A condition in which a person has great difficulty in breathing while lying down.
A form of difficulty in breathing so severe that the patient cannot bear to lie down, but must sit or stand. As a rule, it occurs only in serious affections of the heart or lungs.
Experiencing challenges with breathing while in a horizontal position. Orthopnea serves as an indication of heart failure (inefficient blood pumping by the heart) and pulmonary edema (buildup of fluid in the lungs), and is also present in cases of asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.