What diseases do not have enough air. Why there is not enough air when breathing and how you can help

Probably, almost everyone knows the feeling of lack of air when the elevator stopped working, and you have to go up to the ninth floor, or when you run after the bus because you are late for work ... But breathing problems can occur even at rest. What are the symptoms and causes of shortness of breath? What to do if there is not enough air?

Why is there not enough air when breathing

Difficulty breathing, which is called shortness of breath or dyspnea, has many causes that affect both the airways and the lungs and heart. Shortness of breath is due to various factors- for example, increased physical activity, stress, respiratory diseases. If your breathing can be described as rapid and noisy, the depth of inhalation and exhalation changes periodically, if sometimes there is a feeling of lack of air, then you need to understand the situation, since such symptoms can be dangerous to health and indicate serious diseases.

The most common causes of shortness of breath are:

Unhealthy Lifestyle;
poorly ventilated area;
lung diseases;
heart diseases;
psychosomatic disorders (for example, vegetovascular dystonia);
injury chest.

Let's consider each of the reasons in more detail.

Shortness of breath due to lifestyle

If you don't have heart or lung disease, you may have trouble breathing because you're not active enough. Here are some tips to help prevent the symptoms of shortness of breath.

When shortness of breath occurs physical activity, for example, when running or walking for a long time, this indicates insufficient physical training or being overweight. Try to play sports and reconsider the diet - if there is a shortage nutrients shortness of breath is also not uncommon.
Shortness of breath is a common occurrence in smokers, since the respiratory system is extremely vulnerable when smoking. In this case, it is possible to breathe in deeply, only by overcoming a bad habit. Doctors also recommend taking x-rays of the lungs once a year, regardless of whether there are health problems or not.
Frequent alcohol consumption can also cause shortness of breath, since alcohol negatively affects the cardiovascular system and increases the likelihood of a heart attack, disorders heart rate and other diseases.
Do not exclude the possibility of shortness of breath and with emotional upheaval or frequent stress. For example, panic attacks are accompanied by the release of adrenaline into the blood, after which the tissues require more oxygen and the person suffocates. Health problems are also indicated by frequent yawning- it is a sign of cerebral hypoxia.

Shortness of breath due to a poorly ventilated area

As you know, in a residential area - a constant companion bad mood and headache. However, an overabundance carbon dioxide has more serious consequences- fainting, impaired memory and concentration, sleep disturbances and constant lack of air. To work productively, you need a constant flow of air from the street. that it can be difficult to regularly ventilate the house: in winter, for example, through open window hits too much cold air so there is a chance of getting sick. Noise from the street or insufficiently clean air on the other side of the window can also interfere with comfortable well-being. The best way out in such a situation would be with air purification and heating systems. It is worth mentioning about, with which you can remotely control climate devices and measure the level of CO2, temperature and humidity.

Shortness of breath due to impaired lung function

Very often, the lack of air is associated precisely with lung diseases. People with impaired lung function experience severe shortness of breath on exertion. During exercise the body releases more and consumes more oxygen. The respiratory center in the brain accelerates breathing when the level of oxygen in the blood is low or when high content carbon dioxide. If the lungs are not functioning normally, even a small amount of effort can greatly increase the breathing rate. Shortness of breath is so unpleasant that patients specifically avoid any physical actions. With serious pulmonary pathologies, air deficiency occurs even at rest.

Lack of air can be the result of:

restrictive (or restrictive) respiratory disorders - the lungs cannot fully expand when breathing, therefore, their volume decreases, and a sufficient amount of oxygen does not enter the tissues;
obstructive respiratory disorders - for example,. At similar diseases the airways narrow and when breathing require considerable effort to expand. Asthmatics with shortness of breath during an attack are usually advised by doctors to keep an inhaler handy.

Shortness of breath in heart disease

One of the common cardiac disorders that negatively affects the depth and intensity of breathing is heart failure. The heart supplies blood to organs and tissues. If the heart is not pumping enough blood (i.e., heart failure occurs), fluid builds up in the lungs, gas exchange deteriorates, and a disorder called pulmonary edema occurs. Pulmonary edema just causes shortness of breath, which is often accompanied by a feeling of suffocation or heaviness in the chest.

Some people with heart failure have orthopnea and/or paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. Orthopnea is shortness of breath that occurs in lying position. People with this disorder are forced to sleep sitting up. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea is a sudden severe shortness of breath that occurs during sleep and is accompanied by the awakening of the patient. This disorder is an extreme form of orthopnea. Also, paroxysmal nocturnal shortness of breath is a sign of severe heart failure.

