue, weakness;
dizziness, recurrent fainting;
dry cough that occurs paroxysmal.

Hypertonic disease

The increased pressure overloads the heart. As a result, the pumping function of the organ is disrupted. This provokes the onset of shortness of breath. Long-term neglect of this problem significantly aggravates the patient's condition and leads to the development of heart failure. The patient often has shortness of breath after exercise, and even mild. And with a hypertensive crisis, the symptoms increase significantly.

With this disease, along with shortness of breath and high blood pressure, the following series of symptoms occur:

redness of the face;
dizziness;
fast fatiguability;
periodic heart pain;
flickering of spots before the eyes;
headache;
noise in ears.

Myocardial infarction

A dangerous acute condition is characterized by the death of a certain area of the heart. The functioning of the organ deteriorates sharply. Blood flow is severely obstructed. As a result of a lack of oxygen, the patient experiences severe shortness of breath.
Myocardial infarction has characteristic symptoms that make it easy to determine this condition:

pain in the heart (stabbing, cutting);
cold clammy sweat;
pallor;
interruptions in the functioning of the heart;
panicky feeling of fear;
drop in blood pressure.

Pulmonary dyspnea

The airway is affected, making it difficult for air to pass through. Thus, shortness of breath occurs (even with light exertion). Its appearance is associated with the difficulty of the normal penetration of oxygen through the walls of the alveoli into the bloodstream. It should be noted that this symptom is present in almost all pathologies of the bronchi and lungs.
The most common causes of shortness of breath are the following:

bronchitis;
chronic obstructive pulmonary disease;
pneumonia;
bronchial asthma;
tumors.

Signs of bronchitis

In the case of this pathology, shortness of breath appears even with little physical exertion. This is a characteristic symptom of bronchitis. This phenomenon is observed in both acute and chronic course of pathology.

If obstructive bronchitis is diagnosed, then the patient has difficulty exhaling. The chronic form of the disease can lead to constant shortness of breath or to periodic exacerbations.

Obstructive pulmonary disease

This pathology is characterized by a narrowing of the lumen in the bronchi. This provokes the onset of shortness of breath. It should be said that this is the main symptom of this pathology. The question arises: what causes this disease, and with it unpleasant symptoms, in particular shortness of breath during exercise?
The reasons for the development of obstructive disease lie in the effect of harmful irritants. Most often, this pathology is diagnosed in heavy smokers. The risk group for the development of this disease includes people working in hazardous industries.
The following features may indicate the development of pathology:

a constant increase in shortness of breath;
the patient breathes in easily, but exhales very heavily;
there is a wet cough with the presence of sputum.

Causes of pathology in children

It is very important to pay attention to when and how shortness of breath occurs during exercise in a child. If this condition is observed after active outdoor games, while it quickly passes, there is no reason for concern. But if unpleasant symptoms occur even at rest, you should immediately consult a doctor.
Shortness of breath in children can be a sign of a wide variety of diseases:

laryngitis;
heart defects;
respiratory system diseases;
anemia;

Sometimes unpleasant symptoms signal the development of respiratory distress syndrome in the newborn. With this pathology, blood flow in the lungs is disrupted, resulting in edema. This disease can develop in an infant whose mother suffers from heart disease, diabetes mellitus. Such a baby has frequent and extremely severe shortness of breath. In this case, the skin turns pale or acquires a bluish tint.

Why can a child (2.5 years of age) experience shortness of breath during exercise? The reasons may lie in anemia. It can be triggered by impaired absorption of iron, heredity, or poor diet.
In addition, shortness of breath can occur in babies even as a result of a common cold. It almost always accompanies diseases such as bronchitis, pneumonia, laryngitis. As a rule, the symptoms are eliminated on their own after the baby is completely cured of the disease that provoked it.

Treatment methods

It is very important to understand that shortness of breath is not a disease, but a symptom that characterizes the development of a certain pathology in the body. That is why one should not resort to various methods, including folk, trying to eliminate such manifestations of the disease. You should look for the source that provokes it, and fight this disease.
Thus, until the causes of such a phenomenon as shortness of breath during exertion are found, treatment will not be possible. In addition, it should be realized that the wrong therapy can seriously harm the patient. That is why, if shortness of breath occurs, you should initially consult a doctor.
The patient may need advice from the following specialists:
It is these doctors who should prescribe drug therapy.
Shortness of breath that occurs with heart failure is observed and treated by a cardiologist. It is extremely important to provide first aid in a timely manner if a person has an attack with heart pathologies:

Supply fresh air to the room.

The patient should be completely at rest.

If possible, release the patient's chest from the compression.

The patient needs an oxygen bag to breathe.

A tablet of "Nitrosorbide" should be given under the tongue.

Taking diuretics is recommended.

If shortness of breath is provoked by a psychogenic factor, the patient will be greatly relieved by taking any sedative medication. The same measures are advisable for symptoms provoked by VSD. It is important to understand that sedatives only temporarily relieve shortness of breath. They do not cure the underlying disease.
A complex treatment prescribed by a doctor can save you from an unpleasant phenomenon with bronchitis.

It is possible to use folk remedies for the treatment of shortness of breath only if the painful symptoms occur sporadically, after extremely heavy exertion. To combat this phenomenon, it is recommended to use a decoction of valerian, mint, lemon balm or motherwort tincture.

Preventive measures

Here's what to remember for people who periodically have shortness of breath during exercise: treatment will only be effective if they themselves put in some effort. Recommended:

give up smoking;
try to avoid negative environmental conditions;
lead an active life;
strengthen immunity;
do sport;
timely treat various diseases (especially chronic pathologies of the heart and lungs).

Such measures will not only allow you to eliminate shortness of breath, but also save you from trouble in the future.

What is shortness of breath

As mentioned above, shortness of breath (or dyspnea) is a subjective sensation of a person, an acute, subacute or chronic feeling of lack of air, manifested by tightness in the chest, clinically - by an increase in the respiratory rate over 18 per minute and an increase in its depth.
A healthy person at rest does not pay attention to his breathing. With moderate physical exertion, the frequency and depth of breathing change - a person is aware of this, but this condition does not cause him discomfort, besides, the respiration indicators return to normal within a few minutes after the termination of the load. If shortness of breath with moderate exertion becomes more pronounced, or appears when a person performs elementary actions (when tying shoelaces, walking around the house), or, even worse, does not go away at rest, we are talking about pathological shortness of breath, indicating a particular disease ...

Shortness of breath classification

If the patient is concerned about difficulty breathing, this is called inspiratory shortness of breath. It appears when the lumen of the trachea and large bronchi narrows (for example, in patients with bronchial asthma or as a result of compression of the bronchus from the outside - with pneumothorax, pleurisy, etc.).
If discomfort occurs during exhalation, such shortness of breath is called expiratory. It occurs as a result of narrowing of the lumen of the small bronchi and is a sign of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or emphysema.
There are a number of reasons for mixed shortness of breath - with a violation of both inhalation and exhalation. The main ones among them are heart failure and lung disease in the late, advanced stages.
There are 5 degrees of severity of shortness of breath, determined based on the patient's complaints - the MRC scale (Medical Research Council Dyspnea Scale).

Causes of shortness of breath

The main causes of shortness of breath can be divided into 4 groups:

Respiratory failure due to:

violation of bronchial patency;
diffuse diseases of the tissue (parenchyma) of the lungs;
diseases of the blood vessels of the lungs;
diseases of the respiratory muscles or chest.

Heart failure.

Hyperventilation syndrome (with neurocirculatory dystonia and neuroses).

Metabolic disorders.

Shortness of breath with pathology of the lungs

This symptom is observed in all diseases of the bronchi and lungs. Depending on the pathology, shortness of breath may occur acutely (pleurisy, pneumothorax) or disturb the patient for many weeks, months and years (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD).
Shortness of breath in COPD is caused by a narrowing of the lumen of the airways, the accumulation of viscous secretions in them. It is permanent, expiratory in nature and, in the absence of adequate treatment, becomes more and more pronounced. Often combined with a cough followed by sputum discharge.
In bronchial asthma, shortness of breath manifests itself in the form of sudden attacks of suffocation. It has the character of an expiratory - a light short inhalation is followed by a noisy, difficult exhalation. When inhaling special medicines that dilate the bronchi, breathing quickly normalizes. Asthma attacks occur usually after contact with allergens - by inhaling them or eating them. In especially severe cases, the attack is not stopped by bronchomimetics - the patient's condition progressively worsens, he loses consciousness. This is an extremely life-threatening condition that requires urgent medical attention.
It is accompanied by shortness of breath and acute infectious diseases - bronchitis and pneumonia. Its severity depends on the severity of the underlying disease and the extent of the process. In addition to shortness of breath, the patient is worried about a number of other symptoms:

an increase in temperature from subfebrile to febrile digits;
weakness, lethargy, sweating and other symptoms of intoxication;
unproductive (dry) or productive (phlegm) cough;
chest pain.

With timely treatment of bronchitis and pneumonia, their symptoms stop within a few days and recovery occurs. In severe cases of pneumonia, heart failure is added to respiratory failure - shortness of breath increases significantly and some other characteristic symptoms appear.
Lung tumors in the early stages are asymptomatic. If a recently emerged tumor was not detected by chance (during prophylactic fluorography or as an accidental finding in the process of diagnosing non-pulmonary diseases), it gradually grows and, when it reaches a sufficiently large size, causes certain symptoms:

at first not intense, but gradually increasing constant shortness of breath;
harsh cough with a minimum of phlegm;
hemoptysis;
chest pain;
weight loss, weakness, pallor of the patient.

