Breathing difficulties - first aid
Alternative names:
difficulty breathing - first aid; dyspnea - first aid; shortness
of breath - first aid
Definition:
First aid for breathing
difficulty that results from disease or injury. See Heimlich
maneuver for first aid for choking.
Considerations:
Shortness of breath
associated with heart failure
is due to fluid backing up into the lungs.
Young, healthy people can suddenly become short of breath
due to a collapsed lung
(pneumothorax).
High altitudes can cause breathing problems, even in young
people.
Direct trauma to the neck or chest can cause breathing problems.
Internal injuries are often more severe than they look.
Common causes:
Difficulty breathing
can be caused by injury, sudden illness, high altitude, or
ongoing medical problems (such as heart
disease or congestive
heart failure, emphysema,
chronic bronchitis, or
asthma).
Updated Date: 02/09/00
Updated By:J. Gordon Lambert, MD, Associate Medical Director,
Utah Health Informatics
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