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Breathing difficulties - first aid

Difficulty breathing - first aid; Dyspnea - first aid; Shortness of breath - first aid

 

Most people take breathing for granted. People with certain illnesses may have breathing problems that they deal with on a regular basis.

This article discusses first aid for someone who is having unexpected breathing problems.

Breathing difficulties can range from:

  • Being short of breath
  • Being unable to take a deep breath and gasping for air
  • Feeling like you are not getting enough air

Considerations

 

Breathing difficulty is almost always a medical emergency. An exception is feeling slightly winded from normal activity, such as exercise.

 

Causes

 

There are many different causes for breathing problems. Common causes include some health conditions and sudden medical emergencies.

Some health conditions that may cause breathing problems are:

  • Anemia (low red blood cell count)
  • Asthma
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sometimes called emphysema or chronic bronchitis
  • Heart disease or heart failure
  • Lung cancer, or cancer that has spread to the lungs
  • Respiratory infections, including pneumonia , acute bronchitis, whooping cough , croup , and others
  • Pericardial effusion (fluid surrounding the heart and not allowing it to fill properly)
  • Pleural effusion (fluid surrounding the lungs and compressing them)

Some medical emergencies that can cause breathing problems are:

  • Being at a high altitude
  • Blood clot in the lung
  • Collapsed lung (pneumothorax)
  • Heart attack
  • Injury to the neck, chest wall, or lungs
  • Life-threatening allergic reaction
  • Near drowning, which causes fluid buildup in the lungs

 

Symptoms

 

A person who is having a hard time breathing difficulty will often look uncomfortable. They may be:

  • Breathing rapidly
  • Unable to breathe lying down and need to sit up to breathe
  • Very anxious and agitated
  • Sleepy or confused

They might have other symptoms, including:

  • Dizziness
  • Pain
  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Bluish lips, fingers, and fingernails
  • Chest moving in an unusual way
  • Gurgling, wheezing , or whistling sounds
  • Muffled voice or difficulty speaking
  • Coughing up blood
  • Rapid or irregular heartbeat
  • Sweating

If an allergy is causing the breathing problem, they might have a rash or swelling of the face, tongue, or throat.

If an injury is causing breathing difficulty, they might be bleeding or have a visible wound.

 

First Aid

 

If someone is having breathing difficulty, call 911 or your local emergency number right away, then:

  • Check the person's airway, breathing, and pulse. If necessary, begin CPR .
  • Loosen any tight clothing.
  • Help the person use any prescribed medicine (an asthma inhaler or home oxygen).
  • Continue to monitor the person's breathing and pulse until medical help arrives. DO NOT assume that the person's condition is improving if you can no longer hear abnormal breath sounds, such as wheezing.
  • If there are open wounds in the neck or chest, they must be closed immediately, especially if air bubbles appear in the wound. Bandage such wounds at once.
  • A "sucking" chest wound allows air to enter the person's chest cavity with each breath. This can cause a collapsed lung . Bandage the wound with plastic wrap, a plastic bag, or gauze pads covered with petroleum jelly, sealing it except for one corner. This allows trapped air to escape from the chest, but it prevents air from entering the chest through the wound.

 

Do Not

 

DO NOT:

  • Give the person food or drink.
  • Move the person if there has been a chest or airway injury, unless it is absolutely necessary.
  • Place a pillow under the person's head. This can close the airway.
  • Wait to see if the person's condition improves before getting medical help. Get help immediately.

 

When to Contact a Medical Professional

 

Call 911 or your local emergency number if you or someone else has any of the symptoms of difficult breathing, in the Symptoms section above.

Also call your health care provider right away if you:

  • Have a cold or other respiratory infection and are having difficulty breathing
  • Have a cough that does not go away after 2 or 3 weeks
  • Are coughing up blood
  • Are losing weight without meaning to or having night sweats
  • Cannot get to sleep or wake up at night because of breathing difficulty
  • Notice it is hard to breathe when doing things that you normally do without breathing difficulty, for example, climbing stairs

Also call your provider if your child has a cough and is making a barking sound.