Lack of air can occur with a sharp increase in blood pressure if you are hypertensive. High pressure leads to an overload of the heart, disruption of its functions and a feeling of lack of oxygen. Shortness of breath can also be caused by tachycardia, myocardial infarction, ischemic disease hearts and others cardiovascular pathologies. In any case, only an experienced doctor can make an accurate diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate treatment.

Shortness of breath with anemia (anemia)

With anemia, a person has a low hemoglobin level and a reduced number of red blood cells. Since hemoglobin and red blood cells carry oxygen from the lungs to the tissues, when they are deficient, the amount of oxygen supplied by the blood decreases. Patients feel especially acute lack of air during physical activity, because the blood cannot deliver elevated level oxygen, necessary for the body. In addition to shortness of breath, symptoms include headache, loss of strength, impaired concentration and memory. main way get rid of the lack of air in case of anemia - eliminate the root cause, i.e. restore the level of hemoglobin and erythrocytes in the blood.

Shortness of breath with vegetovascular dystonia

Vegetovascular dystonia is a disorder of the autonomic nervous system. Usually patients complain of a feeling of a lump in the throat, rapid breathing, a feeling of lack of air. Respiratory disorders intensify in conditions that require tension of the nervous system: passing an exam, an interview, speaking in public, etc. Causes vegetative dystonia excessive mental, physical or emotional stress, hormonal disruptions, chronic diseases can serve.

One of the most common manifestations of vascular dystonia is hyperventilation syndrome, which leads to "excessive breathing". Many mistakenly believe that hyperventilation is a lack of oxygen. In fact, hyperventilation syndrome is a lack of carbon dioxide in the blood. When a person with this syndrome breathes too fast, they exhale more carbon dioxide than they need. A decrease in the level of carbon dioxide in the blood leads to the fact that hemoglobin is firmly combined with oxygen and the latter hardly enters the tissues. With pronounced symptoms of shortness of breath, doctors recommend breathing into a bag tightly pressed to the mouth. The exhaled air will accumulate in the bag, and by inhaling it again, the patient will make up for the CO2 deficiency.

Other diseases

Shortness of breath can be caused by a violation of the integrity of the chest. With various injuries (for example, with a fracture of the ribs), a feeling of lack of air occurs due to pronounced pain in the chest. Difficulty breathing can also be caused by other ailments, such as diabetes or allergies. In this case, a comprehensive examination and treatment by a specialized specialist is required. Getting rid of breathing problems is possible only if the source of the disease is neutralized.

Adults make, on average, 15-17 breaths per minute. Most of us do not think about how we breathe in and out. But there are people who often feel short of breath. Why do asthma attacks occur?

How do asthma attacks manifest?

Violation of the frequency and depth of breathing, which is accompanied by a feeling of lack of air, is called dyspnea. Although this condition is more commonly known as shortness of breath. If attempts to get enough air into the lungs do not bring satisfaction, an asthma attack begins. This condition is life threatening.

For some, shortness of breath appears even with very light physical exertion, others are disturbed mainly at night. A person may only have difficulty inhaling or exhaling. Dyspnea does not allow some unfortunate people to lie down - in horizontal position they start having asthma attacks. All this may be accompanied general weakness, cough, nausea, chest pain, heart palpitations. The manifestations and consequences of asthma attacks depend on the cause of the lack of air.

Lack of air in respiratory diseases

One of the common causes of lack of air is the presence of any respiratory diseases in a person.

Normally, when we inhale, oxygen enters our body, and when we exhale, carbon dioxide is removed. But if a person has a defeat or respiratory infection, eg bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchiectasis, then respiratory movements run into obstacles. As a result, the oxygen that enters the lungs cannot enter the blood in sufficient quantities. There are bouts of suffocation.

With bronchial asthma, the lumen of the small bronchi and bronchioles narrows, and with chronic emphysema, elasticity is lost. lung tissue. Therefore, with these diseases of the respiratory system, it is difficult for a person to exhale.

We are looking for causes of lack of air in the heart

Lack of air is often caused by diseases that lead to a state of heart failure. With heart diseases (angina pectoris, coronary heart disease, myocardial infarction), dyspnea appears even at rest and in the supine position. In patients with cardiac asthma sharp attacks choking often occur at night. This makes it difficult for the person to breathe.

Shortness of breath due to obesity

In obesity, adipose tissue accumulates not only on visible parts body, but also on the internal organs. Due to this additional load, the lungs cannot provide normal respiratory movements, and the heart becomes unable to make effective contractions.

"Under the load" overweight the supply of oxygen to the tissues decreases and dyspnea develops.

