Have you ever woken up suddenly during sleep and felt shortness of breath? It is probably a sign of shortness of breath, known as dyspnea in medical terms. When you feel progressively difficult to breathe, it’s a frustrating experience, which will prevent you from sleeping adequately.
You may wonder Why Do I Have Shortness of Breath at Night. This breathlessness issue can be triggered by several conditions, lungs and heart condition is the core reason behind this. Your heart may be unable to pump enough blood to supply oxygen, or there is a problem in your lung’s airways. Your mental health can also assist in triggering dyspnea.
What is Shortness of Breath?
Shortness of breath can be both a normal or serious health condition. It is an uncomfortable feeling that can prevent anyone from performing daily activities properly. Shortness of breath is also the reason to wake you up suddenly at night and feel short of breath.
This breathing problem can be both mild and temporary to a long-lasting and severe health issue. It can occur for plenty of reasons, and therefore it’s tough to diagnose and treat. If you are experiencing dyspnea, you can use an OPEP device like AirPhysio to cut down the symptoms.
AirPhysio is an innovative device that uses completely natural and unique processes to get rid of breathing issues. Moreover, you can check airphysio review to know about its features, workability, and usability, as well.
Why Do I Have Shortness of Breath at Night?
You may be experiencing shortness of breath at night and wonder why it is happening to you. It is a pretty complicated disease that can occur due to a simple or variety of reasons. Most of the time, dyspnea can happen due to lungs, heart, and mental conditions.
This breathing problem occurs when our body fails to pump oxygen into the blood adequately. Your heart may not pump blood effectively, or your lung is unable to process the oxygen. If you are suffering from shortness of breath, you should know it can occur for a variety of reasons; here are some of them:
– Possible Reasons You Have Shortness of Breath at Night:
● Asthma
One of the core reasons that people suffer from nighttime shortness of breath is asthma. It occurs because of inflammation in the lungs, and it can be triggered by dust, mold, and all types of pollutants.
Asthma can also cause severe shortness at night due to sleeping position. If your sleeping position puts a lot of pressure on your diaphragm, it can lead to shortness of breath.
● Heart Failure
Heart disease or any type of heart condition can trigger shortness of breath at night. Our heart directly interferes with the blood pumping and oxygen supply. Congestive heart failure often makes it difficult to breathe during nighttime sleep. Dyspnea may occur because of several heart issues, and some of them are-
- Heart Attack
- Heart Failure
- Coronary Artery Disease
- Heart Defects from Birth
- Heart Rhythm Disturbance
● Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
COPD or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can contribute to sleep issues at night. This is a lung disease that causes breathlessness by blockage or narrowing of the airways. People who have the chronic obstructive pulmonary disease may experience shortness of breath during lying down. Wheezing and coughing are the common symptoms of COPD.
● Sleep Apnea
Sleep apnea is a common and known reason to suffer from dyspnea or shortness of breath. This condition often occurs due to OSA or obstructive sleep apnea and snoring. Sleep apnea causes narrowing of airways and significantly lowers oxygen, preventing you from taking adequate breaths during sleep.
● Interstitial Lung Disease
We’ve already mentioned above, shortness of breath occurs due to many types of lung diseases. The lung is the major organ of our respiratory system because it processes oxygen throughout the body. So it’s clear that lung disease can lead to shortness of breath issues. Some of the common lung diseases are-
- Pneumonia
- Blood clot
- High blood pressure
- Swelling and mucus buildup
- Other lung diseases
● Anxiety and Panic Attacks
Many people may not believe that, but anxiety and panic attacks can definitely correlate with shortness of breath issues. A panic attack means a person feeling loss of control over him or herself or experiencing extreme fear. This whole uneasy situation can trigger a fight-or-flight response which will cause a panic attack.
● Obesity
Do you know obesity or excess weight is another reason that causes shortness of breath? It triggers breathlessness by compressing the normal condition of the chest and abdomen. Alongside, obesity can also cause many diseases that are linked to or responsible for shortness of breath. Obesity can cause health conditions like-, hypertension, high blood pressure, diabetes, and many more.
● Respiratory Infections
Respiratory infections like mild flu, cold, or sinus can trigger shortness of breath. However, these are not chronic diseases, and most of them last between 3 to a maximum of 14 days.
Respiratory infections will cause runny nose, sore throat, sneezing headaches, and all of them can trigger shortness of breath issues. Since all of them are short-term diseases, take proper medicine to get rid of infections and shortness of breath.
Cure Shortness of Breath Issues Through Home Remedies
Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, can lead anyone to distressing and uncomfortable conditions. If you’re also going through the same condition and your dyspnea is not serious, try home remedies to reduce the symptoms. Several home remedies are available that can help to manage minor shortness of breath issues, and they are-
- Deep Breathing : Deep breathing exercises can significantly help to cure shortness of breath symptoms. Here is how to perform deep breathing-
- Lie down in a comfortable place and put your hand above your belly.
- Take a deep breath through your nose and try to expand your abdomen, and fill the lung with air.
- Hold the breath for 2-3 seconds, and then slowly exhale through your mouth.
You can try this exercise a couple of times a day, and it will surely help to reduce the symptoms of shortness of breath.
- Finding a Comfortable Position : Sometimes, shortness of breath occurs due to an uncomfortable sleeping position. So find your comfortable position and try to put a pillow or cushion between the legs.
- Eating Ginger : Shortness of breath can also occur due to infections in the respiratory system. In that case, ginger can be handy because it helps to fight against respiratory syncytial virus.
- Drinking Black Coffee : Drinking black coffee can help to reduce the symptoms of dyspnea. Black coffee can reduce the airway muscles tightness and ensure comfortable breathing.
- Inhaling Steam : Last but not least, inhaling steam will be a good option to reduce the shortness of breath. Steam will clear the nasal passages and also helps to break down the mucus as well.
When to Consult a Doctor?
Sudden shortness of breath at night can signify serious health conditions. Severe shortness of breath or dyspnea can keep anyone away from sleep well, and seek medical evaluation. Serious shortness of breath may come with chest pain, nausea, and fainting, and many more.
If a person or you experience frequent breathlessness and wheezing, awakened at night, you should see your doctor. Also, if you cannot catch air while lying or experience worsening or prolonged shortness of breath, immediately seek medical attention. You also need to visit a doctor if your dyspnea occurs with-
- Blue Fingers and Lips
- Flu-Like Symptoms
- Swelling Near Your Feet
- High Sound While Breathing
- Wheezing
Final Thought
Now you know what things are related to shortness of breath and what causes this breathless condition. This is an extremely uneasy condition that can ruin your peaceful sleep and also lead to many serious or certain unsafe situations. Unfortunately, shortness of breath or dyspnea can lead to a life-threatening condition too.
Unfortunately, this breathless condition cannot be cured completely, but you can reduce the symptoms through some effective steps. We really hope you got the answers to all your questions related to shortness of breath. Now you don’t have to go anywhere and ask or search Why Do I Have Shortness of Breath at Night.