Inspiratory dyspnea occurs when a person has difficulty breathing while inhaling. In addition, the patient may experience symptoms such as disturbances in breathing order and difficulty breathing. As a result, less oxygen enters the blood, a rapid heartbeat appears, it is difficult to inhale and exhale, and there is something tight in the chest.
Shortness of breath can be divided into 2 types:
Shortness of breath can be divided into several types depending on the severity and severity of the disease.
The cause of inspiratory dyspnea is some kind of pathology. Therefore, when of this characteristic should go to medical institution in order to identify the cause of what is happening.
Reasons why inspiratory and expiratory shortness of breath may occur: 
To alleviate an attack of shortness of breath, it is necessary to follow a certain sequence of actions:
If inspiratory or expiratory dyspnea appear on you constantly, even after minor physical activity and overvoltage, you should undergo diagnostics as soon as possible. First of all, go see a therapist who can refer you to the following types examinations:
Only after this the doctor will diagnose accurate diagnosis and prescribe adequate treatment.
Principles of treatment
Treatment depends on the diagnosed disease. To ease breathing, complex therapy is carried out:
In addition, depending on the underlying disease, appropriate therapy is carried out. So, if there is not enough air during bronchitis, then mucolytic drugs are prescribed, bacterial infection antibiotics are prescribed.
It is clear that without medical care It is impossible to cure a disease that causes inspiratory shortness of breath. But you can alleviate your condition by following these simple rules:
In addition, in order to prevent illness or frequent attacks shortness of breath should be increased immune system, accept vitamin complexes, in case of allergic shortness of breath, limit contact with the provocateur of the disease. Good result gives hardening and healthy food, mainly based on plant products nutrition.
Expiratory dyspnea is a disorder of the lungs that makes it difficult to exhale. The disease is a consequence of loss of elasticity internal walls lungs, narrowing of the mucous passages of the bronchioles, convulsive contraction of the lung muscles or allergic reaction.
Signs of expiratory shortness of breath may include:
In addition, expiratory dyspnea may occur ripping And whistling sounds during the patient's exhalation.
Expiratory shortness of breath in bronchial asthma is accompanied by sudden attacks of suffocation. Having calmly taken a short breath, the patient experiences serious difficulties and noisy sounds when exhaling.
Treatment of expiratory shortness of breath in bronchial asthma is effectively relieved by inhalation beta-agonists(for example, Fenoterol, Berotec, Salbutamol). Since these medications have a short-term effect, patients are not recommended to take more than two uses at a time. At least 20 minutes should pass between inhalation sessions.
With expiratory dyspnea, unlike patients with heart disease, patients do not need to be placed with their torso up to improve breathing. If an attack occurs, the patient should take a sitting or half-sitting position, keeping his hands resting on the seat of the bed.
Diagnosis and treatment of expiratory shortness of breath should be aimed at eliminating the disorders that cause expiratory shortness of breath. That is, in order to eliminate or reduce expiratory shortness of breath, it is necessary to first eliminate the underlying disease. Depending on the type of underlying disease, treatment for shortness of breath may vary:
If expiratory shortness of breath is accompanied by a severe form of oxygen deficiency at night, then it is necessary to undergo treatment with deep ultrasonic sanitation in combination with immunotherapy sessions.
To eliminate expiratory shortness of breath, even when using most modern bronchial therapy, additional conditions must be observed:
In the room in which the patient is located, the air should be humid. You can put water to boil with the lid open, hang it wet towels or fill the bathtub hot water. In addition, the room should be well ventilated. If necessary, you can open a window or door.
In case of an allergic reaction of the bronchi, it is necessary to completely eliminate the factor of the allergen impact on the patient with expiratory shortness of breath.
The premises must be regularly wet cleaned.
Patients with expiratory dyspnea can use expectorant medications and mucolytic drugs if the shortness of breath is a consequence of obstruction of the bronchial cavity.
Excessive hypothermia causes the risk of expiratory shortness of breath, so it is necessary to avoid sharp changes temperature.
