Respiratory, shortness of breath
Out of breath can be linked to Covid-19, anxiety, heart or lungs
Shortness of breath — known medically as dyspnea — is often described as an intense tightening in the chest, air hunger, difficulty breathing, breathlessness or a feeling of suffocation. Very strenuous exercise, extreme temperatures, obesity and higher altitude all can cause shortness of breath in a healthy person.
Long Covid dyspnea limits people in their activities of daily living and decreases their physical performance and abilities.
Long Covid often leads to respiratory desynchronization. Respiratory desynchronization is a condition where the timing and coordination of breathing muscles are impaired, leading to inefficient and uneven breathing.
Sources:
The Mayo Clinic
Post-Covid recommendations for primary care physicians – Switzerland
Practical management of post-Covid19 disease, Dr Ioannis Kokkinakis, Dr Mathieu Saubade, Dr Konstantinos Tzartzas, Dr Serge De Vallière, Dr Catherine Duquenne, Pr Gilles Allali, Dr Frédéric Regamey and Pr Bernard Favrat - Rev Med Suisse 2023
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Chest tightness
Feeling like you need to force yourself to breathe deeply
Working hard to get a deep breath
Rapid breathing (tachypnoea) or heart rate (palpitations)
Wheezing or stridor (noisy breathing)
Dyspnea on exertion
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Simple actions to begin, that you can do right now
Daily breathing exercises
Daily resonance breathing
Adapted physical activity according to the rules of pacing
Additional actions to go further
Daily mindfulness meditation
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Respiratory physiotherapy prescription
Tests:
Thoracic imaging: chest X-ray
Thoracic CT scan
NT-proBNP troponin
D-dimer, if relevant
Complete respiratory function test, pneumological consultation
ECG, ETT, ergometry, ergo spirometry, cardiological consultation
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Respiratory physiotherapy
Breathing specific exercises
Adapted physical activity
