Orthopnea (patient information)

Breathing difficulty - lying down
Overview
What are the symptoms?
What are the causes?
Who is at highest risk?
Diagnosis
When to seek urgent medical care?
Treatment options
Where to find medical care for Breathing difficulty - lying down?
Prevention
What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?
Possible complications
Breathing difficulty - lying down On the Web
Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov
Images of Breathing difficulty - lying down
Videos on Breathing difficulty - lying down
FDA on Breathing difficulty - lying down
CDC on Breathing difficulty - lying down
Breathing difficulty - lying down in the news
Blogs on Breathing difficulty - lying down
Directions to Hospitals Treating Breathing difficulty - lying down
Risk calculators and risk factors for Breathing difficulty - lying down

For the WikiDoc page for this topic, click here

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Kalsang Dolma, M.B.B.S.[2]

Overview

Breathing difficulty while lying down is an abnormal condition in which a person must keep the head raised (by sitting or standing) to be able to breathe deeply or comfortably.

A specific type of breathing difficulty while lying down is paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. This condition causes a person to wake up suddenly during the night feeling short of breath.

What causes Breathing difficulty - lying down?

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Cor pulmonale
• Heart failure
• Obesity (does not directly cause difficulty breathing while lying down but often aggravates other conditions that lead to it)
• Panic disorder
• Sleep apnea
• Snoring

Diagnosis

The health care provider will perform a physical examination and take your medical history.

Medical history questions may include:

• Did this problem develop suddenly or slowly?
• Is it getting worse (progressive)?
• How bad is it?
• How many pillows do you need to help you breathe comfortably?
• Is there any ankle, feet, and leg swelling?
• Do you have difficulty breathing at other times?
• How tall are you? How much do you weigh?
• What other symptoms do you have?

The physical examination will include special attention to the heart and lungs (cardiovascular and respiratory systems).

Diagnostic tests that may be performed include the following:

• Chest x-ray
• ECG
• Echocardiogram
• Pulmonary function tests

You may need to receive supplemental oxygen.

When to seek urgent medical care?

If you have any unexplained difficulty in breathing while lying down, call for an appointment with your health care provider.

Treatment options

Your health care provider may prescribe treatment for breathing difficulty while lying down. The treatment will depend on the specific illness causing the problem.

Weight loss is generally recommended in people who are obese.

Where to find medical care for Breathing difficulty - lying down?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Breathing difficulty - lying down

Sources

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/003076.htm Template:WH Template:WS