Definition
The term dyspnea refers to difficult breathing, which requires considerable effort to be able to inhale and exhale, and which is perceived as a sensation of breathlessness. For this reason, dyspnea is also referred to as "air hunger".
Three different forms of dyspnea can be distinguished: accessory, exertional and continuous.
Causes
The triggering causes of dyspnea can be of different origins and nature, starting from the pulmonary and cardiac causes (most common), up to the neoplastic causes (tumors) and psychological (anxiety disorders and panic attacks). dyspnoea can be caused by autoimmune diseases, such as myasthenia gravis, multiple sclerosis or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Symptoms
Dyspnea is itself a symptom that expresses, in fact, a significant breathing difficulty, perceived as a feeling of breathlessness. In fact, dyspnea is generally part of the clinical manifestations of certain types of pathologies.
The information on Dyspnea - Medicines for the Treatment of Dyspnea is not intended to replace the direct relationship between the health professional and the patient. Always consult your doctor and / or specialist before taking Dyspnea - Medicines to Treat Dyspnea.
Medicines
In reality, there are no real drugs to treat dyspnea itself.The treatment that is decided to undertake, in fact, is aimed at treating the primary cause that triggered this respiratory difficulty.
In particular, the most frequent causes of dyspnea are those of the pulmonary type (asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, pneumonia) and of the cardiac type (myocardial infarction and heart failure). Therefore, drug therapy will be aimed at treating these pathologies.
The administration of oxygen, on the other hand, is carried out only in patients with hypoxia, since it is not effective in individuals who experience dyspnea with normal blood oxygen saturation values.
The following are the classes of drugs most used in the therapy against some of the diseases that most frequently cause dyspnoea and some examples of pharmacological specialties; it is up to the doctor to choose the active ingredient and dosage most suitable for the patient, based on the severity of the disease, the state of health of the patient and his response to treatment.
Bronchodilators
Bronchodilator drugs are widely used both in the treatment of asthma and in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (or COPD), both diseases that can cause dyspnoea in patients who suffer from it.
Among the various active ingredients that can be used, we remember:
- Formoterol (Symbicort ®): Formoterol is a bronchodilator belonging to the class of selective β2-adrenergic receptor agonists. Formoterol is a long-acting drug and is administered by inhalation. In adult patients and adolescents over 18 years of age, the usual dose of formoterol used is 12-24 micrograms, taken twice daily. day.
In children from six years of age onwards, however, the dose of drug usually administered is 12 micrograms twice a day. - Theophylline (Theolair ®, Theo-Dur ®, Aminomal ®): theophylline is a methylxanthine with bronchodilator activity. It is a drug available for oral administration. In adults, the generally used dose of theophylline is 200-350 mg twice daily. In children, on the other hand, the quantity of active ingredient usually used is 100-200 mg, to be taken twice a day.
Furthermore, for the treatment of asthma, antimuscarinic (or anticholinergic) drugs with bronchodilator action, such as, for example, ipratropium bromide (Atem ®, Breva ®, Naos ®) can also be used. This drug is available for inhaled administration.
In adults and adolescents from 14 years of age onwards, ipratropium bromide is administered at a dose of 0.5 mg, to be taken two to four times a day, according to medical prescription.
In any case, for more detailed information regarding the drug therapy of asthma and COPD, please refer to the dedicated articles: "Drugs for the treatment of" Asthma "and" Drugs for the treatment of COPD ".
Antibiotics
Antibiotic drugs can be used to treat pneumonia triggered by bacterial infections. Pneumonia are other types of respiratory diseases that can promote the onset of dyspnea.
Similarly, antibiotic drugs can be used in the treatment of bacterial superinfections that can arise in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
Among the various active ingredients that are normally used, we remember amoxicillin (Zimox ®, Augmentin ®, Clavulin ®, Amox ®). The dose of amoxicillin generally administered is 1-3 grams per day, to be taken orally in 2 -3 divided doses, according to the doctor's prescription.
For further information on the drugs used in the treatment of pneumonia, please consult the article "Drugs for the Treatment of Pneumonia".
ACE inhibitors
ACE inhibitors are only one of several classes of drugs that can be used in the treatment of heart failure. This disease is one of the most frequent cardiac-type causes that cause dyspnoea.
Among the various active ingredients belonging to this class of drugs, we find enalapril (Enapren ®, Converten ®). The starting dose of enalapril usually used is 2.5 mg of active ingredient per day. This dosage will then be gradually increased up to upon reaching a maintenance dose of 20-40 mg of enalapril per day.
In any case, to have a complete picture of the therapeutic strategies undertaken against "heart failure," we invite you to consult the article "Heart Failure - Drugs and Treatment".
In some cases, moreover, ACE inhibitors can also be used in the prevention of relapses of myocardial infarction, another pathological condition that can cause dyspnoea (for more information see the article "Drugs for the Treatment of" Myocardial Infarction " ).