The most important factor to prevent expiratory shortness of breath and any other disease is to improve lifestyle, avoid bad habits, compliance proper nutrition and eight hours of sleep.
Shortness of breath is an involuntary condition characterized by a violation of the depth, rhythm and frequency of breathing, a feeling of lack of air and difficulty breathing. From the point of view of pathophysiology, this process is protective and adaptive in nature. Shortness of breath is the main symptom respiratory failure, which clinically manifests itself in diseases of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, as well as in some pathological processes of the central nervous system, endocrine diseases. The causes of shortness of breath can be many different diseases and physiological conditions, but it appears only when the respiratory center located in the medulla oblongata becomes excited or reacts inadequately to it.
The human body is a fairly automatic mechanism. As mentioned earlier, the main regulator of respiratory activity is the respiratory center. It is divided into the inspiratory section - responsible for inhalation, and the expiratory section - for exhalation.
Information about how much to inhale, how much to excite the respiratory muscles and attract them to the act of breathing is provided by the following mechanisms: humoral and reflex. Under humoral mechanism one should understand the excitation of the respiratory center due to an increase in carbon dioxide in the blood and a change in its alkaline environment. The essence of the reflex mechanism is feedback mechanoreceptors and metabolic shifts with chemoreceptors of tissues and blood vessels. If the respiratory muscles have not worked and tensed enough, or an intense metabolic process occurs in the body, then the receptors of the vessels and organs will send their impulses to the breathing center, reporting a lack of oxygen - or, to be more precise, an excess of carbon dioxide. In fact, there are several more mechanisms for regulating breathing, but these are considered the main ones. All processes occur due to the body’s self-regulation – homeostasis.
If the breathing rate is abnormal (dyspnea), shortness of breath may be accompanied by a decrease (bradypnea), increased frequency (tachypnea) and absence of breathing (apnea). The norm for healthy person 18-20 respiratory acts per minute should be considered. It should be remembered that the subject should not know that his breathing rate is being measured. Depending on the phase of breathing, the following types are distinguished:
Shortness of breath can be paroxysmal (during attacks of bronchial asthma), chronic (during diseases of the cardiovascular and respiratory systems), physiological (as a mechanism of thermoregulation during overheating) and constant.
Pay attention! Inspiratory dyspnea (difficulty in breathing) occurs due to processes that limit the expansion of the lungs. Such conditions are characterized by a decrease in the vital capacity of the lungs, which allows one to judge the maximum expansion values lung tissue.
There are extrapulmonary and pulmonary factors that help limit expansion:
Laboratory and instrumental studies (spirometry, peak flowmetry) reveal a decrease in the total lung capacity and vital capacity of the lungs, but the forced expiratory rate remains unchanged.
Pay attention! Expiratory dyspnea (difficulty in exhaling) can occur with airway obstruction. Obstruction syndrome means a violation of air flow in any area - from the pharynx to the bronchioles.
The causes of obstruction can be divided into the following categories:
Chronic shortness of breath is one of the symptoms of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The disease is characterized by a narrowing of the bronchial lumen, the presence of viscous secretions in the bronchial cavity, and predominantly expiratory shortness of breath. If the disease is not diagnosed and treated, cough and sputum will join the symptoms as it progresses. At acute attacks shortness of breath and suffocation, the use of bronchodilators is recommended. However drug therapy for this disease must be complex. It includes mucolytics, inhaled glucocorticosteroids, and bronchodilators.
Bronchial asthma – chronic inflammatory disease respiratory tract. Prolonged inflammation leads to bronchial hyperreactivity. Under the influence of triggers, expiratory shortness of breath, wheezing, a feeling of chest congestion, and attacks of suffocation occur. Treatment is carried out including basic and symptomatic therapy. Appointed inhaled corticosteroids, leukotriene receptor inhibitors. To relieve attacks of bronchial asthma, bronchodilators (salbutamol through a nebulizer) are used locally.
Bronchitis and pneumonia are acute infectious diseases, which are also characterized by cough, sputum, expiratory shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. With timely treatment and correctly selected antibiotic therapy pathological processes regress.
