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DYSPNEA(SHORTNESS OF BREATH)

Breathlessnes :

Dyspnea is a feeling of not being able to breathe well enough. Dyspnea is a normal symptom of heavy exertion but becomes pathological if it occurs in unexpected situations or light exertion.

It is a common symptom in people who have lung cancer or have cancer that has spread to the lungs.
You are also having dyspnea if your lungs aren't getting enough oxygen.

People who have dyspnea describe it as difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath. They often compare it to feeling like they are suffocating or being smothered .

Often the anxiety and fears can make the dyspnea worse , by panicking you can become more breathless and begin a cycle that is hard to stop.

SYMPTOMS :
When you have dyspnea , you may feel like :
  • Out of breath
  • Tightness in your chest
  • unable to breath deeply
  • Suffocation
It can be acute(sudden dyspnea) or chronic (long lasting dyspnea). Acute dyspnea starts within a few minutes or hours. It can happen with other symptoms like fever, rash, cough.

Chronic dyspnea can make you feel out of breath with everyday tasks, such as walking from room to room or standing up.

CAUSES :
Many conditions can cause dyspnea. The most common are:
  • Anxiety disorders
  • Asthma
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Broken ribs
  • Choking
  • Excess fluid around your heart
  • A collapsed lung
  • Heart attacks
  • Heart failure
  • Heart rhythm problems
  • Pregnancy
  • Sudden blood loss
  • Anaphylaxis 
  • Pneumonia and other respiratory infections
  • A low red blood cell count (anemia)
DIAGNOSIS :
Lung function test called spirometry to measure how much air you can blow in and out of your lungs and how fast you can do it.  This can help diagnose asthma and COPD.

Other tests might include :
PULSE OXIMETRY : A  device is clipped on your finger or earlobe to measure how much oxygen is in your blood.
BLOOD TESTS :This can show if you have anemia or an infection and can check for a blood clot or fluid in your lungs.
CHEST X-RAY OR A CT-SCAN : It can see if you have pneumonia , a blood clot in your lung or other lung diseases.
ELECTROCARDIOGRAM : It measures the electrical signal from your heart to see if you are having a heart attack and find out how fast your heart is beating and if it has a healthy rhythm.

TREATMENT :
Breathing and relaxation methods may help. but your dyspnea treatment will depend on what's causing your shortness of breath. For example if you have asthma , you may get an inhaler to use when you have a flare.
You can often build up your lung strength with exercise, smoking should be quit , try to away from polluted air like chemical fumes , secondhand smoke and from extremes in temperature.


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