Treatment of lung tumors may include surgery to remove the tumor, chemotherapy and / or radiation therapy, and other modern methods of treatment.
The greatest threat to the patient's life is carried by such conditions manifested by shortness of breath as pulmonary embolism, or PE, local obstruction of the airways and toxic pulmonary edema.
PE is a condition in which one or more branches of the pulmonary artery are clogged with blood clots, as a result of which part of the lungs are excluded from the act of breathing. The clinical manifestations of this pathology depend on the volume of the lung lesion. Usually it manifests itself as sudden shortness of breath, disturbing the patient with moderate or insignificant physical activity or even at rest, a feeling of suffocation, tightness and chest pain similar to that of angina pectoris, often hemoptysis. The diagnosis is confirmed by appropriate changes on the ECG, chest x-ray, during angiopulmography.
Airway obstruction is also manifested by the symptom complex of suffocation. Shortness of breath is inspiratory in nature, breathing is audible at a distance - noisy, stridorious. A frequent companion of shortness of breath in this pathology is a painful cough, especially when changing the position of the body. The diagnosis is made on the basis of spirometry data, bronchoscopy, X-ray or tomographic examination.
Airway obstruction can be caused by:

violation of the patency of the trachea or bronchi due to compression of this organ from the outside (aortic aneurysm, goiter);
damage to the trachea or bronchi by a tumor (cancer, papilloma);
ingress (aspiration) of a foreign body;
the formation of cicatricial stenosis;
chronic inflammation leading to destruction and fibrosis of the cartilage tissue of the trachea (in rheumatic diseases - systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, Wegener's granulomatosis).

Therapy with bronchodilators for this pathology is ineffective. The main role in treatment belongs to adequate therapy of the underlying disease and mechanical restoration of airway patency.
Toxic pulmonary edema can occur against the background of an infectious disease, accompanied by severe intoxication or due to exposure to the respiratory tract of toxic substances. At the first stage, this condition is manifested only by gradually increasing shortness of breath and rapid breathing. After a while, shortness of breath is replaced by excruciating suffocation, accompanied by bubbling breathing. The leading direction of treatment is detoxification.
Less often, shortness of breath is manifested by the following lung diseases:

pneumothorax is an acute condition in which air enters the pleural cavity and lingers there, compressing the lung and preventing the act of breathing; occurs due to trauma or infectious processes in the lungs; requires urgent surgical care;
pulmonary tuberculosis - a serious infectious disease caused by mycobacterium tuberculosis; requires long-term specific treatment;
actinomycosis of the lungs - a disease caused by fungi;
emphysema of the lungs - a disease in which the alveoli stretch and lose the ability to normal gas exchange; develops as an independent form or accompanies other chronic respiratory diseases;
silicosis - a group of occupational lung diseases arising from the deposition of dust particles in the lung tissue; recovery is impossible, the patient is prescribed supportive symptomatic therapy;
scoliosis, defects of the thoracic vertebrae, ankylosing spondylitis - in these conditions, the shape of the chest is disrupted, which makes breathing difficult and causes shortness of breath.

Shortness of breath with pathology of the cardiovascular system

Persons suffering from heart disease, shortness of breath is noted as one of the main complaints. In the early stages of the disease, shortness of breath is perceived by patients as a feeling of lack of air during exercise, but over time this feeling is caused by less and less stress, in advanced stages it does not leave the patient even at rest. In addition, for advanced stages of heart disease, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea is characteristic - an attack of suffocation that develops at night, leading to the awakening of the patient. This condition is also known as cardiac asthma. It is caused by stagnation of fluid in the lungs.

Shortness of breath in neurotic disorders

Complaints of dyspnea of one degree or another are presented by 3/4 of patients of neurologists and psychiatrists. The feeling of a lack of air, the impossibility of inhaling deeply, often accompanied by anxiety, fear of death from suffocation, a feeling of "flap", an obstruction in the chest that prevents full inhalation - the complaints of patients are very diverse. Typically, such patients are easily excitable, acutely reacting to stress people, often with hypochondriacal tendencies. Psychogenic breathing disorders are often manifested against the background of anxiety and fear, depressed mood, after the experienced nervous overexcitation. Even attacks of false asthma are possible - suddenly developing attacks of psychogenic shortness of breath. The clinical feature of the psychogenic characteristics of breathing is its noisy design - frequent sighs, groans, groans.
Dyspnea in neurotic and neurosis-like disorders is treated by neuropathologists and psychiatrists.

Shortness of breath with anemia

insufficient intake of iron from food (in vegetarians, for example);
chronic bleeding (with peptic ulcer, uterine leiomyoma);
after recently suffered severe infectious or somatic diseases;
with congenital metabolic disorders;
as a symptom of cancer, in particular blood cancer.

In addition to shortness of breath with anemia, the patient complains of:

severe weakness, loss of strength;
decreased sleep quality, decreased appetite;
dizziness, headaches, decreased performance, impaired concentration, memory.

Persons suffering from anemia are characterized by pallor of the skin, in some types of the disease - its yellow tint, or jaundice.
It is not difficult to diagnose anemia - it is enough to pass a general blood test. With the changes in it, indicating anemia, a number of laboratory and instrumental examinations will be assigned to clarify the diagnosis and identify the causes of the disease. Treatment is prescribed by a hematologist.

Shortness of breath in diseases of the endocrine system

People suffering from diseases such as thyrotoxicosis, obesity and diabetes mellitus also often complain of shortness of breath.
With thyrotoxicosis, a condition characterized by excessive production of thyroid hormones, all metabolic processes in the body are sharply increased - at the same time, it experiences an increased need for oxygen. In addition, an excess of hormones causes an increase in the number of heart contractions, as a result of which the heart loses the ability to fully pump blood to tissues and organs - they experience a lack of oxygen, which the body is trying to compensate for - shortness of breath occurs.
An excess amount of adipose tissue in the body during obesity hinders the work of the respiratory muscles, heart, lungs, as a result of which the tissues and organs do not receive enough blood and lack oxygen.
In diabetes mellitus, sooner or later the vascular system of the body is affected, as a result of which all organs are in a state of chronic oxygen starvation. In addition, over time, the kidneys are also affected - diabetic nephropathy develops, which in turn provokes anemia, as a result of which hypoxia increases even more.

Shortness of breath in pregnant women

Shortness of breath in children

Respiratory rate in children of different ages is different. Dyspnea should be suspected if:

in a 0–6 month old child, the number of respiratory movements (RR) is more than 60 per minute;
in a 6–12 month old child, NPV is over 50 per minute;
in a child over 1 year old, the NPV is over 40 per minute;
in a child over 5 years of age, the NPV is over 25 per minute;
in a child 10-14 years old, NPV is over 20 per minute.

It is more correct to count the respiratory movements during the time when the child is sleeping. A warm hand should be freely placed on the baby's chest and the number of chest movements in 1 minute should be counted.
During emotional arousal, during physical exertion, crying, feeding, the respiratory rate is always higher, however, if the NPV significantly exceeds the norm and slowly recovers at rest, you should inform the pediatrician about this.
Most often, shortness of breath in children occurs with the following pathological conditions:

respiratory distress syndrome of a newborn (often recorded in premature babies, whose mothers suffer from diabetes mellitus, cardiovascular disorders, diseases of the genital area; intrauterine hypoxia, asphyxia contribute to it; it is clinically manifested by shortness of breath with a respiratory rate of more than 60 per minute, a blue tint of the skin and their pallor, chest rigidity is also noted; treatment should be started as early as possible - the most modern method is the introduction of a pulmonary surfactant into the trachea of a newborn in the first minutes of his life);
acute stenosing laryngotracheitis, or false croup (a feature of the structure of the larynx in children is its small lumen, which with inflammatory changes in the mucous membrane of this organ can lead to a disruption in the passage of air through it; usually false croup develops at night - edema grows in the vocal cords, leading to pronounced inspiratory shortness of breath and suffocation; in this condition, it is required to provide the child with an influx of fresh air and immediately call an ambulance);
congenital heart defects (due to violations of intrauterine development, the child develops pathological messages between the main vessels or cavities of the heart, leading to mixing of venous and arterial blood; as a result, the organs and tissues of the body receive blood that is not saturated with oxygen and experience hypoxia; depending on the severity defect indicated dynamic observation and / or surgical treatment);
viral and bacterial bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, allergies;
anemia.

Which doctor to contact

Why does shortness of breath appear on exertion?

What are these and the reasons for the occurrence

Diseases in which shortness of breath is common

Treatment and prevention

There are many factors that cause shortness of breath. Let's take a look at the causes and treatment of exertional dyspnea together.

Shortness of breath: what is it and the causes

Dyspnea is a dyspnea disorder. Its nature may differ, and scientists distinguish between three types of shortness of breath:

Inspiratory - breathing is difficult.
Expiratory - it is difficult to exhale.
Mixed.

Shortness of breath is an external manifestation of oxygen deficiency in body tissues. When you begin to feel a lack of oxygen, there is a gradual change in the depth and rate of breathing, which becomes more superficial. The higher the state of hypoxia, the more often a person begins to breathe. The body strives for balance, and under the influence of physical exertion, tissues consume more oxygen.
If it is not enough, then the brain receives a signal and gives a command to increase the activity of the respiratory system. As a result, the lungs and heart muscles increase the rate of work in order to supply the required amount of oxygen to the body. On average, after physical exertion in a healthy person, shortness of breath goes away in five minutes or a maximum of seven.
After a short rest, everything is back to normal. This problem can be solved very easily - you just need to increase your activity. In old age, it is worth taking regular walks and gradually the body adapts to such loads. Otherwise, you should come to terms with this phenomenon. Note that shortness of breath can also occur as a result of severe stress.
At this point, the body is actively synthesizing adrenaline, which leads to oversaturation of body tissues with oxygen. If you do not have problems with the heart muscle, then you should not be afraid of shortness of breath and after a short rest, the problem will resolve on its own. However, in the presence of diseases of the cardiovascular system, the situation may worsen.

