Bookmark this page or recommend it.

Dyspnea or breathlessness is a burdensome experience and often triggers fear and anxiety. Such episodes can, however, depending on the underlying cause, be readily treated. The cause for this can for example be fluid retention in the abdomen or the lungs, as well as many other causes. Sometimes eliminating or reducing the fluid in the abdomen or lungs for example, can relieve breathing difficulties.      

Dyspnea  caused by anxiety is often relieved by chatting to a familiar person or someone nearby. You as patient and your relatives, however, should make sure you are able to contact a member of the medical team quickly if necessary. Often a conversation with a member of the clergy is also helpful. It is important to reinforce the fact that respiratory problems  can be satisfactorily relieved. Effectively overcoming anxiety and fear (through drugs or the presence of carers) often improves breathing difficulties significantly. Depending on the cause, this problem can often be relieved by simple physiological measures, such as changing posture or opening windows and doors. Most patients generally benefit from an upright, sitting position.  In some cases, an effective  pharmacological therapy with morphine may also be considered.   

> Back