ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the physiologic and clinical significance of several common respiratory symptoms. It discusses the clinical utility of quantitative dyspnea scales, the multidimensional nature of breathing discomfort, and the consequences of dyspnea. The chapter shows how specific elements of the physical examination, in concert with reported symptoms, can narrow the differential diagnosis. Respiratory symptoms can be due to a variety of pathophysiological processes involving disparate organ systems. There are several quantitative scoring systems designed to assess the severity and impact of dyspnea in patients with respiratory disease. Pulmonary function tests can provide objective data regarding a patient’s specific respiratory impairment and can provide important insight into the cause of respiratory symptoms. Dyspnea associated with respiratory disorders appears to arise due to a variety of physiologic mechanisms that involve stimulation of receptors in the upper airways, lungs, and chest wall, as well as peripheral and central chemoreceptors.
