Sense of suffocation - Causes and Symptoms

Definition

The sense of suffocation is a symptom that indicates a functional breathing difficulty caused by airway diseases, lung parenchyma, pleura and heart.

The reason it arises consists mainly of the discrepancy between the body's oxygen demand and the ability to respond to this input. The two organs in charge of supplying the body with oxygen are the lungs, through gas exchange and the heart, with blood circulation.

The feeling of suffocation can result from multiple physiological or pathological causes. Generally, this is a mild and transient problem, such as when it occurs after a period of intense sporting activity. If instead it occurs after a small physical effort, it could be chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). At the base of this condition, there is an obstruction of the bronchi due to an excessive production of mucus and a thickening of their walls, due to a continuous inflammation produced mainly by cigarette smoke, but also by air pollution and from prolonged exposure to irritants, chemical or physical. In this case, in addition to the signs of an increase in respiratory effort, the sense of suffocation is also associated with dry or productive cough with elimination of abundant sputum.

Even an asthma attack causes a sense of suffocation, tightness and chest constriction due to rapidly worsening wheezing.

In some cases, especially in children, a sudden feeling of not being able to breathe can indicate the aspiration of a foreign body.

If the sense of suffocation is accompanied by high fever, cough with or without phlegm, chest pain and oppression, the presence of bronchitis is possible. The most common symptom of this disease, due to an inflammation of the bronchi (often of an infectious nature), is, in fact, wheezing.

When manifested suddenly with deep chest pain, cyanosis and agitation, the sense of suffocation may indicate the presence of pulmonary embolism or pneumothorax.

The disorder can also occur after a cardiac muscle injury (eg myocardial infarction) or following excessive stress due, for example, to untreated hypertension.

Sometimes, the sense of suffocation could be a consequence of an anxiety crisis: in particularly stressful periods from an emotional or physical point of view, some people may report palpitations, epigastric cramps, a sensation of a lump in the throat and breathing difficulties. In this case, the triggering cause is psychological.