It is only after doctors ask them about changes in their activities that they realize they have been avoiding physical exertion. Some people at first deny that they have been experiencing this symptom. It is a symptom that people with heart failure often don't even notice because they have gradually reduced the level at which they exert themselves.įor example, they may stop walking up the stairs, or they may drive to the store instead of walking. You might also have low exercise capacity. You can't exert yourself like you could before.You have less energy and feel more tired than usual.The shortness of breath generally goes away after a few minutes of sitting up. People who experience PND often have to sit up on the side of the bed, and they may feel a need to open a window to get more air. But after several hours of lying down, they awake with shortness of breath, which often occurs suddenly. In general, people who experience PND don't feel increased shortness of breath when they first lie down. This may occur with waking up coughing and/or wheezing, having a rapid heart rate, and a feeling of being suffocated. The medical term for this symptom is paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND). Some people with heart failure wake up in the middle of the night with severe shortness of breath. If you have heart failure, your heart may not be able to keep up with the increased amount of blood returning to the heart, so fluid builds up inside the lungs and causes shortness of breath. The reason you may have orthopnea is that when you lie flat, the blood that ordinarily pools in the veins of your legs is reentering your bloodstream. For example, 'three-pillow' orthopnea is worse than 'two-pillow' orthopnea, because you have less tolerance for lying flat. To gauge the severity of this symptom, doctors often ask people how many pillows they need to lie on to avoid feeling short of breath in bed. The severity of this symptom usually depends on how flat you are lying-the flatter you lie, the more you feel short of breath.

The medical term for this symptom is orthopnea (say 'or-THAWP-nee-uh'). People with more severe heart failure may experience shortness of breath when they lie down.

But people with more severe heart failure may have shortness of breath with minimal exertion. When heart failure develops gradually, your shortness of breath also may develop gradually, which can make it hard to notice. The medical term for this symptom is dyspnea (say 'DISP-nee-uh'). If your shortness of breath isn't severe, you may notice it only when you are exerting yourself, and sometimes only during more intense exertion. Shortness of breath from exertion or exercise. It gets worse when you lie flat, and it may wake you up at night.People with heart failure experience shortness of breath in many different ways. Your doctor can help you determine why you have been feeling short of breath. While shortness of breath is the most common symptom of heart failure, it may be difficult or impossible to distinguish it from shortness of breath caused by other health problems such as emphysema or severe anemia. If you have heart failure, symptoms start to happen when your heart cannot pump enough blood to the rest of your body.

Orthopnea paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea