Breathing difficulty, lying down

Alternative names:

difficulty breathing while lying down; orthopnea; paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea; PND; waking at night short of breath

Definition:

An abnormal condition in which a person must keep the head elevated (sit or stand) to breathe deeply or comfortably.

Considerations:

For people with some types of heart or lung problems, this is a common complaint. Sometimes the problem is subtle and is only noticed when the person realized that sleep is more comfortable with lots of pillows under the head or in a propped up position.

Common causes:

• heart failure
• panic disorder
• hypertensive heart disease
• obesity (does not directly cause difficult breathing while lying down, but it often aggravates other conditions)
• sleep apnea
• snoring
• cor pulmonale

Note: There may be other causes of orthopnea. This list is not all inclusive, and the causes are not presented in order of likelihood. The causes of this symptom can include unlikely diseases and medications. Furthermore, the causes may vary based on age and gender of the affected person, as well as on the specific characteristics of the symptom such as location, quality, time course, aggravating factors, relieving factors, and associated complaints. Use the Symptom Analysis option to explore the possible explanations for orthopnea, occurring alone or in combination with other problems.