Dyspnea
How To Protect Yourself Against Dyspnea And Low Blood Oxygen Level Due To Coved-19
If you can’t take a deep breath and feel tightness in the chest, these symptoms mean you suffer from dyspnea.
Dyspnea is the difficulty in getting an adequate amount of air into the lungs, which causes a feeling of suffocation or, it is difficult in inhalation and exhalation.
These symptoms occur normally after exercising, in high temperatures and high places, but if they are repeated continuously, this may be a symptom of another problem.
Causes of Dyspnea:
Most cases of shortness of breath are often a response to heart or lung diseases, and there are other causes as well.
Lung diseases that cause dyspnea:
1- Pneumonia and respiratory diseases.
2- Asthma.
3- Pulmonary embolism.
4- Ribs’ fracture.
5- Lung laceration.
Heart diseases that cause dyspnea:
1- Cardiac arrest.
2- Pericardial effusion.
3- Fast or slow heart rate.
4- Heart attack.
Other causes of shortness of breath:
1- Nervous tension.
2- Anaphylaxis.
3- Sudden loss of large amounts of blood.
4- Pregnancy.
5- Anemia.
Is shortness of breath a symptom of COVID-19?
Shortness of breath is a common symptom of coronavirus, accompanied by some other symptoms, such as: Fever and dry coughing.
Corona disease can be treated at home using the home protocol authorized by the WHO, but if hypoxia occurs, it must be treated immediately by ventilator sessions in hospitals or at home using a home oxygen generator.
How to know if the blood oxygen level is low:
Using a pulse oximeter which is a non-invasive painless device that is connected to the index finger and measures the percentage of oxygen in your blood. Then the results will appear in a few seconds on the device’s screen.
Symptoms of hypoxia:
- Blue discoloration of the skin and lips.
- High blood pressure in moderate cases.
- In severe cases, decrease in the heart rate and blood pressure, and it may lead to a coma.
9 ways to treat dyspnea at home:
1- Sitting and pushing your body forward: Sit on a flat bench and push your body forward, rest your elbows on your knees and put hands up on your chin, don’t forget to keep your neck and shoulder in a comfortable position.
2- Sitting and pushing the body forward on a table: Sit on a chair in front of a table and rest your head on a cushion placed on that table and put your arms straight.
3- Breathe from the mouth O-shaping of lips: A simple method that you can do at any time. This is because it helps slow down your breathing quickly, making each breath deeper as well as helping you to get rid of air trapped in the lung. Simple steps to help you breathe through the mouth properly:
- Sit in a comfortable position and relax all your body’s muscles.
- Take a breath in through the nose, holding it for two seconds then push the breath out of the mouth while holding it forward.
4- Standing upright while leaning on a wall: Leaning against a wall, and resting your hands resting on your hips.
5- Sleeping in a comfortable position: There are two sleeping positions that help relax your body and airways:
- Sleep on one side with a pillow between the feet and another one under yoyr head.
- Sleep on your back, your head slightly elevated and put a pillow under your knees.
6- Diaphragm breathing: Sit in a comfortable position and put your feet on the ground. Place one hand on your belly and the other hand on your chest. Take a slow deep breath in through the nose to feel the movement of your belly down your hand. Hold it for 4 seconds, then slowly get it out slowly through your mouth. Repeat this process several times to help you relax and calm down in case of tension and severe stress.
7- Use a fan: Some studies have indicated that sitting in front of a fan or manually ventilating using a paper helps improve breathing.
8- Drink coffee: Another study indicated that drinking coffee relaxes muscles and helps asthma patients improve their breathing.
9- Using steam inhalers (Nebulizers) and home oxygen generators: Nebulizers are a cost effective treatment of chronic respiratory diseases such as: Asthma.
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