Dyspnea

Abstract

Dyspnea is a word used to define a sensation of breathing difficulty experimented by patients with different diseases, and healthy individuals during extreme exercise. It is a very common symptom in medical practice, and a particularly frequent complain among subjects with respiratory and cardiac conditions. Dyspnea is the most important symptom affecting health related quality of life of patients with chronic respiratory disorders. The mechanisms responsible for the development of dyspnea are still greatly unknown, despite of its importance. In the present article the authors do a brief review of clinical and physiopathological aspects related to the symptom.