The respiratory disorder that occurs in a person with certain diseases can truly impair his he alth and normal lifestyle. One of the symptoms is shortness of breath and breathing difficulties, in which patients subconsciously try to assume a special position. Let's find out in more detail what it means in medical terminology.
Orthopnea position is shortness of breath that occurs in a patient who lies horizontally on his back. Due to deterioration in breathing, patients are forced to take a sitting position with their legs lowered to the floor.
On the basis of physiology, the position of orthopnea is explained by the fact that, in a horizontally placed body, the blood that was deposited in the legs begins to flow evenly into the central vessels. Hydrostatic pressure gradually increases in arteries and veins. As a result of this process, the small circle of blood flow overflows, and this leads to stagnation of fluid in it.
Etiology
The causes of orthopnea are the following diseases:
- Heart failure. She isoccurs with - angina pectoris, arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction, pericarditis and cardiomyopathy. Most often, this condition occurs when excess fluid is redistributed into the central circulation of the body, causing an increase in pressure in the pulmonary vessels.
- Pathology of the respiratory system. The main diseases are bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
- Paresis of the diaphragm. A rather rare pathology in which nerve fibers are affected, which makes it impossible for this muscle to participate in the breathing process.
Clinical picture
In the orthopnea position, patients complain of shortness of breath while lying on their backs. To alleviate their condition, they place several pillows under their backs to elevate their upper torso. This is necessary to reduce the blood in the lungs. If in a dream the patient's head shifts from the pillows to a horizontal position, the patient wakes up from severe shortness of breath, lack of air and severe cough - this is one of the diagnostic criteria.
The position of orthopnea is one of the symptoms of a worsening of an existing disease, so you should be attentive to your own he alth in order to seek help from a doctor in time.
