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Expiratory shortness of breath is accompanied by difficulty exhaling, as some kind of obstacle arises in the way of the air flow that leaves the lungs. Sometimes such shortness of breath is called obstructive, and doctors designate it with the term “expiratory dyspnea.”
By itself, expiratory dyspnea is not a disease, it occurs as a symptom of the underlying pathology. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, bronchitis, heart failure and more can provoke it. This is a serious enough violation that should not be ignored.
Causes of expiratory dyspnea
Expiratory dyspnea does not occur on its own. Of course, a person can suffer from shortness of breath due to causes not related to any disease. For example, shortness of breath always occurs after intense physical activity, but after a few minutes after its completion, it disappears. In addition, physiological shortness of breath is characterized by increased breathing and is not accompanied by difficulty exhaling or inhaling.
Expiratory shortness of breath, in which it is difficult for a person to exhale, may indicate the development of diseases such as:
Bronchitis. This disease is characterized by inflammation of the bronchi. Both bacterial and viral infections can lead to its development. Shortness of breath is more characteristic of the chronic form of bronchitis. In such patients, it occurs not only during exercise, but also at rest. In addition, a person complains of coughing, increased weakness, severe sweating. Possible increase in body temperature. During a cough, viscous sputum leaves, with proper treatment, it liquefies.
Asthma. Shortness of breath in bronchial asthma develops against a background of spasm of the smooth muscles of the bronchi, or due to swelling of their mucous membrane. The bronchi become clogged with mucous secretion, and their normal muscle tissue is replaced by connective tissue. All this creates an obstacle to the normal exhalation of air. As a result, the patient develops expiratory dyspnea. The disease is non-infectious in nature. The main cause of bronchial asthma is the allergization of the body. Moreover, allergens can be very diverse. Among them: house dust, fish food, animal dander, food and drug allergens. Frequent respiratory tract infections and hereditary factors matter.
Emphysema or pneumosclerosis of the lungs. Emphysema is accompanied by a pathological change in the lung tissue with an increase in its airiness against the background of the expansion of the alveoli. Tobacco smoking, bronchial asthma, work at hazardous enterprises can provoke the disease. With emphysema, shortness of breath occurs with difficulty exhaling, which is progressive. First, she worries a person during exercise, and then at rest. Patients inhale through closed lips, puffing out their cheeks. In addition to shortness of breath, patients have a cough, scanty sputum, and cyanosis of the face. With pneumosclerosis, the normal tissue of the lung parenchyma is replaced by connective tissue, the bronchi are deformed, which leads to expiratory dyspnea.
Lung abscess. With this pathology, the lung tissue is cracked down with the formation of purulent-necrotic masses. The disease is provoked by bacterial flora. In addition to shortness of breath, the patient has a dry cough, body temperature rises.
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In the early stages of the disease, shortness of breath only bothers with intense exertion. It is accompanied by a cough with mucus sputum. As the pathology progresses, shortness of breath will be felt at rest. The main cause of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is smoking. It develops in 95% of smokers, so shortness of breath will bother a person more after inhaling tobacco smoke. Other risk factors include occupational hazards, SARS, bronchopulmonary pathologies.
Chronic glomerulonephritis is accompanied by kidney damage with the development of renal failure. Disturbances in the work of the kidneys lead to a persistent increase in blood pressure, the development of heart failure with expiratory dyspnea and cardiac asthma.
Anaphylactic shock or angioedema. These are severe manifestations of an allergic reaction of the body. The airways swell strongly, as a result of which the patient develops expiratory or mixed shortness of breath. If the victim is not provided with emergency assistance, he may suffocate.
Angina pectoris and heart failure. With damage to the left ventricle of the heart, the blood supply to the internal organs worsens, the veins overfill with blood, and stasis forms in the pulmonary arteries. This leads to the development of shortness of breath. If the negative symptoms are not eliminated, the patient will develop signs of cardiac asthma. This is a severe symptom complex that can provoke suffocation.
Shortness of breath will result in the entry of a foreign body into the respiratory tract. At the same time, shortness of breath is mixed (expiratory and inspiratory), when a person experiences difficulties not only with exhalation, but also with inhalation.
Symptoms of expiratory dyspnea
Expiratory dyspnea is characterized by the following symptoms:
The person has difficulty exhaling.
He feels the need to increase his breathing.
Sometimes there may be pain in the chest, for example, against the background of heart failure.
The skin often turns pale, the lips turn blue.
The person suffers from excessive sweating.
During exhalation, you can hear a whistle or a crunch.
The length of the exhalation increases significantly, sometimes up to 2 times.
With differences in intrathoracic pressure, the intercostal spaces either subside or swell.
As you exhale, the veins in your neck swell.
Depending on the cause that led to the development of expiratory dyspnea, it will be supplemented by other symptoms characteristic of the underlying disease.