Pulmonary embolism is thrombosis of the branches of the pulmonary artery, leading to the prolapse of part of the lungs during breathing. Most often it manifests itself in the form of a sudden attack of suffocation, inspiratory shortness of breath, chest pain, and hemoptysis.
Toxic pulmonary edema - occurs against the background infectious diseases, accompanied pronounced symptom intoxication. As you accumulate toxic substances The degree of shortness of breath also increases. In such cases, detoxification measures are necessary (infusion of blood substitutes, forced diuresis).
Pathologies of the cardiovascular system often occur with complaints of shortness of breath. It occurs due to stagnation of blood in the pulmonary circulation. In the early stages, shortness of breath manifests itself slightly and is interpreted by the patient as a feeling of lack of air during physical exertion. As it progresses, less physical activity causes more severe attacks of shortness of breath. At terminal stages it is present even at rest and at night - cardiac asthma.
Shortness of breath can also be caused by psychogenic disorders. Shortness of breath occurs due to hyperventilation of the lungs with voluntary increased breathing. In this category of patients, shortness of breath is often accompanied by feelings of anxiety, fear, and a feeling of death. Occurs after strong psycho-emotional arousal, stress, neurosis. In such cases, sedatives and anxiolytic (anti-anxiety) drugs are used.
Anemia is a disease in which there is a decrease in hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood. The main transporter of oxygen to tissues and cells is hemoglobin contained in red blood cells. Because their decrease occurs, then the tissues experience hypoxia - oxygen starvation. Neurocytes – cells of the nervous system, and especially the brain – are especially sensitive to hypoxia. Therefore, with anemia, in addition to shortness of breath, loss of strength, pale skin, disruption of the nervous system may occur - drowsiness, apathy, instability of emotions, impaired attention.
An increase in the body's need for oxygen can cause endocrine disease– thyrotoxicosis. It is characterized by hyperproduction of hormones thyroid gland(thyroxine, triiodothyronine). These hormones enhance intracellular metabolic processes, which require oxygen.
Expiratory dyspnea is difficulty breathing that occurs during bronchospasm. This condition is characterized by narrowing of the lumens of the small bronchi. Sputum accumulates in the bronchi, and the mucous membranes swell. Symptoms of expiratory dyspnea are observed in a number of pathologies of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. They are characterized by difficulty in exhaling and the appearance of whistling. Inspiratory dyspnea is characterized by the inability to take a breath; it most often occurs with cardiac asthma, accumulation of sputum in the bronchi, and the presence of large tumors in the lungs and mediastinum. Choking also occurs mixed type, characteristic of acute respiratory failure.
The type of shortness of breath is determined by the cause of its occurrence. People who experience respiratory diseases know the symptoms of bronchial asthma. The main signs of respiratory failure are: inhalation slows down, breathing becomes wheezing. The chest is not involved in the process; it remains in one position.
Expiratory dyspnea most often occurs with pathologies such as chronic bronchitis, bronchial asthma, emphysema, chronic obstructive disease and pulmonary atelectasis. Respiratory failure may develop due to the penetration of a foreign body into the bronchi. When the large bronchi are narrowed, the nature of shortness of breath is mixed.
Shortness of breath in bronchial asthma is characterized by the inability to exhale. To free the lungs from air, considerable effort must be made. Increased activity respiratory muscles leads to their fatigue. Pain occurs in the chest. The skin acquires a bluish tint. The development of shortness of breath in bronchial asthma may be accompanied by increased sweating. With prolonged disruption of gas exchange in the body skin acquire a grayish color, the patient experiences general weakness.
During an attack of expiratory dyspnea, air easily enters the lungs, but due to swelling and spasm of the bronchi, it cannot escape back. The situation is often aggravated by the accumulation of thick sputum. It is not always possible to recognize an incipient attack, so a person with a disease such as bronchial asthma should know the main signs of expiratory shortness of breath.