Diseases in which shortness of breath is common

Considering the causes and treatment of shortness of breath during exercise, it is necessary to talk about those ailments in which this condition manifests itself quite often. The most serious among them are pathologies of the heart muscle and vascular system, lung ailments, anemia, allergies, problems with the endocrine system and obesity.
In addition, the appearance of shortness of breath is possible in the following situations:

Psycho-emotional stress.
Panic attacks.
Problems with the passage of air through the respiratory tract.
Climate change.
Alcohol and tobacco abuse.

Often people ignore frequent breathing problems, which can lead to serious consequences. It is important to understand that the causes and treatment of exertional dyspnea can be pathological if a person has other ailments.

Pathologies of the heart muscle and vascular system

At first, shortness of breath occurs only after exercise, but as heart failure progresses, it becomes a serious problem even at rest. Most often, patients have difficulty inhaling, but there is no discomfort during exhalation. If heart failure is at a high stage of development, the patient can sleep in a sitting or reclining position to facilitate breathing. Among the secondary symptoms of this ailment, the appearance of edema and pain in the chest area should be noted.

Acute left ventricular failure

This condition is most often caused by excessive stress on the heart muscle. Ailments such as atherosclerosis, heart disease and hypertension can also aggravate the situation.

Cardiac asthma

Against the background of increased physical exertion, and at the last stage of the disease and at rest, the patient develops severe shortness of breath, attacks of suffocation. To improve their condition, a person tries to find a position of the body that can relieve symptoms. In such a situation, an ambulance team should be called and the supply of fresh air to the victim should be ensured.

Pulmonary edema

This ailment is a complication of cardiac asthma. In the patient, breathing becomes bubbling and the state changes. You must remember that this disease is extremely dangerous and you need to seek medical help as soon as possible. Otherwise, death is possible.

Hypertension

Shortness of breath most often occurs at maximum blood pressure, and the attack can last for 10-30 minutes. When the pressure starts to subside, the shortness of breath goes away.

Myocardial infarction

With myocardial infarction, an attack of suffocation begins, which cannot be stopped. As a result, the formation of pulmonary edema is possible. As soon as there is a suspicion of a heart attack, it is necessary to provide the patient with peace and immediately call for medical assistance.

Lung ailments

Quite often, the cause of shortness of breath is bronchial asthma. During an attack of this disease, a spasm of the bronchi occurs, and a person cannot breathe normally. If the attack cannot be stopped in a short time, then the asmatoid status of a condition that threatens a person's life may appear.
The disease develops against the background of a decrease in the ability of the blood to carry a sufficient amount of oxygen. Under the influence of physical exertion, the body begins to experience strong oxygen starvation, which the body tries to compensate for by increasing respiration rate.
Allergic agents can cause spasms, and even swelling of the larynx, which obstructs the path of air to the lungs. Shortness of breath can be mild or severe, depending on the severity of the allergic attack.

Disorders in the endocrine system

As you should know, hormonal substances control all processes in our body. If the endocrine system begins to malfunction, then various health problems appear, including shortness of breath. Note that breathing problems are the first symptom of a hormonal dysfunction.
In acute infectious diseases, accompanied by a sharp increase in body temperature, and the patient's breathing and heart rate become more frequent. If the infection affects the lungs or heart muscle, shortness of breath can often appear even at rest and become severe.
When body weight exceeds the norm. The heart has to work with increased stress. In addition, the process of delivering oxygen to the tissues becomes more difficult, since fat can envelop the heart muscle. In difficult situations, fat cells can even penetrate the alveolar tissue. As a result, the breathing process is disrupted and shortness of breath appears.
Having considered the causes of shortness of breath during exercise, it is necessary to remind that if breathing normalizes during a short rest, then there is no reason for concern.

Treatment and prevention of exertional dyspnea

First of all, you need to learn how to breathe correctly, no matter how strange it may sound. Exercise can increase your lung capacity, which also helps to minimize the onset of shortness of breath. All your sports activities should be carried out in a well-ventilated area, use clothing that does not restrict movement and you do not experience any problems with well-being.
Now we will introduce you to a set of simple exercises that can help prevent shortness of breath. Begin to perform each of them in four repetitions, gradually bringing their number to 12. If during the execution of any exercise you feel discomfort, switch to an easier option.

Exercise number 1

Sit in a chair with your legs together and your back straight. Hands are located on the knee joints. And the feet are next to each other. Move your hands to your lower ribs and begin to inhale slowly. In this case, the head and shoulder joints should tilt to the side. Returning to the starting position, repeat the movement in the opposite direction.

Exercise number 2

Take a supine position with your legs bent at the knee joints and resting your feet on the ground. As you exhale, raise your pelvis and hold your breath at the maximum end point of the trajectory. Staying in this position for a few seconds. While exhaling slowly, return to the starting position.
While inhaling, pull the knee joint of the left leg to the chest, and as you exhale, return to the starting position. Then repeat the movement on the other leg, and then on both at once. The head and shoulder joints should be raised during inhalation, and the chin should touch the chest. The complex is closed by walking in a circle, and breathing at this moment should be calm.
If you have found an attack of suffocation, then you need to take the following steps:

Calm down and then sit down the victim.

Unbutton your clothes so that they do not interfere with breathing.

Provide fresh air.

If the person has heart problems, give nitroglycerin or another similar medication.

If this is an asthma attack, then use the appropriate medication.

If the attack cannot be stopped, call an ambulance. Until the medical team appears. The patient must be supervised. If shortness of breath bothers you often, then quit smoking, try to avoid stressful situations, and also start playing sports.

Shortness of breath in children

At different ages, the respiratory rate in children is different. You can suspect the appearance of this condition in a child with the following number of respiratory movements per minute:

Age up to six months- more than 60 movements.

6 months to a year- over 50 movements.

From one to 5 years- more than 40 movements.

5 to 10 years old- more than 25 movements.

After 10 years- over 20 movements.

It is best to count the number of respiratory movements in a child at a time when he is sleeping. Just place a warm hand on your baby's chest and count the number of breaths he takes over a minute. It is important to remember that in a stressful situation or under the influence of physical exertion, the respiratory rate increases. If breathing is frequent and slowly recovers during rest, then it is worth seeking help from a doctor.
For more information on shortness of breath and arrhythmias during exercise, see the video below:

Shortness of breath and lack of air: causes of lack of oxygen

Why is there not enough air when breathing?

Difficulty breathing, called shortness of breath or dyspnea, has many causes, affecting both the airway and the lungs and heart. Shortness of breath is caused by various factors - for example, increased physical activity, stress, respiratory diseases. If your breathing can be characterized as rapid and noisy, the depth of inhalation and exhalation changes periodically, if sometimes there is a feeling of lack of air, then it is necessary to understand the situation, since such symptoms can be dangerous to health and indicate serious illnesses.
The most common causes of air shortage are:

Unhealthy Lifestyle;
poorly ventilated room;
pulmonary diseases;
heart diseases;
psychosomatic disorders (for example, vegetative-vascular dystonia);
chest trauma.

Let's consider each of the reasons in more detail.

Shortness of breath due to lifestyle

If you do not have heart or lung disease, the difficulty in breathing may be related to an insufficiently active lifestyle. Here are some tips for preventing shortness of breath symptoms.

When shortness of breath occurs with physical activity, such as running or walking for a long time, it indicates that you are not physically fit or that you are overweight. Try to exercise and reconsider your diet - when there are a lack of nutrients, lack of air is also not uncommon.
Shortness of breath is a common occurrence in smokers, as the respiratory system is extremely vulnerable when smoking. In this case, it is possible to breathe in deeply, only by eliminating the bad habit. Also, doctors recommend doing an X-ray of the lungs once a year - regardless of whether there are health problems or not.
Frequent alcohol consumption can also provoke shortness of breath, since alcohol negatively affects the cardiovascular system and increases the likelihood of a heart attack, heart rhythm disturbances and other diseases.
Do not exclude the possibility of shortness of breath and emotional upheaval or frequent stress. For example, panic attacks are accompanied by the release of adrenaline into the blood, after which the tissues require more oxygen and the person suffocates. Frequent yawning also indicates health problems - it is a sign of brain hypoxia.

Shortness of breath due to poor ventilation

As you know, stuffiness in a living room is a constant companion of a bad mood and headache. However, an excess of carbon dioxide also has more serious consequences - fainting, memory and concentration impairment, sleep disturbances and constant lack of air. To sleep well and work productively, you need a constant flow of air from the street. We have already said that it can be difficult to regularly ventilate the house: in winter, for example, too cold air enters through an open window, so there is a chance of getting sick. Noise from the street or insufficiently clean air on the other side of the window can also interfere with your comfortable well-being. The best way out in such a situation would be supply ventilation with air purification and heating systems. It is worth mentioning the smart microclimate system, with which you can remotely control climatic devices and measure CO2 levels, temperature and humidity.

Shortness of breath due to impaired lung function

Very often, lack of air is associated precisely with pulmonary diseases. People with impaired lung function experience severe shortness of breath on exertion. During exercise, the body releases more carbon dioxide and consumes more oxygen. The respiratory center in the brain accelerates breathing when oxygen levels in the blood are low or when carbon dioxide is high. If the lungs are not functioning properly, even a little effort can dramatically increase the breathing rate. Shortness of breath is so unpleasant that patients specifically avoid any physical activity. With serious pulmonary pathologies, air deficiency occurs even at rest.
Lack of air can result from:

restrictive (or restrictive) breathing disorders - the lungs cannot fully expand during breathing, therefore, their volume decreases, and a sufficient amount of oxygen does not enter the tissues;
obstructive breathing disorders - for example, bronchial asthma. In such diseases, the airways are narrowed and, when breathing, requires significant effort to expand. For asthmatics with shortness of breath during an attack, doctors usually advise keeping an inhaler handy.

