How is shortness of breath—dyspnea—diagnosed and treated? How can it be prevented?

Diagnosis

Physicians can diagnose shortness of breath (dyspnea) through a complete physical examination. How episodes begin, their duration, frequency and severity should be established in detail.

A conventional chest X-ray or computed tomography (CT) may help diagnose dyspnea and examine the heart, lungs and other relevant areas. An electrocardiogram (ECG) can identify signs of a possible heart attack, one cause of shortness of breath.

Measuring airflow and lung capacity may help determine the cause and degree of breathing problems. Additional tests may measure blood oxygen levels and the blood’s oxygen-carrying capacity.

Treatment

When treating dyspnea, doctors focus on the cause of breathing problems and plan treatment to help the person breathe better.

Cool airflow over the face and neck may help. Treatments specific to the underlying cause vary between people and depend on the main cause. If dyspnea is asthma-related, bronchodilators, which widen lung airways, and steroids produce successful results. If infection such as pneumonia causes it, antibiotics provide relief. Opioids (narcotic painkillers), anti-inflammatory medicines and anti-anxiety medicines may also be effective.

Breathing problems may arise from COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Special breathing techniques, such as pursed-lip breathing and strengthening exercises, may help. People can learn these techniques through pulmonary rehabilitation programs. Dyspnea laboratories specializing in shortness of breath have reported that people find these programs beneficial even while the underlying cause persists.

According to dyspnea laboratories, many people with dyspnea report that cool airflow over the face and neck helps reduce symptoms.

Prevention

• Quit smoking
• Avoid places where people smoke whenever possible
• Avoid chemical fumes and smoke from wood and coal
• Lose weight (reducing pressure on the heart and lungs and making exercise easier, thereby strengthening the cardiovascular and respiratory systems).
• Exercise in high-altitude areas

Dyspnea in specific patient groups

Dyspnea can affect people with different characteristics differently.

During pregnancy:

Dyspnea symptoms during pregnancy are mild and common. Weight gain and fetal growth compressing chest organs reduce a woman’s breathing capacity by up to % 20. However, breaths per minute or respiratory rate generally remain unchanged throughout pregnancy.

In older people and/or those with serious health problems:

Dyspnea may develop in people at the final stage of diseases such as cancer or heart failure. At this point, shortness of breath should be addressed within end-of-life treatment.

In children:

Diseases narrowing the upper airways are common pediatric emergencies and the most common cause of shortness of breath in children. Throat infections, inhaled foreign bodies and inflammation of the windpipe are common causes of childhood dyspnea.

Overview

The overall approach depends on the cause of dyspnea. If the underlying cause, such as pneumonia or asthma, is treated and cured, breathing problems largely resolve. However, improvement may be limited when shortness of breath arises from a serious chronic disease that worsens over time, such as heart disease, COPD or lung cancer .

Patients with dyspnea should manage the condition with their physicians through a well-designed treatment plan.