Have you ever woken up in the middle of the night, wheezing and gasping for air, overwhelmed by the feeling of suffocation? If yes, you may be suffering from a serious medical problem known as Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnea (PND).
Literally translated, PND stands for "sudden attacks that recur at night due to shortness of breath or breathing difficulty". This condition is generally a symptom of heart failure and may occur even if you have never experienced any other signs of cardiac trouble. While PND is rarely fatal, it could be life-threatening.
Causes
The most common cause of PND is failure of the left side of the heart. In case you are experiencing left-side heart failure, your legs may swell up with accumulated fluid. When you lie down at night, this fluid accumulates in your lungs and especially the air sacs, since your heart cannot regularize your blood pressure.
As water fills your lungs, oxygen levels decline causing your heart to function in overdrive mode. The left side of your heart cannot keep up with the capacity of the right side and therefore triggers off pulmonary distress.
Symptoms
PND is characterized by acute shortness of breath while sleeping and is usually accompanied by coughing and wheezing. Sitting or standing up after you awaken generally helps you breathe more easily. Some of the other signs of this condition may include swelling in the feet or ankles, elevated heartbeat and cold sweats.
PND is sometimes referred to as Cardiac Asthma, because the signs of both the conditions are quite alike.
Treatment
There are several different ways in which PND can be addressed. The treatment path adopted by your doctor may include a combination of:
In some cases, the doctor may advise you to undergo a procedure called ultra-filtration to get rid of the excess fluid in your blood.
You also need to follow a strict diet while undergoing treatment for PND. Consuming high amounts of salt often leads to a fluid overload and worsens breathing problems. Therefore, it is best for you to follow a diet low in sodium. Restrict your intake of:
Try to consume home-cooked meals as often as possible and substitute salt with healthy spices and herbs.
Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnea is quite a serious problem, which should be closely monitored by a doctor. Therefore, it is absolutely essential for you to visit your healthcare provider in case you notice any symptoms of this condition.
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