Dyspnea Symptoms, Causes, and Diagnosis

Many people question themselves what a dyspnea is. Have you ever experienced an immediate and serious breathlessness? People with dyspnea don’t even have to drown in order to feel the shortness of breath – this symptom follows them always and everywhere.

Luckily, most people tend to visit health care professional when the shortness of breath occurs as it frightens them. It is important to check the heart and lungs first of all.

What are the causes of dyspnea? First and for most, the disease may be the ‘product’ of the damaged lungs. Sometimes, the heart is the source of dyspnea. There are many signs a potential patient may experience at one time. The disease may begin at the mild level and achieve highly serious progress. It is recommended to be under the health care expert control in both cases.

One of the first symptoms to notice is the pain in the chest. Also, a person who may suffer from dyspnea might feel a severe tightness in the chest area. The body feels like the chest has overworked fulfilling its functions. If you have ever felt a large rubble on your chest, you may understand what it feels like when you’re a victim of dyspnea.

Lassitude is the common symptom of many similar illnesses, and dyspnea is not the exception. All of a sudden, a lot of impediments arise when it comes to everyday activities like cooking, washing, etc. This symptom prevents the patients from having a complete, energetic life.

A person may feel breathless, especially when sleeping or, vice versa, waking up suddenly. This symptom is mostly observed in the morning. The world of health care professionals knows this phenomenon as the nocturnal dyspnea. The person may start suffocating. He or she just runs out of the air. This discomfort leads to the severe problems with sleep and any rest.

As far as the patients with dyspnea complain of the problems with heart and lungs, it may result in one more symptom, which is coughing. The manner of coughing is rather stable and can be dry. This type of a cough leads to the severe pain in the chest. Sometimes, the patient starts wheezing deeply or feeling swollen extremities as the fluids are formed in the legs. It may warn about the potential heart disease.

The scientists who studied dyspnea in-depth have determined the causes of this illness. If the person has pulmonary diseases, he or she is under the greater risk of facing dyspnea too. Other factors which should be considered while treating dyspnea are the possible heart failure, ischemic heart disease (IHD), hypoxia, problems with metabolism, and different problems with the lungs (e.g. kyphoscoliosis).  The diagnosis should be based on the category of causes.

How can one avoid mistakes when diagnosing dyspnea? It’s not recommended to start the treatment before making sure it is a dyspnea. Conduct X-ray exam, blood test, and ECG to define the problem. The doctor must prescribe the proper therapy or medication only based on the examinations.