dyspnea, dyspnoea (disp-ne'ah). i

In physiology, a condition marked by a respiratory activity greater than normal and of varying degrees. Due ordinarily to an increase in the pre ure of carbon dioxid in the blood supplying the respiratory center, but it may also be caused by a deficiency of oxygen. 2. As commonly used the term means difficult, laborious, or painful breathing, anemic d. The shortne of breath that attacks anemic persons on exertion, asthmatic d. The d. of asthma, the breathing being long-drawn, dry, and without cough. bronchitic d. The d. which accompanies bronchitis. The breathing is short and accompanied with cough. cardiac d. D. due to heart disease (i. e., to lesion or defective action of the heart causing imperfect circulation in the lungs and consequently deficient hematosis). diabetic d. A form of d. characterized by deep and frequent inspirations in the last stage of diabetes; po ibly resulting from acetonemia, emphysematous d. The d. of pulmonary emphysema; like that of asthma, but continuous and unaccompanied by wheezing, expiratory d. Difficulty of expiration, as in emphysema, asthma, and chronic bronchitis, hysteric(al) d. Very rapid breathing, from 60 to 80 respirations a minute, occurring in attacks of hysteria, inspiratory d. A form of d. in which inspiration is difficult as compared with expiration, mixed d. D. on both inspiration and expiration, pulmonary d. D. due to any condition in the lungs which interferes with the aeration of the blood, renal d. A neurotic paroxysmal asthma occurring in uremia, spasmodic d. D. caused by spasm or occurring in paroxysms. uremic d. D. due to uremia. [Gr., dys, ill, + pnein, to breathe.]