Breathing Problem in Adults
Health and Wellness » Respiratory Care in India »One of the symptoms of disorders like asthma can be breathing problem. This difficulty usually can be seen in mild to serious disorders or conditions. It is also known as dyspnea which can result in infections, swelling and airways obstruction. Any kind of disorder or disease can affect the breathing process of the human body. The most common breathing problem in adults you will notice is breath shortness or difficulty to breathe. Breath shortness can occur may be due too cold temperature, exercise or high altitude. Such problems can lead to suffocation or irritation.
People can also face extreme conditions of breathing difficulty as a common sign of medical problem.
Causes of Breathing Problem in Adults
Smoking, air pollution and occupational hazards like asbestos can affect lungs. Other illnesses like heart diseases cause fluid to backup the lungs, making poor exchange of breathing process. These situations increase the chances of breathing problems as we grow old.
Symptoms of Breathing Problems
- Common Symptoms
- Wheezing
- Labored breathing
- Constant cough
- Treatment side effects
- Major Breathing Problems
- Asthma
- Aspiration
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
Breathing Problems in Adults
Dyspnea
Breath shortness which is also known as dyspnea is the repulsive sensation of difficulty to breath. The breathing rate increases normally when we exercise or go at high altitude causing some discomfort. This problem can come during mild or severe cases. Fast breathing is also followed by the feeling of running out of air. Other sensations can be increased muscular effort to expand chest while breathing in, uncomfortable sensation while inhaling and need of exhaling soon after inhaling process or chest tightness.
Congestion
It is another common breathing problem in adult that occurs through the nose. It is caused when the mucus covering lining the nasal passages gets swollen producing excess mucus. Stuffy nose is also described as congestion; it can be caused due to infection like common cold or any allergic reaction. Counter medicines like decongestants help to relieve nasal congestion.
Wheezing
Wheezing is the whistling sound that comes when you breathe resulting from partially obstructed airways. It is the result of the obstruction somewhere in airways. It is also caused due to swelling in the airways which can be asthma, some severe allergic reaction, tumor or some foreign object entering the body. The common cause of wheezing is asthma. Infections like bronchitis or pneumonia can also sometimes cause wheezing.
Diagnose and Treatment
Diagnosing and treating the breathing problems in adults depends on some underlying situations. Your doctor will talk to you about the signs, symptoms, etc. that you face most of the time. You might also have to perform many tests, so that doctors can know the exact problem that you are suffering along with suggesting some treatment for it. Suppose healthy people having constant cough might be prescribed with the medicines which are given to control asthma depending on the physical examination. If there is no improvement in the condition or it gets worse, then further tests like x rays, electrocardiogram (ECG), bacterial culture of sputum or sophisticated breathing studies might be suggested.
To treat the breathing problem in adults, the best and natural way is to get steam inhalation. A vaporizer can stop the cough by minimizing throat irritation. Steam moisture can loosen the secretion, making them simpler to cough up. Some doctors also suggest that drinking lots of water can produce good hydration which can be effective like steam inhalation to lessen the secretions.
Breathing problem in adults can be very difficult to cure, if it is ignored after the early symptoms. Following healthy diet, maintaining hygiene and taking precautions against the pollution is the best thing that you can do to avoid health problem, especially if it is related to breathing. To discover the root cause of the problem can be the very first step for finding solution to lessen the illness.