orthopnea
Noun: A medical condition characterized by shortness of breath (dyspnea) that occurs when lying flat. The person experiences difficulty breathing and can breathe comfortably only in an upright position, such as standing or sitting erect. This symptom is often associated with certain heart or lung conditions.
Orthopnea is a specific symptom used in medical diagnosis. It describes the patient's experience, not the act of assuming an upright posture. * The patient reported severe orthopnea, needing four pillows to sleep at night. * A key question in the cardiac exam is, "Do you experience orthopnea?" * The onset of orthopnea can indicate worsening heart failure.
- Two-pillow orthopnea / Three-pillow orthopnea: A common clinical shorthand to quantify severity, referring to the number of pillows a patient needs to prop themselves up to breathe comfortably while sleeping.
- The patient's condition has progressed from two-pillow to three-pillow orthopnea.
- Orthopneic (adjective): Relating to or suffering from orthopnea.
- The orthopneic patient was immediately given oxygen and sat upright.
- Dyspnea (noun): The broader medical term for difficult or labored breathing, of which orthopnea is a specific type.
- Platypnea (noun): Difficulty breathing that is relieved when lying flat (the opposite of orthopnea).
- Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnea (PND): A related but distinct condition involving sudden, severe shortness of breath that awakens a person from sleep, often occurring 1-2 hours after lying down.
- Upright-breathing dyspnea (descriptive synonym, not common in standard use)
- Platypnea (difficulty breathing that is worse when upright)
Orthopnea is not an idiom or phrasal verb but a key clinical sign. It is commonly associated with: * Left-sided heart failure: The most common cause, where fluid backs up into the lungs (pulmonary edema) when lying down. * Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) including emphysema. * Severe asthma. * Other conditions like angina pectoris, diaphragmatic paralysis, or massive ascites.
- form of dyspnea in which the person can breathe comfortably only when standing or sitting erect; associated with asthma and emphysema and angina pectoris