Shortness of breath due to stress hormone

Often the cause of lack of air are severe stress or a panic attack. The fact is that strong emotional arousal is accompanied by the release of the hormone adrenaline into the blood. It speeds up the metabolism in the body, while increasing the oxygen consumption of the tissues. Therefore, in stressful situations or when panic attacks ah man can feel the lack of air.

Which are accompanied by a lack of inspiration, occur in people with hysterical syndrome.

Other causes of shortness of breath

A feeling of lack of air can be a sign of anemia, which develops with iron deficiency. Iron is a constituent of the hemoglobin molecule. It is responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the cells of the body.

The inability to make normal breathing movements occurs in people with chest injuries, such as broken ribs. In these cases, attempts to take a breath cause a sharp pain.

Shortness of breath can be a symptom of thyroid disease. Nodular thickening in the neck sometimes leads to partial blockage of the airways.

Questions from readers

the tongue is swollen and stretched out. It blocks the throat October 18, 2013, 17:25 the tongue is swollen and stretched out. it covers the throat. when tilted, it falls on the tongue. what is it? and how to cure it? Thanks.

At healthy people feelings of lack of air occur with increased physical activity. This is because the heart is actively pumping blood, and the muscles require a lot of energy and oxygen. As a result, breathing becomes more frequent, which makes it possible to compensate for the lack of oxygen. But often asthma attacks occur with relatively little physical activity, and a person does not have the above diseases. This means that his physical form very bad, and it's time to take care of it.

Vegetovascular dystonia is a complex of symptoms indicating a disorder in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system. Unfortunately, from this conditional disease (conditional because international classification do not recognize this syndrome how independent disease) suffers, according to statistics, about 80% of the population modern world. They include men and women, old people, children, teenagers and babies - characteristics dystonia can be found in a person from the first years of life.

Introduction

As a rule, people get used to put up with most of the symptoms, write off the characteristics of the body, poor health in general. But sometimes there are difficulties serious concern and acute attacks. To a greater extent, they are associated with problems of the heart, blood vessels and respiratory tract.

Lack of air with VVD is a common and quite typical situation. The first thing to focus on is fixable. Fear of asphyxia and heart attack due rather psychological factor loss of control over natural processes own body than a real physical threat.

General information

The feeling of lack of air during VVD can be due to various reasons. Shortness of breath can be caused by the dystonia itself, but it can also be just contributing factor. In both cases, accurate medical diagnostics the reasons.

In a situation where interruptions in breathing stem from real problems and illnesses (for example, coronary heart disease or bronchial asthma), apply the classical VSD psychotherapy it will be simply irrational - it is not more reasonable than applying plantain where plaster is required.

The reverse situation is also unsafe - when symptoms are confused by primary self-diagnosis, shortness of breath is a consequence of autonomic disorders due to developing neurosis, and the patient diligently treats fictitious asthmatic complications ... Launched VVD leads to more serious complications than chest tightness and shortness of breath during stress.

Why suffocation causes fear

Even on early stages the development of VVD, when crises are not so acute and other symptoms of the disease are not expressed, breathing difficulties can frighten the patient. Accompanied by sudden sharp pains in the sternum, they resemble signs of heart failure. Arising suddenly, in the middle of the night, in a state of anxiety or emotional fluctuations, the slightest change in breathing can lead to panic attacks. The fear of suffocation blocks an adequate perception of reality, leading to the development of real phobias.

Most often, in the presence of dystonia (one of its types), the patient is diagnosed with hyperventilation syndrome. But this is not the only form that a violation of oxygen metabolism in the body takes on when autonomic disorders nervous system.

I forgot how to breathe

Absurd but common recognition of people suffering from sleep apnea (short-term involuntary cessation of breathing). For many, this happens in a dream: a person wakes up with the feeling that the lungs have stopped working, and oxygen has not been supplied to the body for a long time.

Shortness of breath with VVD is associated with fear and exaggeration of the catastrophic situation: a person sits up abruptly in bed, begins to breathe shallowly and rapidly. The pressure rises, the heart beats faster, trying to make up for the lack of oxygen in cells and tissues as soon as possible. Interruptions in pressure do not relieve difficulty in breathing. On the contrary, dizziness, darkening in the eyes, a feeling of hopelessness are added to them.

All of the above fits perfectly into the classification of both panic attacks and classic sleep apnea. But why does the patient catch his breath at a time when the body should be as relaxed as possible?