Shortness of breath with heart disease

One of the most common heart disorders that can negatively affect the depth and intensity of breathing is heart failure. The heart supplies blood to organs and tissues. If the heart doesn't transport enough blood (i.e., heart failure occurs), fluid builds up in the lungs, gas exchange is impaired, and a disorder called pulmonary edema occurs. Pulmonary edema is what causes shortness of breath, which is often accompanied by a feeling of suffocation or heaviness in the chest.
Some people with heart failure have orthopnea and / or paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. Orthopnea is shortness of breath that occurs while lying down. People with this disorder are forced to sleep while sitting. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea is sudden, severe shortness of breath that occurs during sleep and is accompanied by the patient's awakening. This disorder is an extreme form of orthopnea. Also, paroxysmal nocturnal shortness of breath is a sign of severe heart failure.
Lack of air can occur with a sharp increase in blood pressure, if you are hypertensive. High blood pressure overloads the heart, dysfunctions and a feeling of lack of oxygen. Shortness of breath can also be caused by tachycardia, myocardial infarction, coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular pathologies. In any case, only an experienced doctor can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Shortness of breath with anemia (anemia)

With anemia, a person has a lowered hemoglobin level and a reduced number of red blood cells. Since hemoglobin and red blood cells provide the transfer of oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, when they are lacking, the amount of oxygen that blood supplies is reduced. Patients feel especially acute shortage of air during physical activity, because the blood cannot deliver the increased level of oxygen needed by the body. In addition to shortness of breath, symptoms include headache, loss of energy, impaired concentration and memory. The main way to get rid of a lack of air during anemia is to eliminate the root cause, i.e. restore the level of hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood.

Shortness of breath with vegetative dystonia

Vegetovascular dystonia is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system. Usually, patients complain of a feeling of a lump in the throat, rapid breathing, a feeling of lack of air. Respiratory disorders are aggravated by conditions that require tension of the nervous system: passing an exam, interview, speaking in public, etc. The causes of vegetative vascular dystonia can be excessive mental, physical or emotional stress, hormonal disruptions, chronic diseases.
One of the most common manifestations of vascular dystonia is hyperventilation syndrome, which leads to "excessive breathing." Many people mistakenly believe that hyperventilation is a lack of oxygen. In fact, hyperventilation syndrome is a shortage of carbon dioxide in the blood. When a person with this syndrome breathes too fast, they exhale more carbon dioxide than they need to. A decrease in the level of carbon dioxide in the blood leads to the fact that hemoglobin is firmly combined with oxygen and the latter hardly enters the tissues. With pronounced symptoms of shortness of breath, doctors recommend breathing into a bag tightly pressed to the mouth. The exhaled air will accumulate in the bag, and inhaling it again, the patient will compensate for the CO2 deficiency.

Regular severe shortness of breath when walking always causes discomfort in a person and disrupts the functioning of the body. Indeed, for the full functioning of all systems and organs, normal breathing is necessary. With age, many people experience severe shortness of breath, since the mobility of the diaphragm and heart muscles changes, and the elasticity of the lung tissues decreases. As a result, the lungs do not fully expand. Shortness of breath can occur due to a chronic illness or a temporary illness.

Shortness of breath when walking

Shortness of breath is chronic or occurs occasionally. The main symptom of severe shortness of breath is a sudden lack of air. Also, shortness of breath is accompanied by wheezing, whistling, and a failure of the respiratory rhythm. A person becomes pale, tries to capture more air, while his lips turn blue.

Chronic shortness of breath is determined by the rate of breathing. If the rhythm of inhalation and exhalation deviates from the norm, then this is evidence of pathology. It occurs due to disturbances in the functioning of the respiratory system, which causes oxygen deficiency and the appearance of shortness of breath.

Also, the appearance of shortness of breath and sweating when walking is possible in certain situations, for example, during physical exertion, after eating, when climbing stairs, when going out into the cold, when resting at night.

Shortness of breath when climbing stairs can occur in a person suffering from pneumonia, lung infections, colds. Sometimes shortness of breath can be accompanied by pain in the chest area and lead to loss of consciousness.

The appearance of shortness of breath during a night's rest indicates stagnation in the cardiac tissues, as well as left ventricular failure. In this situation, the person has to sleep while sitting or put several pillows. Thus, the blood will recede from the lungs, it will become easier to breathe.

If the appearance of severe shortness of breath occurs when going out into the cold, then this indicates a pathology of the lungs, allergy to cold, anemia. This is possible even with insufficient body weight. In this situation, you need to learn how to breathe correctly. Do not inhale the frosty air with your open mouth abruptly.

Causes of severe shortness of breath when walking

The main causes of shortness of breath are various diseases, which are determined by the nature and frequency of breathing. Each of them has its own rationale and treatment.

There are several types of shortness of breath:

1.central;

2. hematogenous;

3.pulmonary;

4.cardiac

Pulmonary dyspnea

Pulmonary dyspnea is one that is caused by diseases and pathologies of the lungs. There is an expiratory form of shortness of breath. With it, swelling or spasm occurs in the bronchi, which makes breathing difficult. This type of shortness of breath also occurs with bronchial asthma, manifested by wheezing, whistling sounds

Also distinguish between inspiratory dyspnea. It occurs due to the accumulated fluid in the chest, with pleurisy, with fibrosis, ascites, lymphogenous carcinomatosis. Inspiratory dyspnea is possible with edema and swelling of the larynx, as well as with diseases of this area. It manifests itself with minimal physical exertion, accompanied by rapid breathing and lack of air when speaking.

Cardiac dyspnea

There are also cardiac dyspnea. Its occurrence is directly affected by the thinning of the walls of blood vessels, septal defects, heart failure, stenosis. Also, one of the causes of cardiac dyspnea is heart defects. As a result, oxygen starvation appears, it is also the cause of shortness of breath when walking. The main signs of cardiac dyspnea are orthopnea and polypnoea.

Orthopnea appears with left ventricular failure. This syndrome forces a person to always be in an upright state, since this way his condition is alleviated.

Polypnea occurs when there is excessive venous blood flow to the heart, and can occur due to chronic heart failure. Polypnoea is characterized by an increase in the frequency and depth of breathing.

Hematogenous dyspnea

It occurs when toxic products enter the bloodstream, in case of poisoning, in diabetes mellitus. Breathing becomes heavy, noisy and well audible

Central dyspnea

This type of shortness of breath occurs with pathologies of the central nervous system, with neuroses, and also under the influence of neurotropic substances. Central dyspnea is not a consequence of pathology, it is itself the cause. It manifests itself in different ways: hypernea, oligopnea, arrhythmia.

Shortness of breath treatment

Effective treatment is possible only after establishing the cause of shortness of breath. To do this, you need to undergo a complete examination of the body.

In medicine, the following measures are taken to treat shortness of breath: elimination of infection in the respiratory system; bringing all body systems back to normal; increased immunity;

Short-term drugs are prescribed as drugs: salbutamol, fenoterol, terbutaline. And also long-acting drugs: formoterol, saltos, clenbuterol.

There are also folk remedies for the treatment of shortness of breath when walking. The most common folk remedies are syrups, tinctures and teas.

A very effective remedy is hawthorn tincture. The recipe is simple: three tablespoons of the collection must be poured with three ordinary glasses of boiling water. Drink one glass three times a day before meals.

Juniper and honey oil will be no less effective remedies. You need to take 100 grams of juniper cones, 50 grams of butter, 150 grams of honey. All soar in a water bath. Take two spoons every day, wash it down with tea.

The most important task for a person is to ensure proper ventilation of the lungs. And for this you need to quit smoking, develop activity in order to improve physical fitness. It is also worth limiting yourself in drinking alcohol, trying to maintain normal mental health, and walking more in the fresh air. And in doing so, remember that the best treatment is prevention.

Constant painful shortness of breath makes a person's life uncomfortable, since he is deprived of the ability to breathe normally, which is necessary for the functioning of all organs and systems of the body. Over the years, such pathologies appear in many people, as the extensibility and elasticity of the lung tissue decreases, the strength and mobility of the diaphragm and chest muscles change. As a result, the lungs lose the ability to expand completely. Shortness of breath can also occur due to chronic illnesses or temporary health problems.

Shortness of breath can occur occasionally, paroxysmal, and can be chronic. A sudden lack of air, whistling or wheezing, changes in depth and rhythm during breathing are pronounced symptoms of shortness of breath. The man turns pale, tries to grab for air, his lips turn blue.

In the chronic course of the disease, it is difficult for a person to breathe while lying down, therefore, the muscles of the neck or abdominal breathing are connected to the process. The chronic form can be determined by the frequency of inhalation and exhalation - if the rhythm is abnormal, then this is a clear symptom of pathology. Shortness of breath can occur in certain specific situations, such as walking, exercising, climbing stairs, going out into the cold, after eating, at night, and even during sex.

