Orthopnoea

Orthopnea is difficulty breathing when lying down, which forces a person to sleep in a semi-sitting position in bed or sitting on a chair.

Orthopnea occurs due to various diseases such as congestive heart failure, obesity, bronchial asthma. At the same time, when a person lies down, the vital capacity of the lungs decreases and normal gas exchange is disrupted.

The main symptoms of orthopnea:

  1. Difficulty breathing when lying down, which decreases when taking an upright or semi-upright position.

  2. Shortness of breath, feeling of lack of air when lying down.

  3. Forced sitting or half-sitting position in bed during sleep.

  4. Rapid shallow breathing when lying down.

To relieve the symptoms of orthopnea, it is recommended to sleep with the head of the bed elevated and use supplemental oxygen therapy. It is also necessary to treat the underlying disease that caused this breathing disorder.



Orthopnea is difficulty breathing when lying down, which forces a person to sleep in a semi-sitting position in bed or sitting on a chair.

Orthopnea occurs due to various diseases such as congestive heart failure, obesity, lung diseases and others. With orthopnea in the supine position, the vital capacity of the lungs decreases and normal gas exchange is disrupted. This leads to a lack of oxygen and an accumulation of carbon dioxide in the blood.

The main symptoms of orthopnea:

  1. shortness of breath when lying down, which decreases when moving to a sitting or standing position

  2. the need to sleep in a semi-sitting position or sitting

  3. rapid shallow breathing

  4. cyanosis (blueness of the skin)

To treat orthopnea, it is necessary to eliminate the underlying disease that caused this complication. Medicines to improve cardiac and pulmonary activity and oxygen therapy are also prescribed. In severe cases, non-invasive ventilation may be required.



Orthopnea is difficulty breathing in a lying position, which forces a person to sleep sitting up in bed or sitting on a chair. The word "orthopnea" consists of two Greek roots - ortho ("right") and pneuma ("breath"). Orthopnea can often occur when the level of CO2 in the blood increases,



Orthopnea is a condition when a person experiences difficulty breathing. It is associated with changes in body position and can only occur in a lying position. Orthopnea can be either temporary or a chronic problem that can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia and heart failure. In this article we will look at what orthopnea is, its causes and treatment.

Orthopnea is shortness of breath that occurs in a person after a long stay in a horizontal position. In other words, a person cannot fully catch his breath while lying down.