Is it possible to "forget" how to breathe

The fact is that both somatic and autonomic nervous systems are responsible for the regulation of respiratory processes. In other words, it happens both consciously and uncontrollably. We can hold our breath at will, make our inhalations and exhalations deeper or shallower, regulate muscle movement chest, thus affecting the process of gas exchange. But when we are distracted, focused on extraneous tasks, we are in the phase deep sleep or stressful situation, not being able to pay attention to the respiratory process, it is the autonomic nervous system that controls the depth and frequency of breaths, heart rate and other related factors.

When autonomic system begins to fail and function not as expected (vegetative dysfunction), everything that was previously controlled by it also goes into discord. The body's reactions cease to correspond external stimuli, tachycardia and panic occur without actual danger, shortness of breath - without physical activity, eating disorders and allergies - without real poisoning and allergens, and so on.

Symptoms

Shortness of breath provoked by VVD manifests itself in different ways. Patients complain about:

Heaviness in the sternum, a feeling of constriction of the chest.
Sharp stabbing pain on inspiration.
Heavy breathing and shortness of breath that occurs during light exertion, when singing or talking, emotional experiences.
Sensation of lack of oxygen when breathing.
It is difficult to inhale and exhale, the process of breathing in itself seems to be an effort, causing shortness of breath.
Awakening from deep sleep by feeling that breathing has stopped.

The last point is of particular concern to those suffering from dystonia, and after it - possible insomnia.

Dream

Why are night attacks so scary for patients? The wording “I forget to breathe in my sleep” is illogical, as we have already discussed, primarily because memory does not participate in the breathing process while the brain is immersed in the sleep phase.

What really happens to those who say: "I choke at night"? speaking out medical terms, their body is experiencing apnea - cessation pulmonary ventilation due to a weakening of the tone of the muscles and soft tissues of the throat. When falling asleep, the muscles seem to “sag”, blocking the airways. Classical apnea lasts up to 10 seconds, hypopnea takes 10 seconds or more. This is enough time to wake up the brain and send an SOS signal about the problem.

“I wake up because I can’t breathe” is a reason for an examination, but by no means for a momentary panic. By coming out of the lying position and consciously doing a series of breathing exercises, you can take control of the night incident and prevent a panic attack.

Hangover

A healthy lifestyle as the main cure for VVD automatically implies, among other things, the rejection of alcohol. After alcohol, the body is doubly difficult to cope with autonomic dysfunction- the need to remove toxins from the blood, an imbalance in sugar and hemoglobin levels also affects the amount of oxygen supplied with blood flow to the lungs.

Why is it hard to breathe with a hangover? Yes, at least from the fact that the illusory feeling that there is not enough air during VVD actually means an insufficient number of oxygen molecules entering the tissue cells internal organs.

Shortness of breath is provoked by any strong load on the body, and the condition alcohol intoxication is quite among them.

Yawn

The feeling of a lack of oxygen (not air in general, but an element in the body) is not always caused by physical exertion or physical respiratory disorders.

Sometimes patients complain that they constantly yawn in the absence of objective reason(lack of sleep, etc.). Yawning is also an indicator of oxygen deficiency in the body and manifests itself reflexively.

The conventional wisdom that yawning is “contagious” is associated with the phenomenon of psychogenic shortness of breath and neurotic consequences, when the breathing disorder of others (for example, a family member) is unconsciously copied by a person. This situation is especially dangerous in infancy. There are cases when an absolutely healthy child reflexively repeated the intermittent, rapid breathing of the parent, which eventually progressed into its own pathology.

Causes of difficulty breathing

Situations where a person is having difficulty breathing with a hangover, after an exercise cycle, or upon awakening at night, do not seem to be as critical as the troubled breathing of a person at rest. When breathing is difficult in a lying old man or infant, in a healthy adult who is on fresh air, a teenager leading an active lifestyle - why is there not enough oxygen in such cases?

Causes of respiratory failure may lie in a number of congenital pathologies. Asphyxiation in VVD can be a reaction to neurotic attacks, hypoxia sometimes turns out to be a side effect of heart failure, a tendency to hypotension and coronary heart disease, problems with the lungs and even with the muscular frame of the chest.

Osteochondrosis, spinal problems can also affect difficulty breathing. The reasons, whatever they may be, should be carefully investigated by the attending physician.

I choke when I'm nervous

It is important to remember that any symptoms of vegetovascular dystonia are closely related to the psycho-emotional sphere. Breathing under stress becomes superficial and squeezed, the muscles contract spasmodically and are in constant tension. Complaints of "suffocating in the morning" may be the result of nervous ground habits of returning to a nervous state as soon as the brain comes out of deep sleep.

It happens to do deep breath it is impossible with the dominance of one (not important, positive or negative) bright emotion, it is difficult to inhale after eating or sleeping, it presses in the sternum during drops internal pressure and outside temperature. This may be due to any change in the external environment or the state of the internal - only the fact that the body fails instead of harmoniously adjusting to the situation is important.

