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Breathing difficulty - lying down

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• Treatment

Definition:

Breathing difficulty while lying down is an abnormal condition. A person with this condition must keep the head elevated (by sitting or standing) to be able to breathe deeply or comfortably. The condition may also cause a person to wake up suddenly during the night, feeling short of breath (paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea).

Alternative Names:

Waking at night short of breath; Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea; PND; Difficulty breathing while lying down; Orthopnea

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 realizes that sleep is more comfortable with lots of pillows under the head, or in a propped-up position.

Common Causes:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Cor pulmonale
• Heart failure
• Hypertensive heart disease
• Obesity (does not directly cause difficulty breathing while lying down but often aggravates other conditions)
• Panic disorder
• Sleep apnea
• Snoring

• Review Date: 1/18/2007
• Reviewed By: Benjamin W. Van Voorhees, MD, MPH, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics, The University of Chicago, Chicago, IL. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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