What Is Respiratory Distress?
3. Signs of Respiratory Distress
The symptoms of respiratory distress are similar, regardless of the cause. They include shortness of breath, trouble drawing a deep breath, grunting on exhalation and wheezing. As oxygen levels become depleted, you may experience sweating, nose flaring and hollowness around the breastbone as you struggle to draw air into your lungs.
Color changes in extremities is another serious effect of low oxygen. The lips and fingers are the most common places to look for signs of hypoxia. A slight blue tinge will begin to appear, indicating that oxygen supplementation is necessary.
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