Why is shortness of breath worse at night

This can lead to wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness, and coughing. When an asthma attack happens, the lining of the airways swell and the muscles that surround the airways become tight, which reduces the amount of air that can pass through. If you have sensitive airways, your asthma symptoms could be triggered by breathing in substances called allergens. And when you are home at night, certain indoor air pollutants that are also allergens might trigger asthma symptoms in some people.

The common allergens above could be floating in the air inside your home, and breathing them in may aggravate your symptoms if you have asthma. You may live in an area with a high level of air pollution, such as near a busy street.

If so, you may want to monitor when air pollution levels are high through AirNow. It has also been found that older adults, as well as people with asthma, are at an increased risk for the adverse health effects of air pollution.

This idea that outdoor air pollution can worsen asthma and shortness of breath has been known for decades. According to the EPA , air pollution can make it harder to breathe and can cause symptoms like coughing, wheezing, chest discomfort, and a burning feeling in the lungs.

The main air pollutants that may affect asthma are ozone and particulate matter. When there are high levels of both, those with asthma are more likely to have symptoms, especially older adults and children. If you do have shortness of breath at night, you should first talk to your doctor about the problem.

If you or a family member has asthma, a physician may suggest changes in the environment to reduce allergens in the air. Another allergen could be pet dander if pets are allowed in the bedroom. Short acting or long acting bronchodilators depending on the severity of dyspnea. Nasal decongestants, cough suppressants, anti-histamine anti-allergy for symptomatic treatment. Steroids for life threatening inflammatory condition. Diuretics in case you have fluid over load as in case of heart failure, liver failure, kidney failure, pulmonary edema or pleural effusion.

Invasive procedures for the lung and heart might be necessary to treat underlying disease. When the underlying cause of intermittent shortness of breath cannot be established definitively or when symptoms are disproportionate to the apparent severity of the disease, a consultation with a specialist is indicated.

Referral also is required when a specific diagnostic procedure is needed to establish a diagnosis e. Finally, patients who do not respond to therapy will also need consultation with specialists to confirm the diagnosis or maximize therapy. You must be logged in to post a comment. General Health. Important Questions To Ask Yourself 1. Do you experience shortness of breath when walking, during a strenuous activity or at rest?

The earlier you find something, the greater chance you have to do something before there is progressive or irreversible damage. Fritz: If symptoms are not severe, primary care providers PCPs are usually equipped to do an initial evaluation, which may include some basic tests aimed at detecting heart or lung problems. They will be able to do a workup in the most efficient way possible and send patients to the correct specialist, if necessary. Consultation with a pulmonologist or cardiologist and additional studies may be required based on the results of these initial tests, or if uncertainty remains regarding the diagnosis.

If you have been having problems with shortness of breath over a period of time, it might be time to see a provider. The Penn Heart and Vascular blog provides the latest information on heart disease prevention, nutrition and breakthroughs in cardiovascular care. Author : Jason S. Fritz, MD. When to See Your Doctor "If patients can think back and say, 'I used to be able to do X, Y and Z — and now I can't because of shortness of breath,' that's a good time to come in.

Source for this and many other factoids in this article :. An official American Thoracic Society statement: update on the mechanisms, assessment, and management of dyspnea. This was a randomized and controlled trial — good science stuff — with three groups, each group training at a different level. It was associated with improvements in maximum forced inspiratory flow and changed the locus of symptom limitation during high-intensity exercise from dyspnea to leg fatigue. Association, American Psychiatric Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM Washington, D.

Anxiety is a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, usually specific. Generalized anxiety disorder GAD is when that feeling gets chronic, excessive, uncontrollable, irrational, and associated with surprisingly diverse symptoms. At least 3 symptoms must persist for at least 6 months for a formal GAD diagnosis. Ever feel like you need one of these? Fatigue could be an early warning sign of the Martian Death Flu or of dinner with your in-laws. Abdominal pain is notoriously the hardest kind of pain to diagnose in hospital emergency rooms — endless possibilities!

Shortness of breath is not quite in the same league, but it still has rather a lot of possible causes. But no: shortness of breath often occurs without any problems with the lungs or other breathing anatomy and physiology. Shortness of breath is a complicated sensation only, like a form of pain, which can indicate practically anything, but nothing in particular. This may be the beginning of asthma. Anemia — Are you tired all the time, and do you look pale?

You may not be getting enough iron in your diet. This is more common among women. Sarcoidosis or pulmonary hypertension — Are you tired all the time and do you have a dry cough, possibly with chest pain, and does your shortness of breath get worse when you exercise or do other physical activity?

Congestive heart failure — Are your feet and ankles swollen, and is it harder to breathe when you lie down flat? These are symptoms of congestive heart failure. Mesothelioma — Have you worked in or around asbestos, wood dust, industrial fumes or in a coal mine? You could have occupational lung disease, such as mesothelioma. Hiatal hernia — Bulging of the stomach through the hole in your diaphragm is, unsurprisingly, a cause of shortness of breath.

Padula CA, Yeaw E.