First of all, you should pay attention to the duration of exhalation. In some cases, it exceeds the duration of inspiration several times. Symptoms of pressure surges in the chest may appear - protrusion and sharp retraction of the intercostal space. They swell when you exhale jugular veins. Expiratory dyspnea occurs in both bronchial and cardiac asthma. If the process lasts for a long time, a box sound appears, which indicates the accumulation of air in the lungs.
When exhaling, whistling and wheezing can be heard. Given that shortness of breath develops against the background of any disease, it will be accompanied by accompanying symptoms. Respiratory failure during exacerbation of bronchitis is combined with increased temperature, general weakness and pallor of the skin. Cyanosis is noted in areas of the body distant from the heart. Similar symptoms may also appear in cardiac asthma.
Expiratory shortness of breath in bronchial asthma can be allergic in nature; it differs in the frequency of occurrence. Condition may be worsened by inhalation tobacco smoke. Exacerbation of shortness of breath in asthma can be caused by increased physical activity. Respiratory failure in children is considered especially dangerous. In this case, difficulty breathing indicates an exacerbation of obstructive bronchitis.
The cause of shortness of breath can be identified full examination patient. If symptoms of this condition appear, you should immediately call an ambulance. After delivery to the hospital, an accurate diagnosis will be made and the correct treatment will be prescribed.
The cause of respiratory failure can be determined using an ECG, x-ray examination chest organs, echocardiography. Blood gas analysis is also carried out. The degree of narrowing of the bronchi is assessed by measuring the vital capacity of the lungs. How to help a person during an attack of bronchial asthma?
The patient must be kept at rest. Stress increases your heart rate and oxygen consumption in the body. Because of this, expiratory shortness of breath can develop rapidly. The room must be ventilated; the air should not be too dry.
An attack of bronchospasm can be relieved with the help of bronchodilators; these drugs should always be on hand.
If left untreated, the patient's body eventually stops responding to bronchodilators. Because of this, status asthmaticus can develop - a prolonged attack that cannot be stopped with standard medications.
Treatment is selected depending on the cause of respiratory failure. These may be bronchodilators, hormonal and antihistamines. They have large number contraindications and side effects, therefore should not be used without a doctor's prescription. During treatment, the patient is prescribed bed rest and a special diet.
In some diseases of the respiratory system, an attack of suffocation can be prevented. To do this, you should stop smoking and being around people who smoke. If possible, contact with chemicals. Special attention should be given to strengthening the immune system. Leading helps with this healthy image life, taking vitamins, proper nutrition.
In case of bronchitis, it is necessary to take mucolytic drugs; in case of bacterial infection, antibiotics are necessary. Symptomatic treatment expiratory dyspnea is aimed at relieving smooth muscle spasm.
The symptoms of upper respiratory tract diseases are often quite frightening. Inspiratory and expiratory shortness of breath causes attacks of fear in patients of the inability to breathe normally and receive enough oxygen. The response of the autonomic nervous system only worsens the condition, provoking spastic contraction of the intercostal muscles. It is necessary to know what diseases this condition is typical for and how it can be stopped.
In this article we will analyze what causes expiratory and inspiratory shortness of breath, and also tell you how these two types differ. The most common diseases in children are obstructive bronchitis, laryngospasm, foreign body in the trachea and bronchus. In adults, this condition can be a symptom of bronchial asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiac pathology (cor pulmonale).
What is characteristic of such a condition as inspiratory dyspnea, and how it can manifest itself in a person. What signs should you look out for? So, only two things are known clean looking process disruptions breathing movements. The first is that the patient cannot inhale enough air. This is inspiratory dyspnea (the prefix “in” in Latin means inside). The second type is characterized by difficulty in exhaling and is called expiratory dyspnea (the prefix “ek” means out). In case of serious pathologies, for example, pulmonary embolism, a mixed type may occur, in which inhalation and exhalation are equally difficult.
Attention should be paid to the patient's condition. If there is a change in the color of the skin of the face, neck and chest, then the degree of violation is quite serious and immediate medical attention is required. At chronic pathologies the attack may last several hours and resolve under the influence of bronchodilators. The condition is provoked by physical activity and increased nervous tension. If difficulty in breathing suddenly develops, you should immediately consult a doctor.
