Shortness of breath, also known as dyspnea, is a condition where a person experiences breathlessness or the feeling that breathing is uncomfortable and deliberate rather than automatic. Shortness of breath can be be caused by many different medical conditions, such as heart and lung disease, and may be chronic, or may be experienced as an isolated incident. There are several steps that one experiencing shortness of breath can take to treat their condition, but the effectiveness of any treatment will vary based on the cause of the dyspnea.
Instructions
1. Consult your doctor, immediately if symptoms are severe. Especially if you are experiencing chills, a high fever, and a rapid heart rate, shortness of breath can indicate life-threatening medical conditions. A doctor will be able to best prescribe treatment for your specific case.
2. Quit smoking and limit alcohol use. Smoking is damaging to the lungs, and can cause shortness of breath, or diseases that lead to it. Similarly excessive alcohol consumption can lead to dyspnea.
3. Take oxygen when symptoms are severe. You may notice athletes sometimes use an oxygen mask after heavy exertion; breathing pure oxygen from an oxygen mask can reduce the severity of dyspnea by providing more oxygen to the bloodstream per breath.
4. Take cough medication if your shortness of breath is accompanied by excessive coughing.
5. Use prescription steroids. Especially useful to those with shortness of breath due to asthma, steroids, either injected or inhaled, can reduce inflammation of the lungs and calm dyspnea.
6. Seek treatment for underlying the causes of dyspnea. Since shortness of breath can be caused by many different underlying physical conditions, the best way to treat shortness of breath is to prevent it by treating the condition that causes it.
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