Bronchial asthma

Sometimes autonomic crises (acute attacks of worsening symptoms of dystonia) are associated with similar exacerbations of another disease. So, nocturnal suffocation, dry frequent cough with VVD and the inability to fully inhale can be manifestations of bronchial asthma.

Sometimes a short-term, lasting several seconds feeling of “I forgot how to breathe” is replaced by a hacking asthmatic cough and happens at moments of emotional fluctuations. Respiratory processes are closely related to the coordination of the nervous system, both conscious and unconscious; this means that asthma in the case of experiencing VVD can only be psychosomatic.

Treatment

Whatever the symptoms, they all complicate the normal course of life, and the person needs the help of a specialist. For clarification, they turn to a therapist, a neurologist, a cardiologist, a psychotherapist - each of these specialists can conduct an examination at their own level in order to find out as accurately as possible what caused the respiratory disorder.

Often in the absence of hereditary pathologies, diseases of cardio-vascular system and without the need for drug treatment developed neurosis, the problem is solved quite simply. Methods of relaxing physiotherapy, psychological self-diagnosis at the time of attacks and herbal preparations selected individually for each patient.

Treatment of shortness of breath with pills

AT special occasions, when breathing problems caused by the development of clinical neurosis, for its treatment is used drug therapy. However, any antidepressants, sleeping pills and sedatives must be prescribed by the attending physician and consistent with the diagnosis, confirmed by other specialists. Otherwise, medical intervention can only exacerbate the problem.

For example, if a person at the level of self-medication decides to take a course of sleeping pills to stop waking up at night, this will not save him from hyperventilation. It will only be more difficult for the body to “turn for help” to the brain when, due to a weakening of muscle tone, the lungs stop working for 10-15 seconds.

It is important for a person suffering from psychosomatic apnea to first of all explain how to breathe correctly and calm the growing fear of suffocation during an exacerbation of the VSD crisis.

Breathing exercises

In order to restore breathing not only in the current moment, but also to ensure a calm night sleep without unscheduled awakenings, used physiotherapy. It includes both physical exercises to calm the nervous system (such as yoga, stretching and relaxing massages) and statistical breathing exercises.

Their types differ depending on the goal pursued, but one way or another they include training:

deep breath;
control of the depth and duration of inhalation and exhalation;
the number of breaths and exits per minute;
control of the intensity of the work of the diaphragm;
conscious participation in the respiratory process of other muscle groups.

The benefits of deep breathing are mainly due to greater oxygen saturation. In addition, the depth of inspiration slows down its speed, which means it reduces the risk of involuntary tachycardia, when the heart begins to beat faster than expected due to a series of short superficial breaths.

Respiratoryyoga

Various yoga practices offer a combination of a set of exercises aimed not only at flexibility and muscle tone, but also the health of internal organs. Equalization of the heart rate, elimination internal stress smooth muscle caused by psychosomatics is a useful skill for diagnosed VVD.

Conscious breathing is first worked out according to the indicated schemes (alternate breaths of each nostril, alternating their depth and duration), then it is introduced to the level of habit. So, thanks to weeks of training, you can accustom the body in a stressful situation, instead of speeding up breathing, slow it down, urging the body to calm down and relax first.

Therapeutic breathing exercises

Since the middle of the last century, breathing exercises according to the Strelnikova method have been actively used on the territory of the USSR and are still considered a brilliant method. Including the work of many muscle groups, it helps not only to establish a uniform deep breathing, but also to recover after surgery, develop a voice, relieve fatigue, perform a “massage of internal organs”, etc.

It is used not only as a method of treatment, but also as a prophylaxis recommended, including for adolescents and children. A specially designed set of exercises can replace 15-30 minutes of morning and evening gymnastics, as well as a relaxing massage session.

Properly performed breathing exercises are recommended in the presence of both VVD and other concomitant diseases- neurosis, asthma, hypertension, etc.

Prevention

In order to prevent aggravation of the situation in the presence of VVD, it is necessary to observe a number of simple conditions healthy life. The number one advice is balanced physical activity.

A sedentary lifestyle, cardiac problems and an underdeveloped respiratory system are fertile ground for dystonia. To train the body are recommended:

physiotherapy;
fitness (but not active cardio loads);
yoga;
swimming and various water procedures;
breathing exercises;
hiking in the fresh air;
emotional state control.

In order to prevent the occurrence of neurological dyspnea due to psychological problems, you should give the body a rest from mental stress. If a person devotes most of his time to office work, it is recommended to spend leisure hours paying attention to the body, and not to the screen of the phone, TV and computer.

