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Dyspnea

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Practical Cardiology

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Abstract

Dyspnea has been variously described as the sensation of breathlessness or of difficult or uncomfortable breathing. The American Thoraci Society defines dyspnea as “… a term used to characterize a subjective experience of breathing discomfort that consists of qualitatively distinct sensations that vary in intensity. The experience arises from interactions among multiple physiological, psychological, social, and environmental factors and may induce secondary physiological and behavioral responses” [1]. Some degree of dyspnea is normal at high altitude or in the context of vigorous exercise; dyspnea is abnormal when it occurs at levels of activity and in environmental circumstances for which normal individuals would not be breathless. The severity of dyspnea that an individual experiences for a given activity appears to be related to the level of ventilation required for that activity in relation to the ventilatory capacity of the individual.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Weill Department of Medicine, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, Weill Cornell Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Fernando J. Martinez

  2. Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Mei Lan K. Han

  3. Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, Cardiac Transplant Service, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Keith D. Aaronson

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  1. Fernando J. Martinez
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Correspondence to Fernando J. Martinez .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA

    Ragavendra R. Baliga

  2. University of Michigan Health System, Cardiovascular Center, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Kim A. Eagle

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Martinez, F.J., Han, M.L.K., Aaronson, K.D. (2020). Dyspnea. In: Baliga, R., Eagle, K. (eds) Practical Cardiology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-28328-5_2

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