 |
| How to Overcome Shortness of Breath at Night |
Shortness of breath at night is often annoying. Not only does it interfere with sleep time and quality, but it also affects productivity in the morning. How to deal with shortness of breath at night?
Shortness of breath can indicate heart problems, lungs, or various other health problems. However, to determine the cause of shortness of breath at night, a doctor's examination needs to be done.
Recognizing Shortness of Breath at Night
When shortness of breath occurs several hours after sleeping, this condition is known as paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea or PND, which is a breathing disorder that causes sudden shortness of breath during sleep. As a result, you may wake up suddenly gasping for air.
Then, is shortness of breath at night the same as sleep apnea or sleep apnea? The answer is no.
Sleep apnea is a sleep disorder that causes a person's breathing to temporarily stop several times during sleep because the brain doesn't send the signals needed to breathe properly.
It is characterized by snoring and still feeling sleepy even after a long sleep. Meanwhile, shortness of breath during sleep can be caused by sleep apnea, but not vice versa.
Causes of shortness of breath at night and how to treat it
Shortness of breath at night can be caused by the following:
- Allergy
- Heart failure
- Respiratory disorders
- Kidney failure
- Stomach acid rises
- Anxiety disorders
- Panic attack
Treatment for shortness of breath at night depends on what caused it. Basically the goal of treatment is more focused on managing stress and improving the quality of your sleep.
To relieve mild shortness of breath at night, you can sleep using two pillows or a higher head position as a temporary solution.
If this condition is caused by heart failure, a number of medical treatments, such as diuretic therapy or heart medication will be given, even surgery can be done.
If the complaint is caused by a respiratory system disorder, a number of medications can relieve shortness of breath at night. One of them is to take long-term asthma medication, if the cause is asthma.
If shortness of breath at night caused by stomach acid can be treated with lifestyle and diet changes, or taking antacid drugs.
Preventing Shortness of Breath at Night
As previously explained, shortness of breath at night is a symptom of various health problems, ranging from acid reflux disease, to more serious conditions, such as respiratory problems or heart failure.
For this reason, preventive steps that need to be taken are to avoid these various health problems by changing their lifestyle to become healthier, such as:
- Quit smoking.
- Maintain ideal body weight
- Limit the consumption of fatty foods, increase the consumption of fruits, vegetables, foods rich in fiber and protein
- Limit salt consumption
- Enough exercise
- Manage stress
Do not hesitate to consult a doctor regarding the shortness of breath at night that you experience. The reason is, this can indicate a serious health problem, especially if it is accompanied by several symptoms, such as blue lips and fingers, swelling in the leg area, flu, or wheezing when breathing.
Related Searches:
- shortness of breath at night,
- shortness of breath at night when lying down,
- waking up with shortness of breath at night,
- shortness of breath at night anxiety,
- why do i have shortness of breath at night,
- shortness of breath at night covid,
- sudden shortness of breath at night,
- why do i get shortness of breath at night,
- cough and shortness of breath at night,
- wheezing and shortness of breath at night,
- what to do for shortness of breath at night,
- toddler shortness of breath at night,
- what helps shortness of breath at night,
- shortness of breath at night lying down,
- how to help shortness of breath at night,
- stuffy nose shortness of breath at night,
- allergies and shortness of breath at night,
- can anxiety cause shortness of breath at night,
- remedies for shortness of breath at night,
- allergies shortness of breath at night,
- having shortness of breath at night,
- coughing and shortness of breath at night,
- home remedy for shortness of breath at night,
- asthma shortness of breath at night,
- what are the causes of shortness of breath at night,