Sometimes reception sedatives helps in the fight against neurosis, also having a beneficial effect on the functioning of the cardiovascular system and respiratory organs.

Nightly 7-8 hours healthy sleep in a clearly established mode, sessions of relaxation and selected therapy, a positive psychological attitude towards a conscious healthy life - all this contributes to the establishment of a harmonious work of the body.

Difficulty in breathing can be seen with various pathologies cardiovascular and respiratory systems. Even a slight lack of air leads to serious violations in the body, so it is very important to start treatment on early stages. But eliminating only the symptom is not enough, you need to identify the cause of its appearance and begin therapy for the problem that led to such a condition.

Symptom characteristic

Difficulty breathing is normally experienced by people after physical exertion, when the work of the heart accelerates and blood circulation increases, respectively, and the lungs should work in a similar mode. This condition is called physiological shortness of breath and does not indicate any pathology. However, when shortness of breath begins at rest or with little exertion, you should consult a doctor.

Insufficiency of breathing is accompanied by a violation of the rhythm or depth of inhalation and exhalation, such a condition in medicine is called dyspnea. AT practical activities use the term "shortness of breath". Depending on the violation of one or another component of breathing, there are:

Inspiratory dyspnea - with this type, there is difficulty in breathing.
Expiratory - it is difficult for the patient to exhale.
Mixed - both inhalation and exhalation are disturbed.

Shortness of breath, depending on the time of occurrence and increase of hypoxia, is:

Acute - begins suddenly, the signs of hypoxia increase sharply within a few minutes or hours.
Subacute - develops gradually, from a couple of days; it is less dangerous, since the body has time to turn on compensation mechanisms.
Chronic - begins slowly, in the initial stages, patients do not immediately notice it, this type of shortness of breath takes several months or even years.

The main reasons for the appearance

There are three main conditions that develop due to lack of air. They are the main causes of deterioration in the health of patients and the development of irreversible disorders in the body:

Hypoxia. In this state, the oxygen content in peripheral tissues begins to decrease.
Hypoxemia. It is characterized by a decrease in the amount of oxygen in the blood.
Hypercapnia. The amount of carbon dioxide in the blood increases.

Usually these conditions are connected and occur in parallel, but there are pathologies in which there is hypoxia in the tissues during normal level oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood, for example, in acute blood loss.

Causes that lead to shortness of breath, from the side respiratory system:

Pneumonia.
Acute and chronic bronchitis.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Bronchial asthma.
Congenital malformations of the lungs (hypoplasia, aplasia).
bronchiectasis.
Pneumothorax, hydro-, pyothorax.
Emphysema.
Pleurisy.

From the side of the cardiovascular system:

Cardiac ischemia.
Myocardial infarction.
coronary syndrome.
Acquired heart defects.
Heart failure.

Other reasons:

Obesity.
Pregnancy.
Anemia.
Cervical osteochondrosis.
Pathology of the thyroid gland.
Thromboembolism pulmonary artery.
hit foreign bodies into the breathing tube.

Adolescents during intensive growth sometimes experience feelings of shortness of breath. As the body grows vigorously, its need for oxygen also increases. This is a variant of the norm, only if shortness of breath occurs against the background of physical exertion, it should not be at rest.

Any of these causes can cause a feeling of shortness of breath, and some pathologies lead to acute respiratory failure and are often fatal.

Signs of acute shortness of breath

Symptoms of respiratory failure

Acute respiratory failure occurs with diseases such as myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, coronary syndrome, pneumothorax. The development of symptoms is conditionally divided into three stages:

On the initial stage patients feel short of breath, become restless, euphoric. The skin turns pale, the tips of the toes, hands, nasolabial triangle acquire bluish tinge. The respiratory rate (RR) increases to 25-30 per minute (normal up to 20) and the heart rate (HR) - 100-110 per minute.
At the second stage, the excitement increases, patients cannot find a place for themselves, rushing from side to side, which only aggravates the condition. Perhaps the appearance of confusion, hallucinations and delirium. Shortness of breath increases, up to suffocation. The skin becomes blue, sweating increases. The respiratory rate increases to 30-40 per minute, and the heart rate - up to 140 per minute.
The third stage is characterized by an increase in symptoms. Perhaps the development of convulsions, breathing becomes superficial, consciousness is lost and hypoxic coma develops. The skin is covered with bluish spots, which are located throughout the body. At first, the respiration rate is more than 40, and then drops sharply to 10 per minute. Decreases arterial pressure up to 70/30 mm Hg The pupils stop responding to light.

