Shortness of Breath: Causes, Treatments, and When to See a Doctor

Shortness of breath also known to as dyspnea is a condition whereby a person has difficulties in breathing; the problem in breathing can be caused by respiratory or circulatory systems that are breathing passages and lungs or heart and blood vessels and other conditions such as high fever or anaemia. Patients who suffer from dyspnea describes it as, feeling like suffocating, could not get enough air in, feeling like I am not going to breathe again. Dyspnea can be caused by diseases such as asthma, cardiac problems, lung cancer, obesity or heart attack; panic attacks and anxiety can also cause problems in breathing. A person with breathing difficulties can control the problem by; sitting comfortably by relaxing the neck and should muscles. It is also recommendable that the people with dyspnea should not try to hold his/her breathe, use pursed lips breathing technique to help more air in and if the individual is obese should try to lose weight as this will assist in overcoming the breathing problems. 

Nursing interventions have been in place to help control and aid patients with breathing difficulties to overcome the situation and live a healthy life. Since nursing involves caring and supporting a patient’s thus developing trust between the patient and the nurse, the nurse-patient interactions have become an essential aspect of managing patients with shortness of breath. Nurses get to know the cause of the shortness of breath by the patient and possible solutions by asking patients questions about what makes them breathless, what were their previous medical history, current and past medications, and their smoking history. Nursing intervention includes activities such as observing the patients and reporting any abnormality to the medical staff to assist in treating the patient. Shortness of breath can frighten the patient resulting in increased anxiety causing them more breathing problems; nurses intervenes to this by spending time with dyspnea patients talking calmly to them and advising them to breathe slowly and showing them how to do it practically. Nurses help the dyspnea patients by ensuring that the room they are in is well ventilated and also providing face blowing fan as this relief the patient. Treatments such as Oxygen therapy and Inhalers can be offered to patients with dyspnea.