First aid rules
If a person has expiratory shortness of breath, which is caused by unknown causes, the first thing to do is to call a medical team. Before the arrival of the ambulance, you can help to ease the breathing of the victim. To do this, you need to open all the windows so that fresh air enters the room. If there are any objects on the patient’s body that restrict breathing, then they must be removed. You can additionally turn on the fan and direct it towards the person. It is good if you can use an oxygen mask.
Sometimes shortness of breath develops in people with nervous strain and severe stress. In this case, you need to invite the person to sit down, drink water and calm down. The technique of counting up to 10 with closed eyes helps well.
When shortness of breath occurs against the background of an allergic reaction, it is necessary to eliminate the patient’s contact with the allergen and offer him antihistamines.
Do not put the patient to bed, it is better to give his body a semi-sitting position. So the blood will flow better from the lungs and heart, which will quickly relieve an attack of shortness of breath and suffocation.
Sometimes to cope with shortness of breath allows steaming the legs in a basin of hot water. This measure is especially effective for patients with cardiac asthma.
If the room has a humidifier, you can turn it on. This will make the viscous sputum thinner and get it out of the lungs faster.
Treatment
Treatment of expiratory dyspnea as a symptom does not make sense. You need to get rid of the problem that provoked it.
Depending on the disease, the doctor may prescribe the following treatment:
With bronchitis, the patient will need to drink as much fluid as possible, observe bed rest, and stop smoking. Viral bronchitis requires taking interferon. If the disease is caused by influenza, then patients are prescribed Remantadin or Ribavirin. Antibiotics are prescribed when the bacterial flora is attached. It is necessary to supplement therapy with inhalations. These procedures allow you to quickly stop the symptoms of bronchitis, including shortness of breath. Inhalations are performed using saline solutions and mineral water. If shortness of breath accompanies chronic bronchitis, then the patient is prescribed antibiotics, but only after the causative agent of the pathogenic flora is established. Breathing exercises help a lot.
To eliminate expiratory dyspnea in COPD and to treat the underlying pathology, it will be necessary to perform inhalations on a nebulizer with alkaline and saline solutions. To expand the lumen of the bronchi and facilitate breathing, patients are prescribed bronchodilators. To make sputum easier to come out of the bronchi, mucolytics are indicated. In the period of exacerbation of COPD, antibiotic therapy is required.
To stop an attack of shortness of breath and suffocation in bronchial asthma, a person is prescribed aerosol beta-agonists. Their inhalation allows you to quickly expand the lumen of the bronchi, improve sputum discharge and relieve spasm from the respiratory tract. One of the effective drugs is Salbutamol. You can also eliminate the attack with the help of drugs from the group of m-anticholinergics. Bronchial asthma is a chronic disease, therefore, it requires the exclusion of contact with allergens, if they can be detected.
Treatment of pneumosclerosis is reduced to taking bronchodilators, mucolytics, antimicrobials. The severe course of the disease requires surgical intervention with resection of the affected part of the lung.
With emphysema, treatment should be aimed at eliminating the symptoms of the pathology. The patient is prescribed bronchodilators for life. To facilitate breathing, oxygen therapy is carried out. Breathing exercises have a good effect.
Lung abscess requires placement of the patient in the pulmonology department of the hospital. The patient is prescribed antibiotics. If they do not help, then perform the operation.
In chronic glomerulonephritis, the patient is prescribed immunosuppressants, glucocorticosteroids, cytostatics, drugs from the NSAID group. Be sure to limit salt intake, refuse to take alcoholic beverages.
A person with shortness of breath that develops against the background of Quincke’s edema or anaphylactic shock requires emergency assistance. If possible, before the arrival of the medical team, you can give the victim an injection of antihistamines, for example, Suprastin.
Treatment of heart failure, accompanied by expiratory dyspnea, requires the use of vasodilators, ACE inhibitors, cardiac glycosides, Nitroglycerin. Diuretics are prescribed to remove excess fluid from the body. To cope with shortness of breath in a hospital setting, you can use oxygen inhalation. In severe cases, a pleural puncture is required.
If expiratory shortness of breath is caused by cancerous neoplasms of the lung tissue, then the patient needs surgery. Additionally, the patient is prescribed courses of chemotherapy and radiation therapy.
Treatment of expiratory dyspnea and related diseases requires medical advice. Self-treatment can be hazardous to health.
Prevention
To prevent the development of expiratory dyspnea, the following recommendations must be observed:
Refuse to smoke.
Treat chronic infections promptly.
If you have an allergy, you need to identify the allergen and direct efforts to minimize contact with it.
Lead a healthy lifestyle.
Boost immunity.
Monitor body weight. All diseases will be more severe in obese people.
Expiratory dyspnea can develop with serious pathologies. It rarely occurs in healthy people, so if such a symptom appears, you should consult a doctor.