When walking shortness of breath is associated with cardiac activity, or rather with the coronary vascular system, which supplies blood to the myocardium. The presence of heart disease, thinning of the vascular walls, and septal defects directly affects shortness of breath. As a result, oxygen starvation occurs, which is manifested by shortness of breath when walking.
Not a single person can do without minimal physical exertion, just as without eating. But if shortness of breath appears with such daily actions, this is already a pathology. It can occur due to disorders of the heart or respiratory system - the lungs and bronchi. As a result, there is a deficiency of oxygen entering the bloodstream, and shortness of breath appears.
Climbing stairs should not cause any particular difficulty and shortness of breath in a healthy person. It can appear in people suffering from lung infections, colds, emphysema, pneumonia, etc. Shortness of breath can turn into an acute attack with chest pain and even cause loss of consciousness.
If a person starts to choke when going out into the cold, this may be a consequence of cold allergy, pathology of the lungs, anemia. This also happens in people with insufficient body weight. Frosty air is good for the body, but you need to learn how to breathe when leaving a warm room. The first rule is that you cannot inhale the sharply frosty air with your open mouth - this can cause shortness of breath and pain in the heart.
Difficulty breathing may occur and when resting at night... This indicates left ventricular failure or stagnation in the tissues of the heart muscle. A person has to put on several pillows or sleep while sitting to relieve the condition. It also provides relief from the adoption of an upright position, as the blood recedes from the lungs.
Shortness of breath during sex can occur for the above reasons, as well as with anemia, which is caused by a deficiency of iron in the blood. Precisely this can be determined by the doctor when receiving the results of clinical tests.

Causes of shortness of breath

Dyspnea can be caused by various diseases - they can be determined by the frequency and nature of inhalation and exhalation. Each category of pathology has its own name and rationale. In medicine, there is a division, which is defined as central dyspnea, pulmonary, cardiac and hematogenous. In turn, they are also divided into several more types.

Pulmonary dyspnea

Expiratory dyspnea is the most common form, which is determined by difficulty in exhaling and occurs when the lumen in the bronchi narrows due to their swelling, spasm, or sputum blockage. To cope with this problem in the process of breathing, it is necessary to strengthen the work of the respiratory muscles, but this is not enough, and the exhalation cycle can be difficult.

This form of shortness of breath manifests itself in bronchial asthma, especially during attacks, as well as in chronic bronchitis, in the event of bronchospasm and allergic edema of the bronchi. This form is characterized by whistling and wheezing sounds when exhaling, but, unlike cardiac dyspnea, a person has the opportunity to sleep peacefully at night without suffocating, and his limbs do not get cold.

Inspiratory dyspnea is defined by difficulty breathing. This is due to the accumulation of fluid in the chest - with fibrosis, lymphogenous carcinomatosis, pleurisy, ascites, ankylosing spondylitis. A similar form manifests itself in case of laryngeal edema, tumor diseases in this area.

This type of shortness of breath can be determined by the inability of a person to speak without frequent breaths, it also manifests itself during even minimal physical activity. Inhalation in such cases is accompanied by a hissing noise.

Cardiac dyspnea

The causes of this category of respiratory failure are most often mitral stenosis, left atrial myxoma, or left ventricular heart failure, in which blood circulation is impaired, which leads to respiratory distress. Symptoms of cardiac dyspnea in these pathologies are orthopnea and polypnoea.

Orthopnea- This is a syndrome of cardiac dyspnea, which forces a person to be upright all the time, as this relieves his condition. Orthopnea is associated with left ventricular and left atrial failure.
Polypnea- characterized by increased frequency and depth of breathing, up to the phenomenon of hyperventilation of the lungs. Most often caused by excessive venous blood flow to the heart when a person takes a horizontal position, it can be caused by chronic heart failure.

Hematogenous dyspnea

Such shortness of breath occurs when toxic products appear in the blood due to liver failure, diabetes mellitus or poisoning. Breathing due to the large air flow becomes noisy and well audible.

In addition, the hemic type differs, which mainly occurs with anemia, due to a decrease in the concentration of oxygen in the blood. In patients with anemia, the appearance of such shortness of breath is more often the result not of the disease itself, but of other reasons, for example, anemic myocardiography, hypoxic damage to the central nervous system.

Central dyspnea

This type is a symptom of pathological processes in the respiratory center of the central nervous system, with its oraginous lesions, neuroses, or from exposure to neurotropic toxic substances. Unlike all other categories, such shortness of breath is not a reaction of the respiratory apparatus to pathology in other organs, it is itself the root cause of respiratory failure, which entails serious consequences. It can manifest itself in different ways: arrhythmia, centrogenic bradypnea, hyperpnea, tachypnea and oligopnea.

Respiratory arrhythmias are caused by dysfunctions in the brain stem, which occur with traumatic brain injury, stroke, inflammation and edema, as well as with certain types of chemical or drug poisoning.
Bradypnea - this is the designation for rare breathing that can occur when poisoning with narcotic substances or with pathological changes in the central nervous system. Sometimes you can see it in healthy people during deep sleep. With a systematic manifestation of bradypnea, consultation with a neurologist is imperative.
Oligopnea - shallow, rare breathing with insufficient ventilation of the lungs, can occur with hypothermia. If you do not take medical measures, this type of shortness of breath becomes more severe and can lead to respiratory arrest. In all cases, the prognosis for the appearance of oligopnea is unfavorable, as it leads to respiratory acidosis or diffuse cyanosis.
Tachypnea - rapid shallow breathing that can occur with neuroses, tumor formations, meningitis. Respiratory rate reaches 75-80 times per minute. This phenomenon also occurs with pericholecystitis, diffuse peritonitis, ascites, disruption of the central nervous system.
Hyperpnea - pathologically frequent deep breathing, occurs in a coma with hemorrhagic stroke, meningitis, head trauma, alcoholic coma. Due to the accumulation of mucus in the nasopharynx and trachea and the reduction of the pharyngeal muscles during breathing, snoring and whistling sounds often occur.

General treatment for shortness of breath

Treatment for shortness of breath is effective if the cause is identified. To do this, you need to go through a serious in-depth medical examination, since it will be wrong to treat the symptom, not paying attention to the essence of the problem.

The main task is to ensure normal ventilation of the lungs. To do this, you need, first of all, to make efforts to the person suffering from this pathology - you need to give up tobacco, start to increase your physical activity.

For the treatment of orthopnea, in which it is impossible to breathe while lying down, ultrasonic inhalation sanitization and immunotherapy are well suited. An overall treatment plan for shortness of breath usually consists of the following:

Elimination of foci of infection in the entire respiratory system.
Bringing to normal the gastrointestinal tract, lymphatic, cardiovascular systems of the body, psychoemotional sphere.
Immunomodulation (increased immunity).
Energetic activation of the body.

Medications

If the cause of shortness of breath is respiratory diseases, first of all, medical specialists recommend drinking plenty of soft alkaline drinks.
In case of intoxication of the body, infusion therapy is needed - the introduction of intravenous fluid (saline, hemodez, rheopolyglucin and others)

Shortness of breath caused by bronchospasm is treated with drugs that relieve it. The drugs are divided into long-term and short-term drugs.

Short-acting drugs:

salbutamol (tablets, inhalers, solutions for use in a nebulizer).
fenoterol (aerosol, solution for inhalation);
terbutaline (tablets, injections, inhalation).

Long-acting drugs:

saltos (tablets);
formoterol (capsules, inhaler);
clenbuterol (tablets, syrup);
salmeterol (aerosol, powder for inhalation);

The following medications are used to relax the bronchi:

atrovent - ipratropium bromide (inhaler, capsules, injection solution).
Combined drugs:
berodual (aerosol, solution for inhalers);
ditek (inhalation solution)
Methylxanthines

Short-term action:

aminophylline (tablets, intravenous injections).

Long-acting:

eufilong (capsules);
theopec (tablets).

Breathing agents for bronchial asthma:

sodium cromoglycate (inhaler, capsules);
nedocromil sodium (inhaler);
nalcrom (capsules).

There are other drugs, but any of them should only be prescribed by a specialist doctor... Self-medication for severe forms of shortness of breath can lead to very serious consequences.

Folk remedies for shortness of breath

In the piggy bank of folk remedies there are recipes that will help expand the bronchi and relieve shortness of breath.

An infusion of the fruits and flowers of hawthorn, mixed one to one, is done as follows: three cups of boiling water should be poured over three large spoons of the collection, divided into three doses during one day.
Honey and juniper oil. Juniper cones (100 g) + butter (50 g) + honey (150 g) steam in a water bath. Take two large spoons of tea daily.
Lilac flowers (one large spoon) are poured with a glass of boiling water. Drink two large spoons four times a day.

Simple breathing exercises can help solve problems with shortness of breath, whatever the cause.

After exhaling air through your mouth, you need to inhale it through your nose, then exhale with force through your mouth and draw in your stomach, count to ten. Inhale through your mouth so that the air goes "into the stomach", then draw in your stomach and hold your breath, counting to ten. This exercise can be performed while sitting, standing and even walking: exhale - inhale - exhale - hold your breath - exhale.
The next exercise should be done while standing or sitting, arms bent at the elbows. Open your palms so you can see them. The fists are clenched with effort while producing noisy short breaths (8 times). Then lower your hands for five to ten seconds and repeat the exercise. The required number of approaches is up to twenty.

You can get acquainted with other exercises from a therapeutic gymnastics instructor. If you do them regularly, you can say goodbye to shortness of breath forever.

An example of exercises for breathing exercises in the video

Prevention of shortness of breath

In order not to get such a problem and then look for ways to get rid of it, it is better to think about it in advance and prevent the onset of those diseases that are its root cause. To do this, you should adhere to simple life rules:

Maintain a normal psycho-emotional state.
Give up bad habits (alcohol, smoking and others).
It is imperative to give the body a reasonable regular physical activity - this can be morning exercises, walking, climbing stairs, swimming, etc.
Control the correct position of the body during sleep - the head should lie on the pillow at an angle of 35-40 degrees.
If symptoms of shortness of breath appear, you should immediately consult a doctor and follow all his recommendations.
Perform breathing exercises before shortness of breath appears - it never hurts.