Acute shortness of breath is a very serious condition that requires immediate attention. At the third stage, it is difficult to bring a person to life, and if this is possible, then the severe hypoxia that has been transferred negatively affects the central nervous system. After resuscitation, people feel a decrease in thought processes, attention, memory, etc.

The sooner the patient is helped, the more favorable prognosis for life and full recovery.

A separate type of acute respiratory failure is asthma attacks caused by bronchial asthma. To date, they rarely lead to the third stage. In most cases, they are quickly stopped by bronchodilators and do not provoke severe consequences. However, asthma attacks are referred to as acute shortness of breath.

by the most dangerous complication pathology is the occurrence status asthmaticus. In this situation, the condition can go through all three stages if the patient is not provided with assistance in time.

Chronic difficulty breathing

sign chronic hypoxia. Fingers in the form drumsticks", a nail plate like a watch glass.

Many diseases not only of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems lead to chronic lack of air. Very often, the cause of persistent shortness of breath is obesity, when excess structures put pressure on the lung tissue and prevent it from expanding. Adipose tissue itself requires a lot of oxygen and the lungs, which cannot work normally, are entrusted with the function of ensuring its gas exchange.

During pregnancy, a feeling of lack of air can also develop. In this case, the condition is due to the fact that the growing uterus presses on the diaphragm, preventing it from contracting normally, which causes dyspnea in women. The longer the gestation period, the more pronounced shortness of breath.

Anemia, or anemia, also leads to a feeling of lack of air. With this pathology, the amount of hemoglobin or red blood cells in the blood decreases, the respiratory system, in order to compensate for hypoxia, begins to work hard. ChH accelerates, patients feel this symptom.

Chronic pathologies of the respiratory system unambiguously lead to shortness of breath. There are various mechanisms for the formation of insufficiency in these diseases:

obstructive type, when bronchial tree sputum or mucus accumulates, the lumen of the respiratory tube decreases.
Restrictive - associated with a violation of the elasticity of the lung tissue. This condition develops against the background of pleurisy, emphysema. The lungs cannot expand normally, and full breathing does not occur.
Mixed type, when both types of violation are present.

With pleurisy, patients often complain of pain in the chest, so they need to be differentiated from rib fractures and heart pathologies.

Among the problems of the cardiovascular system, coronary heart disease (CHD) ranks first. It affects a large proportion of the elderly population and is most often accompanied by shortness of breath.

Manifestations of chronic dyspnea

Chronic lack of breath is primarily accompanied by a feeling of dissatisfaction with the breath, a violation of the rhythm, depth and respiratory rate. But there are a number of indirect symptoms that significantly worsen the quality of life of patients and also characterize the presence of hypoxia of the body:

Constant feeling of tiredness.
Dizziness.
Increased sweating.
The appearance of respiratory arrest at night, in a dream.
Frequent yawning.
Blue circles under the eyes.
Thickening of the fingertips in the form of "drumsticks".
Changing the shape of the nails in the form of "watch glasses".
Headache.
Pallor.

Many of these symptoms may accompany various diseases, so they need to be assessed as a whole and take into account the presence chronic pathologies organism.

Patients suffering from lack of air have significant limitations in physical activity. These patients require careful medical supervision and lifestyle adjustments.

Treatment

Lack of air is a symptom that signals an existing problem in the body. Therefore, it is necessary to treat the disease that led to respiratory failure. Each pathology has its own treatment regimen, but there are general principles, including:

Purpose antibacterial agents at infectious diseases- pneumonia, bronchitis, myocarditis, etc. For this purpose, various groups of antibiotics are used, the main task of which is to capture more wide range action on microorganisms.
Attacks of bronchial asthma are stopped by the use of bronchodilators - Salbutamol, Ventolin.
With chronic shortness of breath, drugs such as Neophyllin, Euphyllin may be prescribed. They have the ability to expand the bronchi and enhance gas exchange.
Obese patients need to reduce weight and normalize nutrition, this will not only eliminate shortness of breath, but also improve overall health.
Treatment of anemia is carried out with the help of iron preparations (with an iron-deficient variety) - Ferrumlek, Sorbifer, Totem. These medicines increase the level of hemoglobin, which is responsible for delivering oxygen to the tissues.
Heart disease is treated with various groups drugs. With IHD, beta-blockers (Nebivalol, Bisoprolol), diuretics (Indapamide, Furosemide), angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (Enalapril, Ramipril), etc. are prescribed.

Only getting rid of the cause will eliminate respiratory failure.

The use of folk remedies

Treatment for shortness of breath folk remedies can be used as an auxiliary method and only after consulting a doctor.

