Inspiratory dyspnea: causes, degrees, treatment
The practice of listening is almost daily. Shortness of breath can indicate various diseases that relate to the respiratory system, heart and blood vessels, endocrine glands, etc. Sometimes patients with inspiratory dyspnea need emergency help.
Content:
- Inspiratory dyspnea - what is it?
- Causes of inspiratory dyspnea
- Inspiratory dyspnea
- Symptoms of inspiratory dyspnea
- Diagnostics
- Treatment
- How to independently cope with inspiratory dyspnea?
- Prevention
Inspiratory dyspnea - what is it?
Inspiratory dyspnea is characterized by shortness of breath. Its main difference from expiratory dyspnea is the mechanism of occurrence of the pathological condition, as well as the symptoms that accompany them.
With inspiratory dyspnea, noise and whistling will be heard during inhalation. Sometimes a whistling sound on inhalation can appear in a person after severe physical exertion. If he does not suffer from any diseases, then after a few minutes his condition will stabilize, breathing will return to normal and the pathological sound will disappear. However, this is not always the case. Often, inspiratory dyspnea is a manifestation of pathologies that require treatment.
Causes of inspiratory dyspnea
The reasons for the development of inspiratory dyspnea may be as follows:
- Loss of the lung tissue of its normal elasticity. A similar situation is observed with pneumosclerosis, fibrosis, and pleurisy of the lungs.
- Lung cancer can trigger the onset of inspiratory dyspnea.
- Inspiratory dyspnea often follows patients with advanced tuberculosis.
- Severe pleural layers and carcinomatosis can cause inspiratory dyspnea.
- Sometimes, inspiratory dyspnea occurs in pregnant women. This pathological symptom is explained by the high standing of the diaphragm.
- If a foreign body enters the respiratory tract, a person will develop inspiratory dyspnea.
- Laryngeal swelling is another cause of difficulty breathing.
- Laryngeal stenosis and vocal cord edema are characterized by the appearance of inspiratory dyspnea. Often she worries children under one year old, which is associated with the peculiarities of the structure of their throat. The airway clearance in babies is narrower than that of an adult. When pathogenic flora gets on the tonsils and larynx, edema develops faster in babies. This condition is called laryngitis.
Inspiratory dyspnea
There are 5 degrees of severity of inspiratory dyspnea:
- There is no shortness of breath. She worries a person only after heavy physical effort, for example, after playing sports, long swimming, etc.
- Easy degree. Shortness of breath occurs after brisk walking, after climbing stairs, or on a height.
- Average degree. Shortness of breath occurs during normal walking, which causes the person to slow down. Sometimes he even has to make stops to rest.
- Severe shortness of breath. It develops when a person cannot walk more than 100 m without stopping.
- Very severe shortness of breath worries the patient in a state of physical and emotional rest. This shortness of breath makes the person stay at home.
The norm for an adult is 14-20 respiratory movements per minute. Provided that he is in a calm state.
Symptoms of inspiratory dyspnea
The main symptom of inspiratory dyspnea is breathing difficulties that occur during inhalation. In this case, the person himself can hear a certain noise: wheezing or whistling. If the pathology has a severe course, then the surrounding people can hear these noises.
Inspiratory dyspnea is not an independent pathology, but only a symptom of a certain disease.
Therefore, in addition to shortness of breath, a person will be disturbed by other manifestations of the disease, including:
- If shortness of breath is caused by foreign objects entering the respiratory tract, then the person will experience heaviness in the chest, pain at the site of the foreign body. A cough may appear. If with its help it is not possible to get rid of a foreign body, then suffocation happens to the person.
- With pleurisy, pneumosclerosis and other pathologies associated with the loss of elasticity of the airways, a person will suffer from coughing, his skin often turns pale, and chest pains appear.
- In case of cardiac pathologies, in addition to shortness of breath, a person feels heart rhythm disturbances, he has pain behind the breastbone while walking or increased emotional excitement.
- If a tumor grows in the patient's respiratory system, the symptoms of the disease will differ depending on the place of its localization and size. Often shortness of breath and mild, but prolonged cough become the first signs of pathology. In addition, the patient often has problems swallowing food, the voice may become hoarse. In the future, weight will begin to go away.
- With tuberculosis of the lungs, a person is worried about coughing and shortness of breath. The cough will be dry at first and then wet. Perspiration worries at night. A significant increase in body temperature is observed only with massive damage to the respiratory system. At the same time, low-grade body temperature can be kept for a long time.
To find out the cause of the development of inspiratory dyspnea, it is necessary to consult a doctor and undergo a comprehensive examination.
