Breathing And Obstructive Lung Disease

Question 1

What is breathlessness

Answer 1

An awareness of the intensity of breathing

Question 2

What is dyspnoea

Answer 2

This is the medical term for breathlessness and is the difficulty breathing at a time where difficulty should not be accepted

Question 3

What is tachypnoea

Answer 3

Rapid breathing

Question 4

What is hyperventilation

Answer 4

Breathing in excess of metabolic requirements, resulting in a decrease if CO2 levels in the blood

Question 5

What is Orthopnoea

Answer 5

Medical term to describe difficulty breathing whilst lying flat. This condition is associated with heart failure. It also occurs in conditions like COPD, asthma, obesity or conditions that cause chest wall deformity.

Question 6

What is SOBAR

Answer 6

Shortness of breath at rest refers to difficulty breathing whilst at rest, without any physical exertion or activity.

Question 7

What is paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnoea

Answer 7

Sudden episodes of severe shortness of breath that wake a person from sleep, often after a few hours of falling asleep. It is associated with heart failure or other cardiac conditions.

Question 8

What is SOBOE

Answer 8

Shortness of breath on exertion. Very self explanatory

Question 9

Why is it hard to diagnose the mechanism of breathlessness

Answer 9

• no specialised receptors
• no identified area of the cortex
• no single easy identifiable stimulus
• very subjective sensation, based on experience.

Question 10

What are some sensations of breathlessness

Answer 10

Rapid breathing
Shallow breathing
Increased work
Chest tightness
Heavy breathing

Question 11

What is hypoxia

Answer 11

When there is a deficiency of oxygen supply to the tissues in the body. This can impair normal cellular function and lead to various health problems

Question 12

Is hypoxia and breathlessness related always

Answer 12

No - people with low O2 are not necessarily dyspnoeic and people with normal O2 often complain of dyspnoea maybe due to obstruction of airway, just not lack of O2. However if hypoxia is prolonged then it often leads to dyspnoea

Question 13

What is hypercapnia

Answer 13

A condition where the body has an excess of CO2 and the body’s ability to remove the CO2 is impaired.

Question 14

What are some abnormal breathing oatterns

Answer 14

Use of accessory muscles
Rapid shallow breaths
Nasal flaring
Paradoxial breathing
Pursed lip breathing
Breath holding on activity

Question 15

What are some treatments for breathlessness

Answer 15

Relaxation techniques
Positioning
Cognitive therapy
Aerobic exercise
Pacing