Recipes:

Squeeze the juice of one lemon per 100 g of honey and add 10 crushed garlic cloves to the mixture. Insist in a cool dark place for 7 days. Then take 1 tsp. in the morning. The mixture must be chewed.
From 100 g of ripe elderberries are prepared alcohol tincture. Take the same amount of alcohol and let it brew for 5 days. Take 25 drops at night.

These recipes will be effective in case of chronic respiratory failure. At acute conditions you need to go to the hospital for help.

An important component of treatment is the normalization of lifestyle. It is necessary to establish nutrition, make it a habit to conduct daily physical exercises. Breathing exercises have an excellent effect, which, with regular repetition, will help to completely get rid of the pathology.

Most of us live day by day without realizing how we breathe in and out. But there are also unfortunate people who suffer from the feeling of "empty" breathing. There are attempts to collect as much as possible more air into the lungs, but this is not achieved. It starts, which can intensify with excitement, in a horizontal position, in stuffy room, in clothes that are tight in the chest, etc.

Someone feels a lack of air at night in a dream, someone when walking, just when inhaling, the heart beats, yawning, nausea, weakness, coughing, shortness of breath, chest pain, lump in the throat, after eating. Therefore, today we are on www.site and we will talk about what to do, why there is a lack of air during breathing, the causes, and the treatment of this condition will be considered.

The name of such a state of dyspnea, which is characterized by a violation of the depth and frequency of breathing, accompanied by a feeling of lack of air. In a person with such a disease, communication slows down, they become flaccid muscles. it serious threat life. What are the causes of this phenomenon and how to cure it?

So, if you noticed the inability to concentrate on yourself, to speak in long phrases, then be sure that these are the first signs of dyspoea. In a later phase, it is possible pain and a feeling of squeezing the chest, difficulty breathing even in a resting position, breathing accompanied by whistling and wheezing sounds, feeling foreign object in the throat, heat.

The reasons

Shortness of breath may be due to various reasons, which can be roughly divided into two groups. The first group includes various diseases of the respiratory system, the second - the cardiac and vascular systems.

When a healthy person inhales, oxygen enters the body, while exhaling, carbon dioxide is removed with it. If in this process there is a feeling of an obstacle, then most likely this indicates diseases of the organs. respiratory tract. It can be caused by bronchitis (acute or chronic form), pneumonia, bronchiectasis and others.

In this case, it is possible to hit enough oxygen to the lungs, but then not to the blood, as nature intended. Prevents this defeat, infection of the lung tissue. There is simply not enough of it to interact with the blood vessels that need oxygen.

The causes of the second group are diseases that lead to a state of heart failure, which causes lack of air. This may be due to cardiac or angina pectoris(angina), myocardial infarction.

Dyspoea in this case is a consequence of the disease. For example, after a heart attack, the heart muscle is unable to cope with the flow of blood to all organs and tissues. With anemia, an insufficient amount of hemoglobin enters the body, which causes a state of suffocation.

Or the heart is in perfect condition, but anemia is present. This means that there are not enough red blood cells in the body that carry oxygen.

Do not forget about somatic pathology. In this case, complaints of shortness of breath may come from patients with a thyroid gland. Another example is a violation of the metabolic process in the body, which leads to excess weight. Not surprisingly, obese people have a feeling of suffocation.

In a separate subgroup of causes, imbalance, stress, tension or depression can be taken out. Here, however, it is more appropriate to talk not about the shortness of breath syndrome, but about hyperventilation, which causes such a sensation.

In this case, after stress, you begin to breathe deeper and deeper, thereby upsetting the balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood. This can cause tingling throughout the body, dizziness, or fainting. But this passes immediately after understanding the stress, encouragement or tranquilizers.

What to do with lack of air?

But no matter what causes discomfort, it is impossible to leave it without the attention of a doctor. Only he will be able to correctly determine why you feel short of breath, make a diagnosis and, in accordance with it, prescribe a treatment that will really bring relief.

Keep in mind that any lack of oxygen in breathing requires serious consideration on your part, despite the fact that often this does not harm you and is an easily corrected inconvenience. This requires a competent medical assessment.

In case of problems with the organs of the respiratory system, you will be prescribed antibacterial, anti-inflammatory medicines. If these are problems with the heart muscle, then drugs will be used to improve the metabolic processes occurring in it, cardiac glycosides, and therapeutic exercises that strengthen the body will probably be prescribed.

Metabolic disorders are eliminated with the help of a specially selected diet, unloading days and medicines that improve exchange. We repeat once again that true reason can only be established by a doctor, after a comprehensive examination of the body. And not having accurate diagnosis talk about treatment is wrong.