Shortness of Breath Shouldn't Be Ignored

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Shortness of Breath Shouldn't Be Ignored

Consumer Affairs*

By Fred Cicetti

July 5, 2008

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/07/geezer062.html

Q. My wife has complained of being short of breath while shopping in

the mall. She says it's just a sign of age, but I'm concerned about

her.

A. The likelihood of suffering shortness of breath or " dyspnea "

(disp-nee-ah) becomes greater the older we get. As we age, our air

passages get smaller, chest muscles weaken, and our lungs become

less flexible. These changes reduce our air flow.

Dyspnea should happen rarely to healthy people. It can be brought on

by exhaustive exertion, high altitude, extreme temperatures.

Otherwise, shortness of breath is commonly a sign of a medical

problem. So your wife should get this symptom checked by a doctor

immediately.

Dyspnea is associated with the major breathing disorders that can

develop in seniors. These disorders are chronic obstructive

pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, obstructive sleep apnea, pulmonary

fibrosis, pulmonary thromboembolism and aspiration.

COPD involves difficulty in exhaling. Emphysema and chronic

bronchitis are COPDs. Emphysema makes the small air spaces in the

lungs collapse. Bronchitis is inflammation of the airways.

Most asthma is caused by allergies to airborne particles such as

dust and mold. The airways become inflamed, which causes them to

spasm. Unlike COPD, asthma is reversible.

Diagnosing conditions in seniors can be challenging, because asthma

in older people is often difficult to distinguish from emphysema and

chronic bronchitis. In addition, many seniors have both emphysema

and chronic bronchitis.

Obstructive sleep apnea is common in older adults. People with sleep

apnea stop breathing for as long as 30 seconds at a time. These

interruptions can happen hundreds of times a night. Obstructive

sleep apnea occurs when the muscles in the back of your throat

relax, narrowing your airway and cutting off your breathing.

In pulmonary fibrosis, the lung's air sacs become filled with scar

tissue. The damage is permanent. Pulmonary fibrosis usually begins

in your 40s or 50s, but can develop at any age.

Pulmonary thromboembolism is a life-endangering blockage of a blood

vessel by a blood clot that travels — often from the legs — to the

lung and damages tissue. Pulmonary thromboembolism is most common

after age 65.

When something from your mouth goes down " the wrong pipe, " you have

aspiration. Aspiration is inhaling food particles, liquids or

bacteria. If the amount of aspirated material exceeds the ability of

the immune system to handle it, you can get a serious lung infection.

Symptoms of shortness of breath can be caused by a variety of

abnormalities in organs other than the lungs.

When the heart fails, it loses its ability pump blood. This elevates

pressure in the blood vessels around the lung. Sometimes fluid

collects in the lungs and interferes with breathing, causing

shortness of breath, especially when a person is lying down.

A low red-blood-cell count causes dyspnea because the red cells

carry oxygen. When their number is extremely low, your body doesn't

get enough oxygen.

In addition, a high thyroid level, shock, systemic infection, kidney

or chronic liver problems, stroke, nerve and muscle disorders, and

anxiety can bring on dyspnea.

The following are some symptoms that indicate a medical condition:

shortness of breath at rest, with exercise, when lying down or upon

exposure to allergens. In addition, you may have a problem if

shortness of breath is accompanied by: chest pain or discomfort, arm

pain, jaw pain, neck pain, swelling in the ankles and feet, fluid

weight gain or unintentional weight loss with reduced appetite,

unusual fatigue, sweating, yellow or green phlegm, blood in spit,

fever, wheezing, persistent cough, blue lips or fingertips, fainting.