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You are here : AllRefer.com > Health > Medical Symptoms Guide > Breathing Difficulty: What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office

Breathing Difficulty

Provided by A.D.A.M.

Definition

Overview & Considerations

Common Causes

Home Care & Treatment

Call your Health Care Provider if

What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office

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Alternate Names : Breathlessness, Difficulty Breathing, Dyspnea, Shortness of Breath


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What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office

Your health care provider will take a detailed medical history and perform a physical examination.

Medical history questions documenting breathing difficulty may include the following:

  • Quality
    • Do you notice shortness of breath?
    • Do you make grunting sounds while breathing?
    • Do you seem to be having to work hard to breathe?
  • Time pattern
    • Has it been present for months or years?
    • Did it slowly progress over weeks to months?
    • Did it begin recently?
    • Did it begin suddenly?
    • Did it come on slowly (gradual onset)?
    • Is there a sequence of separate occurrences (episodic)?
      • How long does each last (for how many hours)?
      • Does each repeated episode have a similar pattern (recurrent)?
    • Has the breathing difficulty worsened recently?
    • Does breathing difficulty cause you to awaken at night (paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea)?
    • Does the amount of breathing difficulty change (variable over hours)?
    • Does breathing difficulty occur at rest?
    • How long does each episode last?
  • Aggravating factors
    • Is it worse when lying flat (orthopnea)?
    • Is it worse with a change in body position?
    • Did it develop within 4 to 6 hours after exposure to something that you are or may be allergic to (antigen)?
    • Is it worse after exercise?
    • Does shortness of breath occur only when wheezing?
  • Other
    • Is the breathing pattern irregular?
    • Do you draw back the chest muscles with breathing (intercostal retractions)?
    • What other symptoms are also present?
The physical examination will include a thorough examination of the lungs, heart, and upper airway passages.

Diagnostic tests that may be performed include the following:

In severe cases of difficulty breathing, hospitalization may be required. Many different medications, aimed at treating the cause of breathing difficulty, may be used in treatment.

In situations where the blood oxygen level is significantly low, supplemental oxygen is helpful. High doses of supplemental oxygen may be hazardous for some patients, however, and is not necessary in all cases of shortness of breath.



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Definition
Breathing Difficulty: Overview & Considerations
Breathing Difficulty: Common Causes
Breathing Difficulty: Home Care & Treatment
Call your Health Care Provider if
What to Expect at your Health Care Provider's Office
Pictures & Images

Topics that might be of interest to you

Diseases & Conditions

Allergies
Arrhythmias
Asthma
Emphysema
Heart Attack
Heart Failure
Lung Disease
Panic Disorder
Pneumonia
Primary Pulmonary Hypertension

Tests & Exams

Chest X-Ray
ECG
Echocardiogram
Pulmonary Function Tests
Thoracic CT

Other Topics

Antigen
Breathing - Slowed or Stopped
Breathing Difficulties - First Aid
Breathing Difficulty - Lying Down
Cough
Foreign Object Aspiration or Ingestion
Intercostal Retractions
Obesity
Physical Examination
Rapid Deep Breathing (Hyperventilation)
Wheezing

Review Date : 11/10/2002
Reviewed By : Darrell N. Kotton, M.D., Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial reviewers. A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 2003 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

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