There are many tips, medicines and natural remedies that cannot be covered in one article. It will be very interesting if you share your experience of getting rid of shortness of breath in the comments. Perhaps with your advice you will make life easier for someone.

Shortness of breath (dyspnea) when walking is not an independent disease. The feeling of lack of air due to insufficient depth of breathing occurs as a result of various diseases or for natural reasons. If shortness of breath occurs only during vigorous exercise and is not accompanied by other symptoms, then it is enough to reduce physical activity. If you have chest pain or other discomfort, medical attention is needed.

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Causes

The causes of shortness of breath, if it is not physiological, are usually various diseases. These include:

1. Pathology of the cardiovascular system. Shortness of breath occurs with angina pectoris, arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction, aneurysm of the thoracic aorta, etc. Most often it is a sign of heart failure. Additional signs can be used to judge what is associated with shortness of breath in a particular case. If it is accompanied by chest pain, it may be a symptom of myocardial infarction. In the presence of asthma attacks, thoracic aortic dissection is suspected.
2. Diseases of the respiratory system. These are pneumonia, pleurisy, tracheitis, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The latter most often developed earlier in the elderly, but today it also occurs in young people.
3. Various diseases of the nervous system, including neuroses and conditions accompanied by feelings of anxiety and obsessive fears, etc.
4. Diseases of the blood.
5. Cancer diseases.

There are other reasons that cause shortness of breath. This is overweight, hernia of the esophagus, osteochondrosis. There are also combined cases when dyspnea causes a whole complex of reasons. This condition may be a symptom of thyroid-related tachycardia.

Inspiratory shortness of breath - what is it: causes, symptoms, treatment

Symptoms

The symptoms of shortness of breath differ depending on the cause. If a person has difficulty breathing in, it could indicate heart disease. If the discomfort occurs with exhalation, it is bronchial asthma or COPD.

When it is difficult to do both, one can suspect a violation of the respiratory system in the form of restriction of the mobility of the chest and lungs, which happens with obesity. In any case, it is necessary to conduct a comprehensive examination.

Treatment and prevention

Physiological shortness of breath is a natural phenomenon. It usually occurs after strenuous physical activity, during which the body requires much more oxygen than usual, and is accompanied by an increased heart rate. To cope with physiological shortness of breath, it is enough to change the approach to training. You need to start it with a 15-minute warm-up, increase the load gradually. This approach is needed not within the framework of one lesson, but constantly. In this case, physical activity should be regular. It is important to breathe correctly when performing all exercises: inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. Sometimes you may need to change your sport, such as running and swimming.

Pathological dyspnea is treated with both conservative and surgical methods. The main role in it is played by the elimination of the disease that caused the dyspnea. If shortness of breath is caused by bronchial obstruction (bronchial asthma and COPD), bronchodilator therapy is used. These are drugs that dilate the bronchi. These include drugs such as Clenbuterol syrup, tiotropium bromide, Atrovent and others. A specific remedy can only be prescribed by a doctor.

Other treatments for dyspnea are also used:

1. Oxygen. This therapy is indicated for COPD. It can be used even at home. For this, special cylinders, containers for liquid oxygen or even oxygen concentrators are produced, which are the most convenient to use.
2. Exercise. Exercise is considered to be an effective way to rehabilitate patients with respiratory problems. They are useful for COPD as well. In this case, not all physical exercises are suitable, but only specially designed for such pathologies.
3. Reception of anxiolytics. These are drugs that reduce the manifestations of fear, anxiety, and emotional stress.
4. Maintaining constant positive pressure in respiratory tract... Usually this method is called by its English abbreviation - CPAP. This therapy is carried out using a special sealed mask and an air flow generator.

A set of exercises is prescribed depending on what caused the shortness of breath - heart failure or COPD. Respiratory gymnastics is carried out only if there are no contraindications - hypertension, severe course of cardiovascular diseases.

All these methods belong to conservative therapy. But sometimes surgical reduction (reduction) of the lung volume is also performed.

Exercises for Seniors

Respiratory gymnastics should be aimed at improving gas exchange and lung function. Exercises are simple, because they are also designed for the elderly. If shortness of breath is associated with COPD and other pulmonary conditions, resistance exhalation can be used. It is performed at any stage of the disease, even with an exacerbation. A jar filled with water and a straw are needed. During the exercise, a deep breath is taken with the nose, after which it is necessary to exhale as slowly as possible through the mouth through a straw. This procedure should be repeated for 10-15 minutes 4-5 times a day.

Another exercise is done while sitting on the edge of a chair. At the same time, put your hands on your knees. It is necessary to simultaneously bend and straighten the ankle and wrist joints. 10-12 reps are recommended.

In a sitting position on a chair, you can also carry out the following gymnastics: take a deep breath, then exhale smoothly and hold your breath as much as you feel. Then repeat the whole cycle. If discomfort arises, the exercise is stopped. In total, its execution should take no more than a minute.

Folk remedies

Treatment of shortness of breath with folk remedies does not help get rid of the cause of this condition, but simply relieves unpleasant symptoms.

Therefore, such methods can only be used in addition to the main therapy. You must first consult with your doctor.

Contraindications

There are situations in which the treatment of shortness of breath with folk remedies is contraindicated. These include:

rapid breathing, in which there is no compensation for lack of air;
severe shortness of breath, accompanied by swelling of the limbs and pain in the chest area;
wheezing and severe coughing;
previously diagnosed chronic diseases of the cardiovascular or respiratory systems.

Any herbal remedy can cause allergies. When signs appear, taking such a medication should be discontinued.

Recipes

If the patient has no contraindications and individual intolerance to the components of the drug, various recipes can be used to treat shortness of breath. Horse chestnut inflorescences help with shortness of breath caused by problems with the bronchi, and motherwort tincture is suitable for the treatment of a condition caused by cardiovascular diseases.

The following remedies can help fight shortness of breath:

1. Tincture of reeds. To prepare it, you need to pour a glass of crushed panicles of a plant with a liter of boiling water and leave for several hours. The resulting tincture should be taken 4 times a day in a glass. The tool is used for a long time, at least 3 weeks.
2. Tincture of sunflower inflorescences. The remedy helps to get rid of shortness of breath, regardless of what caused it. It is prepared in this way: 400 ml of vodka is taken for 100 g of dry sunflower petals. Insist the mixture in a dark place for two weeks. Take tinctures 3 times a day, 35 drops after meals.
3. Astragalus herb tincture. At 1 st. l. chopped plant materials, you need to take a glass of boiling water. The tool is insisted for one and a half hours, and then filtered. You need to take the tincture in a quarter of a glass before meals 4 times a day.
4. Tincture of horse chestnut inflorescences helps with problems associated with the bronchi. For 50 ml of medical alcohol, you need to take 1 tsp. dry plant materials. The tincture is left in a dark place for one week. It should be taken twice a day, 30 drops per glass of water. Drink the tincture before eating.
5. Motherwort. There are several recipes based on it. You can make a motherwort tincture from 1 tbsp. l. herbs in a glass of boiling water. This remedy is insisted all night, and in the morning you can already drink it. It is better to wait until evening and drink it before bedtime, since the tincture helps not only with bronchial asthma and hypertension, but also with diseases of the central nervous system (central nervous system). Fresh motherwort juice has proven itself well. To prepare the product from it, you need to take 30 drops in a quarter glass of water. To make the juice last longer, it can be mixed with ethyl alcohol. This tincture is taken 40 drops per day for 2 tbsp. l. clean water.

Remedies for shortness of breath due to heart failure

Other drugs may be used to treat shortness of breath associated with heart failure. The most popular are:

1. Tincture from partitions walnut... Refined raw materials (1 glass) are poured into a glass container and poured with vodka. The vessel is tightly closed with a lid so that the alcohol does not erode. Then it is placed in a dark, cool place for 3 weeks. Shake the tincture periodically. The finished product is consumed in 1 tbsp. l. a day with water.
2. Tincture of birch leaves. To prepare the product 2 tbsp. l. freshly picked and chopped leaves are poured with a glass of boiling water and insisted for half an hour. Then filter the tincture and add 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda. The entire volume is divided into several equal portions and drunk during the day. Every day you need to brew a fresh product.
3. Wormwood tincture. The seeds of wormwood are poured with vegetable oil, which has not been refined, in a ratio of 1: 4. The resulting product is consumed in the morning on an empty stomach. To do this, apply 3 drops of the oil composition to a piece of sugar and dissolve the cube like a lollipop for several minutes.
4. Grapes. You need to use it in its pure form. It is advisable to use red berries, since they contain more substances useful for the heart and blood vessels. It is recommended to consume 100 g of grapes per day, after which you should not eat other food.

Medicinal teas from blackberries and young nettle stalks help from any shortness of breath. They are prepared in the same way as regular tea - 3-4 tsp. raw materials are poured into a kettle with boiling water and left for 10-15 minutes. In the pharmacy, you can buy a special herbal mixture based on thyme, motherwort, dried cress and crushed blackberry leaves. Honey can be added to make the taste more pleasant.

We accelerated our pace a little, and immediately felt that our breathing was out of order, and there was not enough air ... Does it sound familiar? Shortness of breath is a problem faced by many, regardless of gender and age. This cannot be called an independent disease, but quite a symptom of rather serious ailments. There is a failure of breathing at rest, but most of all shortness of breath when walking is worried, its causes are quite extensive. Why does it arise, and how to deal with it?

