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Dyspnea

  • Chapter
Functional Respiratory Disorders

Part of the book series: Respiratory Medicine ((RM))

Abstract

Dyspnea, or shortness of breath, frequently accompanies cardiopulmonary disease in both pediatric and adult patients. However, the sensation of breathlessness can also accompany anxiety with somatic symptoms that are troublesome and sometimes disabling. Symptoms are often out of proportion to physical findings, test results often normal, and may decrease substantially when the patient is asleep or distracted. The most common presentations of functional dyspnea include vocal cord dysfunction, hyperventilation, sighing dyspnea, and overbreathing or hyperventilation during exercise. These symptoms are most often confused with poorly controlled asthma resulting in overtreatment with asthma medications, including corticosteroids. After a judicious workup for “organic” cardiopulmonary disease, specific testing may help differentiate these disorders. These include specialized cardiopulmonary testing, provocation tests, and standardized and validated questionnaires. Identification of functional dyspnea can then facilitate short-term intervention and/or psychological evaluation and treatment.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics, Michigan State University, Kalamazoo Center for Medical Studies, 1000 Oakland Drive, Kalamazoo, MI, 49008, USA

    Douglas N. Homnick

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  1. Douglas N. Homnick
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Correspondence to Douglas N. Homnick .

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  1. Department of Pediatrics, SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, NY, USA

    Ran D. Anbar

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Homnick, D.N. (2012). Dyspnea. In: Anbar, R.D. (eds) Functional Respiratory Disorders. Respiratory Medicine. Humana Press, Totowa, NJ. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-857-3_4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-61779-857-3_4

  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, Totowa, NJ

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-61779-856-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-61779-857-3

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