The key difference between orthopnea and PND is that orthopnea is a shortness of breath that occurs while lying flat and is usually relieved by sitting or standing, while paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, or in short, the PND, is a shortness of breath that occurs suddenly during sleep and usually makes one wake up gasping.
Orthopnea and PND are two different types of breathing problems. Shortness of breath is common for both orthopnea and PND. Shortness of breath is described as the uncomfortable sensation of not getting enough air to breathe. This condition can be treated using appropriate medication, breathing techniques, and exercise.
CONTENTS
1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Orthopnea
3. What is Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnea (PND)
4. Similarities – Orthopnea and PND
5. Orthopnea vs. PND in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Orthopnea vs. PND
What is Orthopnea?
Orthopnea is a sensation of shortness of breath that occurs while lying flat and is only relieved by sitting or standing. The signs and symptoms of this condition may include breathing improvement when sitting or standing, needing multiple pillows when sleeping, wheezing, rales, dullness to percussion, chest pain, coughing, murmurs, additional heart sounds, feeling more tired than usual, swelling in the feet and ankles, putting on weight suddenly, and waking up breathless. Orthopnea is caused when the heart is not able to pump out all the blood sent from the lungs due to heart disease, cardiomyopathy, or high blood pressure. Orthopnea can also be caused by pulmonary edema, severe pneumonia, obesity, pleural effusion, ascites, and diaphragm paralysis.
Moreover, orthopnea can be diagnosed through physical examinations, questionnaires, X-rays, blood tests, and echocardiograms. Furthermore, treatment options for orthopnea may include medications such as diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, beta-blockers, bronchodilators like albuterol, inhaled steroids such as budesonide, and supplemental oxygen.
What is PND?
Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND) is a sensation of shortness of breath that awakens people by gasping normally after 1 or 2 hours of sleep. It is often relieved in the upright position. The symptoms of PND may include a feeling of suffocation, bronchospasm, or a narrowing and obstruction of the respiratory airway, suddenly waking up with coughing or wheezing, a faster heart rate than usual, need to open the window in order to get more air, sleep anxiety, and insomnia. The failure of the left ventricle by asthma, COPD, or congestive heart failure causes PND. Moreover, PND can also be caused by respiratory muscle dysfunction, decreasing respiratory muscle strength, decreased endurance, reduced blood flow through the heart, increased carbon dioxide production, and high blood pressure.
PND can be diagnosed through physical examinations, chest CT scans, chest X-rays, and a heart MRI. Furthermore, treatment options for PND may include beta blockers or diuretics for heart failure, surgery to repair birth defects, heart transplant, and lifestyle changes such as quitting smoking, eating a low-fat diet, limiting alcohol consumption, regularly exercising, and managing stress.
What are the Similarities Between Orthopnea and PND?
- Orthopnea and PND are two different types of breathing problems.
- Shortness of breath is common for both orthopnea and PND.
- Heart problems can cause both orthopnea and PND.
- They can be diagnosed through physical examination and imaging tests.
- They are treated through specific medications, surgery, breathing techniques, and exercises.
What is the Difference Between Orthopnea and PND?
Orthopnea is a shortness of breath that occurs while lying flat and is usually relieved by sitting or standing, while PND is a shortness of breath that occurs suddenly during sleep and usually makes people wake up gasping. Thus, this is the key difference between orthopnea and PND. Furthermore, orthopnea mainly occurs when the heart is not able to pump out all the blood sent from the lungs due to heart disease, cardiomyopathy, high blood pressure, or other causes such as pulmonary edema, severe pneumonia, obesity, pleural effusion, ascites, and diaphragm paralysis. On the other hand, PND is mainly caused by the failure of the left ventricle by asthma, COPD, and congestive heart failure or other causes such as respiratory muscle dysfunction, decreasing respiratory muscle strength, decreased endurance, reduced blood flow through the heart, increased carbon dioxide production and high blood pressure.
The infographic below presents the differences between orthopnea and PND in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.
Summary – Orthopnea vs. PND
Shortness of breath is known as an intense tightening in the chest, hunger for air, difficulty breathing, breathlessness, or a feeling of suffocation. Orthopnea and PND are two different types of breathing problems that show shortness of breath. Orthopnea is a sensation of shortness of breath that occurs while lying flat, while PND is a shortness of breath that occurs suddenly during sleep which usually causes one to wake up gasping. Moreover, orthopnea is only relieved by sitting or standing. On the other hand, PND is relieved by an upright position. So, this is the summary of the difference between orthopnea and PND.
Reference:
1. “Orthopnea: Symptoms, Causes, Diagnosis, and Treatment.” WebMD.
2. Vandergriendt, Carly. “Paroxysmal Nocturnal Dyspnea Causes and Treatment.” Healthline.
Image Courtesy:
1. “Cough-Cold-Flu-Woman..” (CC0) via Pixabay