Causes of choking attacks

Doctors divide the causes of asthma attacks into three groups. This is asthma that occurs as a result of:

• diseases of the throat, bronchi, lungs, heart, etc.;
• allergies (anaphylactic shock, pulmonary edema, laryngeal edema, etc.);
• traumatic suffocation (presence of a foreign body in the respiratory tract, asphyxia of newborns).

Sometimes suffocation is short-term. Such attacks can be provoked by intense physical exertion, a strong flow of cold air, smoking, etc. Usually, such attacks pass on their own, without causing a relapse in the future. The most common diseases that cause suffocation attacks:

• bronchial asthma, which has an infectious or allergic form;
• cardiac asthma;
• bronchial obstruction;
• pneumothorax;
• myocardial infarction;
• benign and malignant tumors of the respiratory tract;
• mental illnesses.

The cause of suffocation can be poisoning with pesticides, drug overdose and inhalation of chemical vapors that are harmful to the body.

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Asthma attacks

An asthma attack is caused by obstruction (obstruction of the respiratory tract) of the body's respiratory system. The disorder can be provoked by:

• severe swelling or inflammation of the bronchial mucosa;
• a sharp spasm of the smooth muscles of the throat;
• thromboembolism of small bronchi with viscous secretions, which causes pulmonary failure and oxygen starvation.

The appearance of unwanted, squeezing sensations, as well as sudden nasal discharge, are a signal of an approaching attack.

With bronchial asthma, an attack of suffocation occurs suddenly and proceeds rather restlessly. Shortness of breath, wheezing, dry cough, the face is covered with cold sweat, in some cases there is a rise in temperature. Breathing becomes difficult, especially when exhaling.

Heavy, labored breathing occurs in parallel with a painful feeling of heaviness in the chest area, which during the attack is in a state of inhalation (inspiration). The diaphragm of the chest is located low, breathing is done by the intercostal muscles. The abdominal muscles, pectoral, sternoclavicular muscles are very tense. In order to push the air out of the chest, the patient often looks for a comfortable position, leans on the back of a chair, wall, table, etc., bends over, sits down. In this case, he instinctively uses extraneous muscles that help ease breathing. The most comfortable position is to sit on a chair facing the back, that is, "astride". To lean more strongly against the back of the chair, you need to put a pillow under your chest.

The patient's crisis state with bronchial asthma with attacks of suffocation may be accompanied by severe complications of the bronchi, heart and even cause the development of a coma. Therefore, during a severe attack, it is necessary to call an ambulance. Hospitalization may be required.

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Attacks of suffocation during bronchitis

The cause of shortness of breath is the narrowing of the smooth muscles of the bronchi, as a result of which the lumen of the airways decreases, and the accumulated sputum in the bronchi significantly complicates the breathing process.

An attack of suffocation during bronchitis is closely connected with dyspnea, which is present in patients at almost all stages of the disease. Dyspnea is especially dangerous with difficulty inhaling and exhaling, an acute shortage of air is felt, and an attack of suffocation appears.

According to medical statistics, asthma attacks occur in chronic bronchitis, during periods of exacerbation of the disease and remission, as well as in purulent bronchitis, when the bronchi become blocked by purulent masses during the course of the disease. Dyspnea with asthma attacks can occur at any time of the day, but most often begins in the morning, and only after prolonged coughing and expectoration of sputum does the attack subside.

Chronic bronchitis with asthma attacks is a disease of all smokers, in which complications begin with a mild cough, followed by swelling of the bronchi, narrowing and spasm of the blood vessels.

In children, shortness of breath with attacks of suffocation is observed much more often than in adults. As a result of the accumulation of a small amount of sputum, the child almost immediately experiences breathing problems. Such symptoms are observed with obstructive bronchitis, bronchospasm and broncho-obstruction. The younger the child, the more dangerous the shortness of breath, which can cause an attack of suffocation.

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Asphyxiation attacks in heart failure

Heart attacks of suffocation cause hypostasis (stagnation) of blood in the right ventricle and left atrium, as a result of which the circulation of blood flow in the body is disrupted. Moreover, blood stagnation puts pressure on the alveoli of the lungs, heaviness in the chest, shortness of breath, increased heart rate, as a result of which an attack of suffocation occurs. This condition is called "cardiac asthma" in medicine - the result of acute heart failure, although there is no independent diagnosis with such a name.

Heart failure can occur due to circulatory problems caused by increased physical activity, increased circulating blood volume, and during pregnancy.

The clinical picture during an asthma attack due to heart failure is similar to an asthma attack. Although the causes of the disease are different, the characteristic difference can only be determined by the secreted sputum. Only an electrocardiogram can make a correct diagnosis, which will reflect the changes characteristic of heart failure.

The occurrence of an attack of suffocation during heart failure may be the result of:

• diseases such as angina pectoris, myocardial infarction, heart defects, cardiosclerosis, etc.;
• high blood pressure;
• emotional stress;
• physical activity;
• excessive consumption of food and liquid.

