Index
Definition: do doctors use the name to define the symptom of dyspnea (difficulty breathing) that occurs when a person is lying down.
Orthopnea is considered an important symptom, mainly because it is often a sign of worsening heart failure, but other medical conditions can also cause it.
For this reason, anyone who undergoes orthopnea should always be evaluated by a doctor.
The word orthopnea is derived from a Greek word that means “direct breath.” This type of disorder is characterized by having shortness of breath due to improper posture in the medical field.
The person is also likely to use several pillows for breathing perfectly at night.
Since this condition causes the person to have a severe problem with breathing, having this type of disorder is very dangerous since it can kill the person during their sleep.
Orthopnea can be an acceptable condition in which a person notices that sleep is more comfortable with several pillows under their head, or a more severe condition in which they can breathe deeply and comfortably only when sitting or standing.
It can occur along with swelling of the feet or ankles.
Orthopnea is a sign of heart failure. It is caused by congestion in the lungs, perhaps accompanied by the accumulation of excess fluid in the lungs (pulmonary edema), which occurs due to left heart failure.
Causes
When someone lies down, gravity causes a redistribution of fluid within the body.
Orthopnea is caused by the accumulation of too much fluid in the lungs (pulmonary congestion or fluid overload) when a person lies down.
In a prone position, the volume of blood from the feet and legs is redistributed to the lungs, which does not cause a problem for people whose heart is pumping normally.
However, excess blood in the lungs can cause breathing problems or shortness of breath in people with heart failure.
Typically, part of the fluid in the lower part of the body, particularly the legs and organs of the abdomen, gravitates in the chest area.
This redistribution of fluid is usually relatively minor, and in most people, it does not affect breathing.
However, the heart may not accommodate this extra fluid in people with congestive heart failure. It can not perform the necessary work to keep this excess fluid from accumulating in the lungs.
As a result, pulmonary congestion – and early pulmonary edema – can occur, as also shortness of breath. In addition to dyspnea, some people will also experience coughing or wheezing at bedtime.
These breathing difficulties caused by assuming the recumbent position are called orthopnea.
When a person experiences orthopnea, sitting or raising the head reverses some redistributions of fluid and relieves lung congestion.
Symptoms typically improve quickly by simply changing the position.
Heart failure is not the only cause of orthopnea, but it is the most common cause. Sometimes people with asthma or chronic bronchitis will have more breathing problems at bedtime.
However, the symptoms of wheezing and shortness of breath that occur with these conditions do not usually disappear as quickly after sitting down but take more time to resolve.
Sleep apnea can also produce symptoms similar to orthopnea or, more often, to paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea.
Related symptoms
Another symptom strongly associated with heart failure is paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea.
It is also related to the redistribution of fluids during sleep, but it is more complex than “simple” orthopnea.
Generally, people with this condition do not notice dyspnea immediately after bed.
On the contrary, they are awakened from sleep with an episode of severe respiratory distress that makes them sit immediately to find relief.
In addition to dyspnea, patients often also experience palpitations, severe wheezing, and a sense of panic.
It is a theatrical event.
It is thought that some additional mechanism (apart from the simple redistribution of fluids) is present in people with this disease, perhaps related to changes in the respiratory center of the brain that may be associated with heart failure.
Recently, doctors have recognized another symptom in people with heart failure related to redistribution of fluids – “bendopnea,” or dyspnea caused by flexion.
Types of orthopnea
There are different types, and to know some of them, please refer to the following information below:
- Pediatric Orthopnea
This condition occurs in babies of children under 12 years old. For the same reason, children have difficulty breathing due to the incorrect position of lying down.
- Orthopnea during pregnancy.
The common cause of having orthopnea in pregnant women are the following: congestive heart failure, intravenous fluid overload, myocardial infarction, peripartum cardiomyopathy, and severe anemia.
Both are just some of the most common types of orthopnea. But in reality, there is still more.
Treatment to treat fluid overload
Suppose excess fluid is causing respiratory problems such as orthopnea or paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. Doctors may recommend that the patient eat a diet low in sodium because too much sodium can contribute to fluid overload.
They can also prescribe diuretics, which help the body eliminate excess sodium and water.
However, diuretics sometimes become less effective over time, so many people with fluid overload must be hospitalized for additional treatment after a while.
This treatment may include intravenous medications such as diuretics, vasodilator drugs (drugs that increase the diameter of the blood vessels to increase blood flow), and inotropic drugs (drugs that cause the heart to pump more blood with each contraction).
If these medications do not work to relieve fluid overload, doctors may prescribe a procedure known as ultrafiltration, in which blood is passed through a small machine that filters excess fluid.
