What is the position of orthopnea in medicine?

The respiratory failure that occurs in a person with certain diseases can truly worsen his health and normal lifestyle. One symptom is shortness of breath and difficulty breathing, in which patients subconsciously try to take a special position. Let's find out in more detail what it means in medical terminology.

Orthopnea is a shortness of breath that appears in a patient who lies horizontally on his back. Due to impaired breathing, patients are forced to take a sitting position with their legs lowered to the floor.

On the basis of physiology, the position of orthopnea is explained by the fact that, in a horizontally placed body, the blood that was deposited in the legs begins to flow evenly into the central vessels. In arteries and veins, hydrostatic pressure gradually increases. As a result of this process, a small circle of blood flow overflows, and this leads to stagnation of fluid in it.

Etiology

The causes of orthopnea are the following diseases:

1. Heart failure. It occurs with - angina pectoris, arterial hypertension, myocardial infarction, pericarditis and cardiomyopathies. Most often, this condition occurs when redistribution of excess fluid into the central bloodstream of the body, causing an increase in pressure in the pulmonary vessels.
2. Pathology of the respiratory system. The main diseases are bronchial asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases.
3. Paresis of the diaphragm. A rather rare pathology in which nerve fibers are affected, which leads to the impossibility of the participation of this muscle in the breathing process.

Clinical picture

With orthopnea, patients complain of a lack of air lying on their backs. To alleviate their condition, they put several pillows under the back to raise the upper body. This is necessary to reduce blood in the lungs. If in a dream the patient’s head shifts from the pillows to a horizontal position, the patient wakes up from severe shortness of breath, lack of air and a strong cough - this is one of the diagnostic criteria.

The position of orthopnea is one of the symptoms of a worsening of an existing disease, therefore it is worth being attentive to your own health in order to seek medical help in time.