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Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine pp 1–2Cite as

Dyspnea

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Synonyms

Anxiety; Heart failure; Shortness of breath

Definition

Dyspnea, or breathing discomfort, is a frequently reported symptom, often the manifestation of cardiopulmonary and neuromuscular diseases, myocardial ischemia, anemia, obesity, or deconditioning. According to the American Thoracic Society, dyspnea is a term used to “characterize a subjective experience of breathing discomfort that comprises qualitatively distinct sensations that vary in intensity. The experience derives from interactions among multiple physiological, psychological, social, and environmental factors, and may induce secondary physiological and behavioral responses.” There are variations in the clinical reporting of dyspnea; words used by individuals to describe their breathing discomfort may provide insight into the underlying pathophysiology of their disease. For example, words used to describe difficulty inspiring is associated with upper airway obstruction (e.g., aspiration), and words used to describe...

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References and Further Reading

  • Parshall, M. B., Schwartzstein, R. M., Adams, L., Banzett, R. B., Manning, H. L., Bourbeau, J., Calverley, P. M., Gift, A. G., Harver, A., Lareau, S. C., Mahler, D. A., Meek, P. M., & O’Donnell, D. E. (2012). American Thoracic Society Committee on Dyspnea. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, 185(4), 435.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Walls, R., Hockberger, R., & Gausche-Hill, M. (2017). Rosen’s emergency medicine: Concepts and clinical practice (9th ed.). Philadelphia: Elsevier.

    Google Scholar 

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA

    Valerie Sabol

Authors
  1. Valerie Sabol
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Valerie Sabol .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Miami School of Medicine, Miami, FL, USA

    Marc Gellman

Section Editor information

  1. School of Nursing, University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD, USA

    Barbara Resnick

  2. College of Nursing, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA

    Marie Boltz

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Cite this entry

Sabol, V. (2019). Dyspnea. In: Gellman, M. (eds) Encyclopedia of Behavioral Medicine. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_103-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6439-6_103-2

  • Received:

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4614-6439-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4614-6439-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference MedicineReference Module Medicine

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