Shortness of Breath (Dyspnea)
The medical term for shortness of breath is dyspnea. It is a common side effect of cancer treatments. Symptoms include feeling like you can’t get enough air, wheezing and chest pain or pressure. Dyspnea can affect your quality of life by worsening fatigue, anxiety and depression. Let your health care provider know if you already have an underlying cough or COPD as it can worsen this condition.
What causes dyspnea?
You may experience shortness of breath for different reasons. Tumors that are in or near your lungs, chest or throat can inhibit air flow and block some or all of your airway.
Cancer treatments can irritate or damage your lungs, making it difficult to get enough air. Reactions to intravenous (IV) cancer treatment, called infusion or immune reactions, can cause shortness of breath, chest discomfort and coughing.
Pneumonitis is inflammation of the lungs, and it can be a result of radiation therapy to your chest, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, targeted therapy or stem cell transplantation. Unresolved pneumonitis can lead to pulmonary fibrosis (a lung disease where lung tissue becomes scarred, thick and stiff) months or years after treatment has ended.
Your health care provider may run additional tests to determine whether your shortness of breath is caused by interstitial lung disease (ILD). ILD is a group of more than 200 conditions that cause inflammation and scarring in your lungs. ILD damages the tissues between the small air sacs in your lungs (alveoli) and the blood vessels around them. This makes it harder for you to move oxygen out of your lungs and into your body.
A buildup of fluid in different parts of your body called effusions can cause dyspnea. Pleural effusions are a buildup of fluid in the layers around your lungs that can compress them so you are unable to take a full breath. Pericardial effusions can form in the layers around the heart, preventing the heart from pumping out enough blood. This can cause fluid to back up in the lungs, making you feel short of breath. Abnormal fluid buildup in your abdomen (ascites) can cause your belly to swell and push up on your lungs, making it hard to breathe.
Other causes include anemia, fatigue, pneumonia, poor nutrition, stress or anxiety, blood clots in your lungs or other lung-related conditions.
When does shortness of breath typically occur
Dyspnea can occur at any time, come on suddenly or slowly and worsen when you exercise or exert yourself.
How you can manage shortness of breath.
The following suggestions may help:
- Sit up or raise your upper body by elevating the head of your bed or using pillows behind your back.
- Inhale deeply through your nose and exhale slowly through pursed lips. Exhale for twice as long as it took you to inhale.
- Wear loose clothing.
- Distract yourself. Practice mindfulness or relaxation strategies, listen to music, watch TV or read.
- Avoid smoking, secondhand smoke and allergens (dust and pet dander).
- Check and replace filters in your heating and cooling systems. Try a home air purifier.
When to call your health care provider.
Call immediately if you experience any of the following:
- You cannot catch your breath, either at rest or during exercise
- Wheezing or trouble speaking
- Chest pain
- Coughing up thick, yellow, green or bloody sputum
- Feeling confused or restless
- Eye and vision changes
