Dyspnoea

dyspnea (the accentuation esdrújula dyspnea is incorrect) is a respiratory difficulty that usually translates into shortness of breath. It results in a subjective sensation of discomfort that frequently originates from poor breathing, encompassing different qualitative sensations that vary in intensity. This experience originates from interactions in which multiple physiological, psychological, social and environmental factors intervene, which can in turn induce, from physiological responses to secondary behaviors.

You can distinguish:

• Disnea of effort: appears when making efforts, with the adjacent appreciation of whether they are large, medium or small.
• Decubit dyspneawhich is relieved with the erect position (orthopane): it can reach different degrees of intensity, being progressive to reach the decubitus.
• Night paroxywhich is also known by its acronym DPN: it is characterized by appearing during the night while the patient is asleep. This forces him to suddenly wake up, creating a situation of despair by not being able to receive the necessary amount of air.
• Resting dyspnea: appears even without any effort.

Causes and Symptoms

Newborn with intercostal tyre product of respiratory difficulty. Central Hospital de Maracay, Venezuela.

See: List of causes of dyspnea

The symptoms, although very similar, depend on the cause of the respiratory distress. Thus, together with the respiratory distress and the possible bluish coloration that the patient presents, the following can be observed:

• Broncoespasm:
  • Silbided above breath.
• Blood problems:
  • Presence of anemia.
• Cancer:
  • Growing difficulty breathing.
  • Pains breathing.
  • Chronic cough.
  • Blood on the flem.
• Collapse of the lung:
  • Neumotórax (accumulation of air between the membranes of pleura).
  • Intense pain.
• Enfisema (loss of elasticity of the air bags of the lung):
  • Difficulty expelling the air that has entered the lungs, a process that makes it difficult to enter new air.
• Trachea obstruction: If a piece of food or any other object enters the trachea, it can produce asphyxiation, pneumonia and even death.
• Heart disease:
  • Pains in the chest.
  • Wake up at night without air can be a symptom of heart failure.