Inspiratory dyspnea during pregnancy
Shortness of breath during pregnancy occurs very often. Almost all women in a position suffer from it. The longer the pregnancy, the harder it will be for a woman to breathe.
Most often, shortness of breath while carrying a child is a physiological phenomenon. Firstly, the volume of circulating blood in the body of the expectant mother increases. It becomes more, the heart and blood vessels work in an enhanced mode, which affects the state of the respiratory system and the pregnant woman has shortness of breath.
Secondly, the child grows, there is little space for him, therefore, by the beginning of the third trimester, almost all women suffer from shortness of breath. The enlarged uterus presses on the diaphragm and lungs. The stronger this pressure, the more intense the shortness of breath. In addition, she will bother women with polyhydramnios. If the pregnant woman is short, and her fetus is large, then it will also be difficult for her to breathe. The respiratory rate per minute increases to 22-25 cycles.
Diagnostics
In case of shortness of breath, you need to see a doctor and find out its causes.
Diagnostic measures can be as follows:
- General examination of the patient with calculating the NPV, listening to the lungs and heart rate.
- Blood test for gas composition.
- Performing an ECG to assess the condition of the heart.
- Performing spirometry. This study allows you to assess the state of the respiratory system.
- If there is a suspicion of a cancerous tumor, then the patient is prescribed a biopsy. The resulting tissues are sent for histological examination.
- Performing a chest x-ray.
- Undergoing CT or MRI.
The listed research methods are not prescribed in the complex. The doctor assesses the situation, listens to the patient's complaints and invites him to undergo diagnostics of one or more organs. The further plan of examination and treatment depends on the specific situation.
Treatment
Treatment for shortness of breath should be directed at the underlying cause that led to its development.
Basic directions of therapy:
- Performing inhalations with drugs aimed at expanding the bronchi, relieving spasm from them, and thinning viscous sputum. People with chronic diseases accompanied by shortness of breath need to be able to carry out such procedures on their own.
- Taking antihistamines to reduce the body's sensitivity to allergens.
- Oxygen therapy.
- Performing breathing exercises.
When shortness of breath has been caused by a foreign object entering the airway, remove it as soon as possible. If the cause of dyspnea is a cancerous tumor, then the patient is shown surgery, with further chemotherapy or radiation therapy.
With cardiac pathologies, drugs are prescribed to improve the work of the myocardium. It is important to avoid eating foods that contain high amounts of salt, as they contribute to fluid retention, high blood pressure and shortness of breath.
Therapy of tuberculosis is reduced to taking such drugs as: Isoniazid, Ethambutol, Cycloserine, etc. Most often, patients are hospitalized.
How to independently cope with inspiratory dyspnea?
If inspiratory dyspnea occurs, you need to properly provide first aid to the person. First you need to calm down and pull yourself together. Then the windows should be opened to ensure the flow of fresh air into the room.
If there are objects on the neck and on the body that impede breathing, then you need to get rid of them. Be sure to unbutton the collar, untie the tie, scarf, etc.
A person with shortness of breath should sit, he is not recommended to lie down. This will drain the blood from the heart and lungs, making it easier to breathe. If you feel better, you can drink a glass of warm tea with sugar. Having coped with shortness of breath on your own, you do not need to postpone the trip to the doctor. It cannot be ruled out that the next time the attack may be stronger and lead to suffocation. It is not recommended to take medications or do inhalation without a doctor's prescription.
If a person does not feel better after 10-15 minutes, then an ambulance team should be called.
Prevention
To minimize the occurrence of shortness of breath, the following preventive measures should be followed:
- Physical activity should be adequate and not cause an excessive increase in heart rate. Rest if shortness of breath occurs.
- People who are prone to shortness of breath are advised not to consume a lot of coffee. This drink increases blood pressure as well as increases heart rate.
- You need to give up bad habits. This primarily concerns smoking.
- You need to go to bed in a cool, well-ventilated room with a sufficient level of humidity.
- You should not be in a stuffy room for a long time.
- You need to eat right, not overeat, watch your weight.
- If a person is very emotional, then you need to take sedatives. It doesn't always have to be drugs. Sometimes you can give preference to herbal preparations. However, before starting treatment, you need to consult a doctor.
Inspiratory dyspnea can be physiological. For example, shortness of breath occurs during pregnancy. However, sometimes it indicates a serious illness and requires complex treatment. In any case, one must remember that shortness of breath is not a disease, but only a symptom of a particular disorder.
The author of the article: Molchanov Sergey Nikolaevich | Cardiologist
Education: Diploma in "Cardiology" received at the PMGMU. I. M. Sechenov (2015). Here I completed my postgraduate studies and received a diploma "Cardiologist".