What is shortness of breath and how does it manifest

Not every rapid breathing can be attributed to shortness of breath. For example, climbing quickly to the fifth floor or running a hundred-meter distance, an absolutely healthy person will breathe heavily. Such situations do not apply to the problem under consideration. True shortness of breath (or otherwise - dyspnea) is a pathological change in breathing, manifested by an increase (or decrease) and a change in the depth of breathing, in which a lack of oxygen is sharply felt. It can arise due to physiological reasons, and as a manifestation of certain diseases (more often - heart and lung), as well as during pregnancy, obesity, asthma, etc. In the international classification of diseases ICD-10, it is assigned the code R 06-8.

Symptoms

Shortness of breath manifests itself during exertion, walking, and in case of serious illnesses - both at rest and in sleep. You can recognize an ailment even when you first encounter it.

Symptoms include:

a feeling of tightness under the ribs, in the chest;
difficulty in carrying out a full inhalation or exhalation;
choking due to lack of air;
often - dizziness.

There are different types of shortness of breath, but conditionally they can be divided into 2 groups:

physiological;
pathological.

If the former are associated with the physical unpreparedness of the body for stress, the latter is a variant of the manifestation of dysfunctions of organs and systems of the body.

In addition, shortness of breath occurs:

inspiratory, when interruptions in breathing occur on inspiration;
expiratory when exhalation is difficult.

Most often, inspiratory dyspnea is typical for people with bronchial asthma, lung and heart disease. Also, such a condition can be provoked by a foreign object getting stuck in the airways (mainly in children). The opposite, expiratory dyspnea is characteristic of persons observed by a cardiologist and a pulmonologist, as well as with a hysterical outburst, during pregnancy, with overweight. Sometimes there is also mixed shortness of breath, caused by heart failure or lung pathology.

Dyspnea is divided into types and, depending on the respiratory rate per unit of time (usually a minute), into:

tachypnea, when breathing becomes more frequent, and from 20 respiratory movements are noted per minute (for example, during hysteria, a person is able to breathe up to 80 times per minute, and this phenomenon is given the term "breath of a driven animal");
bradypnea, when the frequency of respiratory movements is much less than normal (from 12 or less per minute), this condition occurs with brain pathologies, hypoxia, coma, etc.

Dyspnea is symptomatic during normal exertion, in cases of primary manifestation, for example, while walking on a straight surface with brisk steps. Intense physical activity and weight lifting are not taken into account.

When to see a doctor

If shortness of breath when walking in the elderly is a relatively variable-normal phenomenon, then in youth this condition should alert. In case of a relapse of such a phenomenon, you should definitely visit a doctor for consultation and further examination. Dyspnea is a symptom of many serious diseases, and you should not postpone a visit to the doctor. But which specialist will come to the rescue? First of all, a therapist or family doctor. With previously diagnosed heart diseases, it will not hurt to make an appointment with a cardiologist, and with pathologies of the respiratory system - to a pulmonologist.

Diagnostics

For diagnostics, there are a variety of techniques, including a visual examination of the patient, as well as laboratory and instrumental studies. The most common methods are:

physiocal: taking anamnesis through conversation, examination, percussion, palpation of the patient;
research of biomaterial - blood, urine in the laboratory;
x-ray;
tomography (computed or magnetic resonance imaging;

When collecting an anamnesis, information such as the characteristics of dyspnea on inhalation and exhalation, its intensity, the presence / absence of a heredity factor, chronic heart and lung diseases, the dependence of the manifestation of shortness of breath on body position and load are important. So, there are several degrees of dyspnea:

zero: with it, significant physical exertion is required for the manifestation of respiratory failure;
first: this mild degree manifests itself irregularly, for example, with intensive walking on stairs, etc.;
the second, average, in which, due to difficulty in breathing, slowness of movements is manifested, the forced stops when walking;
the third severe degree, in which the patient is not able to continuously overcome even 100 meters in a simple step;
an extremely severe degree is manifested by the fact that shortness of breath appears even with minimal exertion and even in a calm state - this is the fourth stage.

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Shortness of breath when walking: causes and types of dyspnea

In medical language, shortness of breath when walking in young and old people may have an additional "species" term. There are such types of dyspnea as: pulmonary, hematogenous, cardiac, central. They all have different manifestations and causes.

Pulmonary dyspnea

Inspiratory dyspnea is a condition when fluid accumulates in the chest, inhalation is accompanied by a whistling sound, and the patient is unable to speak for a long time. Expiratory dyspnea is manifested by a narrowing in the lumen of the bronchi, difficulties arise during exhalation.

Hematogenous dyspnea

Hematogenous dyspnea is diagnosed with diseases of the hematopoietic system and blood. Often, the causes of shortness of breath are poisoning with toxins, diabetes mellitus, liver dysfunction, anemia. For diagnosis, a biochemical blood test is required.

Cardiac dyspnea

One of the most common types of dyspnea is shortness of breath with heart failure and other heart pathologies such as mitral stenosis, myxoma, ischemia, heart attack, etc. Dyspnea occurs due to circulatory disorders, leading to impaired respiratory function. The characteristic signs of cardiac dyspnea include the following syndromes:

orthopnea, characterized by the fact that the patient needs an upright position to make himself feel better, which usually occurs with pathologies of the left ventricle or left atrium;
polypnoea, in which both the respiratory rate and its depth are increased, fraught with hyperventilation of the lungs, which often happens with chronic heart failure, and the patient is most comfortable in the supine position.

Long-term absence of treatment for this type of shortness of breath is manifested by the appearance of pain in the heart, pallor of the extremities, blue nasolabial triangle.

Central dyspnea

Central dyspnea worries patients with pathology of the central nervous system with lesions of the respiratory center in the medulla oblongata (lower part of the brain). In this case, it is not any disease that causes dyspnea, but it itself provokes symptoms such as: arrhythmia, decreased or increased respiration, etc.

Shortness of breath: treatment

When the diagnosis of shortness of breath is made, treatment is prescribed depending on the type of dyspnea and the reasons for its occurrence. Therapy is aimed at eliminating the underlying disease. So, for example, cardiac dyspnea, treatment involves the use of drugs that normalize the activity of the cardiovascular system, and in case of lung diseases, it is important to eliminate pulmonary disease.

In addition, the following are important:

quitting tobacco and alcohol;
proper nutrition;
drinking a sufficient volume of liquid (especially soft alkaline drinks);
breathing exercises;
correctly dosed physical activity, etc.

To get rid of shortness of breath, it is important to avoid secondhand smoke, so work in places where smoking is not prohibited should be changed if possible.

Do not sound the alarm if shortness of breath while walking haunts pregnant women (especially in the last trimester), since the condition usually returns to normal after childbirth.

Oxygen therapy

Oxygen therapy is considered an effective method of getting rid of shortness of breath. It is indicated for pulmonary dyspnea. Oxygen therapy is indicated for all types of dyspnea. Dyspnea is characterized by insufficient oxygen supply to the cells of the brain, lungs and blood, and the use of oxygen concentrators can increase the concentration of oxygen molecules in the air and relieve attacks of shortness of breath. However, this method does not eliminate the disease itself, in which dyspnea is only an alarming symptom.

Folk remedies

Traditional medicine is a good help in getting rid of shortness of breath.

Hawthorn: an infusion of fruits and inflorescences in equal proportions is prepared by pouring a tablespoon of raw materials with a glass of boiling water. Take ½ glass three times a day.
A similar infusion is prepared from lilac color in the same proportions. Take 2 tablespoons of the broth every 6 hours.
Goat's milk is hot on an empty stomach. A teaspoon of honey is added to a glass of milk. The course of treatment is up to a month.

It is best to use them in folk recipes in addition to the main drug therapy.

Prophylaxis

So that shortness of breath during walking and physical activity does not darken life, the best prevention is training: walking, running, exercising in the gym. These methods help to strengthen the whole organism and the respiratory system as a whole. Adhering to a healthy lifestyle with moderate physical activity, giving up harmful habits that destroy the body are the first steps towards eliminating dyspnea.

With shortness of breath, provoked by a dysfunction of internal organs, the best preventive measure is timely diagnosis and treatment. Shortness of breath when walking, the causes of which are pathological in nature, is a reason for constant monitoring by a specialist. Breathe more evenly! And be healthy!

Today we will talk about the causes, symptoms and treatment of shortness of breath, but first you need to decide what is shortness of breath?

Shortness of breath is the body's response to insufficient oxygen supply to the blood (hypoxia). It manifests itself as a painful sensation of lack of air, tightness in the chest in combination with a compensatory increase in the frequency and depth of respiratory movements. Usually combined with.

In a severe case, it may end in suffocation.

Shortness of breath is popularly known as shortness of breath, shortness of breath. In medical science, it is called dyspnea... It is not a disease, an independent nosological form. This is just a symptom that accompanies various pathological processes in the body.

Shortness of breath symptoms and types

What is shortness of breath? Are there any signs of shortness of breath?

The human breathing mechanism consists of a phase of inhalation and exhalation. Depending on when the shortness of breath occurs, it can be:

- dyspnea of an inspiratory nature... Its appearance is associated with the moment of inhalation;
- expiratory dyspnea... This view is associated with its appearance at the time of exhalation;
- mixed type.

As a symptom of any pathological process, the intensity of the resulting shortness of breath is directly related to the severity of the main process. The appearance of a similar condition can be observed in the absence of pathology, under normal physiological conditions.

Physiological causes of shortness of breath

If shortness of breath appears at rest, then this definitely does not apply to the norm, but strong shortness of breath when walking, running, physical exertion often occurs against the background of hypodynamia, detraining, in a state of stress.

Another non-pathological temporary cause of acute hypoxia that has arisen includes a long stay in a stuffy room.