Most often, attacks of suffocation occur at night. A person wakes up with a feeling of suffocation. He hysterically begins to "grab" air with his mouth, while his face acquires a bluish tint and is covered in cold sweat. Breathing becomes hard, gurgling. Mild wheezing, crepitation of sounds (specific crunching sounds) are heard. The patient cannot cough up. An attack of dry cough is accompanied by foamy sputum of a pinkish tint. This may be a signal of the formation of edema in the lungs, which is a rather formidable symptom. Blood pressure can change up and down, which in turn complicates the course of an attack of suffocation.

An attack of suffocation due to heart failure can last from several minutes to several hours, especially if it is caused by myocardial infarction.

The prognosis of the patient's condition depends on the severity of the attack and the underlying disease, as well as on the first aid provided. Often, the state of suffocation leads to death.

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Choking attacks with laryngitis

Symptoms of laryngitis begin to manifest themselves with a slight tickling sensation, a feeling of dryness, tingling in the throat, a dry cough and a sudden loss of voice, sometimes attacks of suffocation occur. Swelling of the vocal cords and throat is observed.

Laryngitis is an inflammatory process in the larynx, which is provoked by tension of the vocal cords, chemical or physical irritants or infection. Laryngitis can be acute and chronic. Acute laryngitis is a consequence of diseases such as scarlet fever, flu, whooping cough, acute respiratory viral infections, etc. Chronic laryngitis is an inflammation of the mucous membrane of the throat, muscles of the larynx and submucosal tissue. Chronic laryngitis occurs as a result of frequent acute laryngitis.

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Asphyxiation attacks with VSD

An attack of suffocation in vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD) is one of the symptoms of the disease, arising as a result of disorders of the cardiovascular system, emotional stress, panic attack, etc. Vegetative-vascular dystonia (VVD) is not a nosological form of the disease, but together with other factors it contributes to the development of pathological conditions. For example, with VVD, patients experience rapid breathing, shortness of breath, which ends in an attack of suffocation.

This is due to problems with the respiratory system and heart. Attacks of suffocation with VSD occur during or after:

• stressful situations;
• emotional overload;
• heavy physical exertion.

An attack of suffocation with VSD begins with sudden shortness of breath, sometimes a lump in the throat and a sharp spasm. There is a feeling of lack of air, after which it becomes difficult to breathe. To some extent, an attack of suffocation with VSD is similar to the condition of a patient with bronchial asthma. Then the patient's heartbeat increases, dizziness appears, a feeling of anxiety, panic arises, which can cause fainting. The patient strives to go out into the fresh air or open a window.

Upon examination, the bronchi and lungs appear normal.

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Asphyxiation attacks in lung cancer

Asphyxiation attacks in lung cancer can occur at any stage of the disease. The main symptoms are:

• dry cough, sometimes accompanied by whistling;
• sudden shortness of breath when walking, during conversation;
• hemoptysis;
• severe chest pain.

During the development of the tumor, pulmonary atelectasis occurs. The main cause of suffocation in lung cancer is an insufficient amount of air in the lungs due to the damage of the lung tissue by cancer cells, resulting in infiltration of the lung by tumor infiltrate (accumulation of cellular detritus with an admixture of blood and lymph in the lung tissue). The patient begins to have shortness of breath, a progressive attack of suffocation. This condition is excruciating for the patient, it is impossible to alleviate it. The result may be fatal.

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Attacks of suffocation during tracheitis

Tracheitis is characterized by attacks of a painful cough that intensifies at night or in the morning. A typical feature of the disease is the discharge of sputum when coughing, during which severe pain is felt in the chest. The cause of a sudden cough can be a deep breath of fresh air, laughter or crying, shortness of breath, etc. The disease occurs due to infectious (bacterial or viral etiology) or allergic inflammation of the mucous membrane of the trachea. In most cases, the disease has a long treatment cycle with subsequent exacerbations, turning into a chronic form of the disease.

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Choking attack after citrus fruits

All types of citrus fruits are beneficial for the body. In some cases, these fragrant and aromatic fruits can cause negative consequences, such as the manifestation of food allergies.

Usually, symptoms of citrus allergy appear immediately after eating the fruit. Sometimes citrus fruits cause asthma attacks, anaphylactic shock and angioedema (Quincke's edema). Allergic swelling of the mucous membrane can cause a sharp barking cough, heavy breathing, and asthma attack. Vomiting and sharp abdominal pain may occur at the same time. In such cases, it is necessary to immediately take the patient to a medical facility for emergency care.

In some cases, the cause of allergies are chemical preservatives that are used to treat fruits for better storage.

Choking attack when crying

When a person cries, he inhales more air, which enters the lungs through the respiratory tract. A spasm of the muscle tissues surrounding the respiratory tract occurs. The lumen in the bronchi becomes smaller, it becomes difficult for a person to breathe, an attack of suffocation occurs, most often of an expiratory nature.

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