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Many different conditions can lead to the feeling of dyspnea (shortness of breath). DiagnosisPro, an online medical expert system, listed 497 in October 2010. [1] The most common cardiovascular causes are acute myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure while common pulmonary causes include: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, asthma, pneumothorax, and pneumonia.
Shortness of breath (SOB), known as dyspnea (in AmE) or dyspnoea (in BrE), is an uncomfortable feeling of not being able to breathe well enough. The American Thoracic Society defines it as "a subjective experience of breathing discomfort that consists of qualitatively distinct sensations that vary in intensity", and recommends evaluating dyspnea by assessing the intensity of its distinct ...
Diaphragmatic injuries are present in 1–7% of people with significant blunt trauma [6] and an average of 3% of abdominal injuries. [9] A high body mass index may be associated with a higher risk of diaphragmatic rupture in people involved in vehicle accidents. [6] Over 90% occur due to trauma from vehicle accidents.
A simple treatment involves increasing the partial pressure of CO 2 and inhibiting diaphragm activity by holding one's breath or rebreathing into a paper bag. [30] Other potential remedies suggested by NHS Choices include pulling the knees up to the chest and leaning forward, sipping ice-cold water and swallowing some granulated sugar.
[3] [6] Determining the cause of chest pain is based on a person's medical history, a physical exam and other medical tests. [3] About 3% of heart attacks, however, are initially missed. [1] Management of chest pain is based on the underlying cause. [1] Initial treatment often includes the medications aspirin and nitroglycerin.
People with this condition often describe it as "feeling bloated". Affected people often experience a sensation of fullness, abdominal pressure, and sometimes nausea , pain, or cramping . In the most extreme cases, upward pressure on the diaphragm and lungs can also cause shortness of breath.
For example, a subphrenic abscess beneath the right diaphragm might cause a patient to feel pain in the right shoulder. Irritation of the phrenic nerve (or the tissues it supplies) leads to the hiccup reflex. A hiccup is a spasmodic contraction of the diaphragm, which pulls air against the closed folds of the larynx.
It is a medical emergency and may require immediate treatment without further investigations (see Treatment section). [ 15 ] [ 16 ] The most common findings in people with tension pneumothorax are chest pain and respiratory distress, often with an increased heart rate ( tachycardia ) and rapid breathing ( tachypnea ) in the initial stages.