With increased physical stress and other temporary conditions, organs and tissues require an increased amount of oxygen for the normal course of various biochemical reactions in them. This is a compensatory mechanism of the body's defense in response to stress and excess of age load norms.

The main causes of shortness of breath

Why does shortness of breath appear?

There are many reasons for shortness of breath. All of them are associated with a disruption in the activity of body systems due to functional changes or organic damage.

Most of all, when shortness of breath appears, pathologies of the cardiovascular and respiratory system can be suspected ...

Pathology of the heart and blood vessels

Under normal conditions, approximately 5.5 liters of blood circulates freely in the body. In addition, another 1.5 liters are in the depot.

Blood performs many functions, but one of the main is the delivery of oxygen to organs and tissues. This is due to the presence of hemoglobin and erythrocytes in the blood.

The heart must pump this amount of blood in the body in 1 minute. If for some reason it does not cope with this task, then the blood supply to organs and tissues will be insufficient, and, therefore, they will receive less oxygen. Oxygen deficiency or oxygen starvation is called hypoxia.

In response to this, work on the part of the respiratory system becomes more intense. They try to somehow smooth out the problem that has arisen. As a result, breathing becomes more frequent and shortness of breath occurs. And it appears because, despite the fact that breathing becomes more frequent, its depth still suffers.

Shortness of breath associated with cardiac failure or cardiac dyspnea

Heart failure is not understood as a specific disease, but conditions leading to it. Shortness of breath, which occurs precisely for this reason, is characterized by its appearance when walking and various physical activities.

Over time, shortness of breath with heart failure can occur even at rest. Along with shortness of breath, they may appear, which usually appear in the evening and at night. In the heart itself, there may be a periodic nature of pain, interruptions in work. The skin becomes pale with a bluish tinge. The patient complains of general weakness, fatigue and malaise.

Hypertonic disease

Helps to increase the burden on the heart. With increasing pressure, the lumen of peripheral vessels is narrowed. Naturally, it takes much more effort for the heart to push the blood through.

Initially, in the stage of compensation, the heart muscle copes with its task, but all this is up to a certain limit. Over time, when the disease passes into another stage, the heart can no longer fully cope with the function assigned to it. Less blood is pumped. Organs and tissues receive less oxygen. Shortness of breath occurs.

Objectively, reddening of the face can be noted in such patients. Subjectively, patients note flies before their eyes, headaches and dizziness, decreased performance and deterioration in general condition. The heart works intermittently.

Myocardial infarction

This condition belongs to the category of urgent and is associated with a sharp deterioration in the activity of the heart. During such conditions, severe shortness of breath is always present. In addition, they are celebrated. The pains are strong, pronounced, and have a stabbing character. The patients are seized by a feeling of intense fear.

Respiratory pathology

Human lungs consist of a branched system, bronchi, which form the bronchial tree. The main structural unit is the alveolus.

For some reason, their lumen may narrow. This can be due to both functional disorders and organic damage, leading to destructive changes in the lung tissue.

As a result, all this leads to the fact that less air, and with it oxygen, enters the lungs. This circumstance again leads to increased breathing rate and shortness of breath.

Pulmonary edema

If there is a lack of function from the left ventricle, pulmonary edema may develop. At the same time, shortness of breath is strongly pronounced and can turn into choking. The patient's breathing can be heard even from the side. It becomes bubbling, wheezing appears. Able to join a cough. It has a moist character with sputum production. The patient is able to turn blue in front of his eyes. Help in such conditions is urgent.

Bronchitis

This disease is associated with inflammation of the bronchi, which, as a rule, is caused by the action of pathogenic microflora. The course can be acute or chronic and is always associated with shortness of breath. The disease can be accompanied by sputum and spasm of the respiratory muscles. In this case, the patient is shown the appointment of expectorant and antispasmodic drugs.

Pneumonia

It is a disease associated with inflammation of the lung tissue. The cause of the occurrence, as a rule, is the effect of pathogenic microflora. Along with the symptoms characteristic of any inflammatory process, shortness of breath is certainly present. As a rule, shortness of breath with this pathology of a mixed nature. In the chest area, patients notice pain. The skin becomes pale with a bluish tinge. In severe cases, heart failure may join.

Anemias of various nature

It is characterized by a decrease in the number of erythrocytes and hemoglobin in the blood, which are responsible for the respiratory function of the blood. The reduced content of such blood elements determines the circumstance in which they are unable to supply organs and tissues with oxygen in sufficient quantities.

Trying to compensate for this somehow, the body triggers reactions that cause shortness of breath.

What else causes shortness of breath

Shortness of breath often develops against the background of heavy smoking.

Some other diseases can also cause a similar symptom - obesity (then shortness of breath occurs after eating), some thyroid diseases, for example, hyperthyroidism, thyrotoxicosis, diffuse and large, occurs with edema and neoplasms of the larynx, even with foreign bodies stuck in pharynx.

, and even more, the actual panic attacks are also accompanied by shortness of breath ,.

Dyspnea can also cause poisoning, including liver failure, coma in diabetes mellitus.

Shortness of breath can even occur with thoracic osteochondrosis, symptoms of lack of oxygen and tightness in the chest are combined with pain in the region of the heart, when raising the arms;
Often this symptom occurs during long periods of pregnancy, when there is a large fetus or multiple pregnancies. Or with cardiac pathologies of a woman who is expecting a child.

First aid for shortness of breath

Call a doctor;

lay the patient on his side or give him a half-sitting position;

provide access to fresh air or provide (if any) an oxygen cushion;

unbutton clothing that is constraining the throat;

warm your limbs with a heating pad, hot water bottle or massage;

with a cough accompanying an attack of shortness of breath, press the reflex point in the jugular fossa for 1-2 minutes (the base of the neck in front, the place where the clavicles meet).

Treatment of shortness of breath with folk remedies and preventive measures

How is shortness of breath treated?

Treatment begins with the treatment of the underlying disease, which caused the onset of shortness of breath and the appointment of various means to help relieve symptoms.

Traditional methods of getting rid of shortness of breath are combined with the methods of traditional medicine - giving an oxygen mask, taking oxygen cocktails, parenteral and oral administration of medicinal substances.

with the neurogenic nature of the onset of shortness of breath (after stress), a course of valerian, motherwort, lemon balm, mint is shown;

after an exacerbation, dosed physical activity, exercise therapy classes, Nordic walking in the fresh air, or at least just walking are possible;

normalization of nutrition, limitation of salty foods and layers in principle;

Symptomatic relief for shortness of breath (especially of cardiac origin) can be provided by:

warm with honey - regular intake for a month;

reception 2 months - see the recipe here;

taking the mixture natural honey(liter), 10 minced lemons and 2 heads (not cloves) of garlic. Stir, insist for a month, take 4 teaspoons 2 months in the morning on an empty stomach;

brewing dry dill (2 teaspoons per glass of boiling water) - drink the entire infusion in small portions during the day, the course is 2 weeks;

taking medications (Cardiovalen, ankylosing spondylitis) as a means of reducing shortness of breath, especially of a cardiac nature, sedative action, taken in drops, 30 drops 2-3 times a day.

Shortness of breath symptoms with minimal exertion. Difficulty breathing, shortness of breath and shortness of breath from what happens? Shortness of breath: what is it and the causes

Shortness of breath - what is it

Dyspnea - ICD

Shortness of breath with diseases of the respiratory system

Prevention of shortness of breath

Video

What is shortness of breath

Shortness of breath classification

Causes of shortness of breath

Shortness of breath with pathology of the lungs

Shortness of breath with pathology of the cardiovascular system

Shortness of breath in neurotic disorders

Shortness of breath with anemia

Shortness of breath in diseases of the endocrine system

Shortness of breath in pregnant women

Shortness of breath in children

Which doctor to contact

What it is

Classification

Causes

Shortness of breath with lung diseases

Shortness of breath with cardiovascular pathologies

Shortness of breath with neuroses

Shortness of breath with anemia

Shortness of breath in diseases of the endocrine system

Shortness of breath after eating

Shortness of breath in pregnant women

Shortness of breath in children

Shortness of breath on exertion: causes and treatment

The mechanism of shortness of breath

When is it necessary to be alert?

Sources of shortness of breath

Heart pathology

Heart failure

Hypertonic disease

Myocardial infarction

Pulmonary dyspnea

Signs of bronchitis

Obstructive pulmonary disease

Causes of pathology in children

Treatment methods

Preventive measures

What is shortness of breath

Shortness of breath classification

Causes of shortness of breath

Shortness of breath with pathology of the lungs

Shortness of breath with pathology of the cardiovascular system

Shortness of breath in neurotic disorders

Shortness of breath with anemia

Shortness of breath in diseases of the endocrine system

Shortness of breath in pregnant women

Shortness of breath in children

Which doctor to contact

Why does shortness of breath appear on exertion?

Shortness of breath: what is it and the causes

Diseases in which shortness of breath is common

Pathologies of the heart muscle and vascular system

Acute left ventricular failure

Cardiac asthma

Pulmonary edema

Hypertension

Myocardial infarction

Lung ailments

Disorders in the endocrine system

Treatment and prevention of exertional dyspnea

Exercise number 1

Exercise number 2

Shortness of breath in children

Shortness of breath and lack of air: causes of lack of oxygen

Why is there not enough air when breathing?

Shortness of breath due to lifestyle

Shortness of breath due to poor ventilation

Shortness of breath due to impaired lung function

Shortness of breath with heart disease

Shortness of breath with anemia (anemia)

Shortness of breath with vegetative dystonia

Shortness of breath when walking

Causes of severe shortness of breath when walking

Pulmonary dyspnea

Cardiac dyspnea