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Breathlessness - Management
What are the clinical features of the other common causes of breathlessness?
- Anaemia
- Symptoms — fainting, exertional breathlessness, fatigue, palpitations.
- Signs — paleness (for example of the conjunctiva or palms).
- Diaphragmatic splinting (due to ascites, obesity, or pregnancy)
- Symptoms — chronic breathlessness that develops in association with increasing abdominal size. There are no symptoms to suggest other causes of chronic breathlessness.
- Signs — ascites (shifting dullness and fluid thrill) or obesity. There are no clinical features of other causes for chronic breathlessness.
- Psychogenic breathlessness
- History — the person has no identifiable risk factors for a physical cause of breathlessness. Anxiety disorders are common, especially panic disorders. The episode is often preceded by a stressful event.
- Symptoms — breathlessness is characteristically intense and may be associated with symptoms of hyperventilation (including tingling of the extremities, tetanus, and light-headiness). Other symptoms, such as palpitations and chest pain, may occur. Symptoms of anxiety may accompany breathlessness.
- Signs — no signs of a physical cause for breathlessness. Breathing pattern may be irregular and gasping, and accompanied by sighing.
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