The reasons why breathing is disrupted may include somatic, neurogenic and traumatic lesions of the mucous membrane of the trachea, bronchi and alveolar tissue. First, let's look at the causes of inspiratory dyspnea, which occurs with greater regularity.
In first place among sudden attacks against the background of general well-being is pneumothorax. This is a severe lesion of the pleural cavity, which can fill with air and fluid. It develops mainly with external chest injuries and rib fractures. Fluid effusion venous stagnation blood is characteristic of diseases cardiovascular system. There are complaints about severe pain in the chest and a feeling of being unable to breathe in air. The skin is pale. Possible loss of consciousness. Emergency medical attention required.
TO emergency conditions This also includes pulmonary embolism, in which a person’s death can occur in the next 15-20 minutes. Called by movement large blood clot and blockage of the pulmonary artery. Shortness of breath occurs suddenly against the background of general well-being. The person grabs his throat with his hands and may lose consciousness. In case of partial blockage clinical picture develops gradually: the skin becomes pale, dull ache in the chest, when sputum is expelled during coughing, there are streaks of blood in it.
Bronchial asthma in a state of asthmatic status often causes attacks of disruption of the process of inhalation and exhalation. In this case, breathing seems to be paralyzed due to an emergency narrowing of the lumen of the entire bronchial tree, under the influence of histamine secreted by mast cells. The attack begins with difficulty in exhaling (expiratory shortness of breath), then the person begins to experience difficulty in inhaling.
Common complaints include:
Relieve such a condition in a patient bronchial asthma Only an experienced doctor can, since conventional inhalers, even with corticosteroids, do not penetrate the affected bronchial tree.
The cause of inspiratory dyspnea against the background of long-term colds pneumonia of a lobar or focal type may develop. The patient's condition deteriorates sharply, and severe cough with the discharge of purulent sputum, one half of the chest lags behind in the process of breathing. Shortness of breath appears with any physical activity. An immediate chest x-ray is required to identify the source of damage to the lung tissue.
COPD and obstructive bronchitis are also causes of breathing problems, but they can be easily corrected with the help of pharmacological drugs. Constant inspiratory shortness of breath is present with emphysema. Laryngitis and tracheitis can cause short-term difficulty in breathing of a convulsive nature with a compensatory purpose. This usually happens under the influence of cold air or tobacco smoke.
In addition to damage to the lung tissue and bronchial tree, shortness of breath can be caused by pathologies of the cardiovascular and nervous systems. The most common among them are:
Physiological inspiratory dyspnea can occur during severe physical activity, for example, when running long distances, intensive skiing, cycling, swimming. Usually such attacks pass without outside help.
In children, you should pay attention to signs of a foreign body entering the trachea and bronchi. It is impossible to see them with the naked eye. Therefore, if a child cannot fully inhale air, an ambulance should be called immediately.
How to behave during a developing attack? First you need to calm down and pull yourself together. Then you should immediately call an ambulance medical care and then provide a supply of fresh air. Under no circumstances should the victim be placed in a horizontal position. It is best to leave it in a sitting position. Remove tight collars, ties, scarves from the neck, release them chest. You can give him some warm sweet tea to drink. No inhalers or pharmacological drugs It is not recommended to use it before the doctor arrives. This can cause irreparable harm to health. The injured person.
How to overcome the disease if you constantly experience inspiratory and expiratory shortness of breath, even after minor physical exertion? To do this, you need to see a therapist and undergo a full examination, which includes an ECG, fluorography, a study of the vital volume of the lungs, spirography, computed tomography, bronchoscopy. As a result of the examinations, the exact cause of the breathing disorder will be identified and adequate therapy will be prescribed.
You can take the following measures yourself:
Don't forget that the reason pathological condition may become pulmonary tuberculosis. Detect this infection early stage Ordinary fluorography helps. Don't neglect it effective means prevention. Get fluorography done annually.
General practitioner Nechaeva G.I.
