Breathing Difficulty
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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