 

Prevention

 

Some things you can do to help prevent breathing problems:

  • If you have a history of severe allergic reactions, carry an epinephrine pen and wear a medical alert tag. Your provider will teach you how to use the epinephrine pen.
  • If you have asthma or allergies, eliminate household allergy triggers like dust mites and mold.
  • DO NOT smoke, and keep away from secondhand smoke. DO NOT allow smoking in your home.
  • If you have asthma, see the article on asthma to learn ways to manage it.
  • Make sure your child gets the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine .
  • Make sure your tetanus booster is up to date.
  • When traveling by airplane, get up and walk around every few hours to avoid forming blood clots in your legs. While seated, do ankle circles and raise and lower your heals, toes, and knees to increase blood flow in your legs. Clots can break off and lodge in your lungs. If traveling by car, stop and get out and walk around regularly.
  • If you are overweight, lose weight. You are more likely to feel winded if you are overweight. You are also at greater risk for heart disease and heart attack.

Wear a medical alert tag if you have a pre-existing breathing condition, such as asthma.

 

 

Open References

References

Cukor, J, Manno M. Pediatric respiratory emergencies: upper airway obstruction and infections. In: Marx J, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice . 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2013:chap 168.

Thomas SH, Goodloe, JM. Foreign bodies. In: Marx J, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice . 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2013:chap 60.

Wippold FJ II. Diagnostic imaging of the larynx. In: Cummings CW, Flint PW, Haughey BH, et al, eds. Otolaryngology: Head & Neck Surgery . 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier Mosby; 2010:chap 106.

 
  • Collapsed lung, pneumothorax

    Collapsed lung, pneumothorax - illustration

    A collapsed lung, or pneumothorax, occurs when all or part of a lung collapses or caves inward. This occurs when air gets in the area between the lung and chest wall. When this happens the lung cannot fill up with air, breathing becomes hard, and the body gets less oxygen. A collapsed lung can occur spontaneously in a healthy person or in someone who has lungs compromised by trauma, asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema.

    Collapsed lung, pneumothorax

    illustration

  • Epiglottis

    Epiglottis - illustration

    The epiglottis is flap of cartilage located in the throat behind the tongue and in front of the larynx. The epiglottis is usually upright at rest allowing air to pass into the larynx and lungs. When a person swallows the epiglottis folds backward to cover the entrance of the larynx so food and liquid do not enter the windpipe and lungs. After swallowing the epiglottis returns to its original upright position.

    Epiglottis

    illustration

  • Breathing

    Breathing - illustration

    Breathing consists of two phases. The first phase is the inspiration phase. Inspiration allows air to flow into the lungs. The second phase is expiration. Expiration involves gases leaving the lungs. During inspiration, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles contract allowing air to enter the lungs. During expiration, the inspiration muscles relax forcing gases to flow out of the lungs.

    Breathing

    illustration

    • Collapsed lung, pneumothorax

      Collapsed lung, pneumothorax - illustration

      A collapsed lung, or pneumothorax, occurs when all or part of a lung collapses or caves inward. This occurs when air gets in the area between the lung and chest wall. When this happens the lung cannot fill up with air, breathing becomes hard, and the body gets less oxygen. A collapsed lung can occur spontaneously in a healthy person or in someone who has lungs compromised by trauma, asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema.

      Collapsed lung, pneumothorax

      illustration

    • Epiglottis

      Epiglottis - illustration

      The epiglottis is flap of cartilage located in the throat behind the tongue and in front of the larynx. The epiglottis is usually upright at rest allowing air to pass into the larynx and lungs. When a person swallows the epiglottis folds backward to cover the entrance of the larynx so food and liquid do not enter the windpipe and lungs. After swallowing the epiglottis returns to its original upright position.

      Epiglottis

      illustration

    • Breathing

      Breathing - illustration

      Breathing consists of two phases. The first phase is the inspiration phase. Inspiration allows air to flow into the lungs. The second phase is expiration. Expiration involves gases leaving the lungs. During inspiration, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles contract allowing air to enter the lungs. During expiration, the inspiration muscles relax forcing gases to flow out of the lungs.

      Breathing

      illustration

    A Closer Look

     

    Self Care

     

      Tests for Breathing difficulties - first aid

       
         

        Review Date: 4/12/2015

        Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason Medical Center, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Isla Ogilvie, PhD, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.

        The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

         
         
         

         

         

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