US Medical Term · symptoms
Orthopnea
Ortopnea
Also: Dificultad para respirar acostado (regional variant)
In 9 languages
| Language | Term |
|---|---|
| English | Orthopnea |
| Spanish (Español) | Ortopnea |
| Chinese (中文) | 端坐呼吸 |
| Korean (한국어) | 기좌호흡 |
| Vietnamese (Tiếng Việt) | Khó thở khi nằm |
| Filipino (Tagalog) | Hirap huminga kapag nakahiga |
| Portuguese (Português) | Ortopneia |
| Thai (ภาษาไทย) | หายใจลำบากเมื่อนอนราบ |
| Japanese (日本語) | 起座呼吸 |
What it means
Orthopnea is the inability to breathe comfortably when lying flat, forcing a person to sit up or use extra pillows to sleep. It is a classic symptom of heart failure, where fluid that pools in the lower body when upright shifts to the lungs when lying down, making breathing difficult. It can also occur with severe obesity, asthma, or COPD. The number of pillows needed to breathe comfortably can help gauge severity. See your doctor promptly if you develop this symptom. If breathlessness when lying flat is sudden or very severe, call 911 — it may signal acute pulmonary edema, a life-threatening emergency.
How to say it
Sentences a patient might use with a doctor, nurse, pharmacist, or insurer:
I need to sleep with three pillows because I cannot breathe comfortably when I lie flat.
Necesito dormir con tres almohadas porque no puedo respirar cómodamente cuando me acuesto de plano.
Whenever I lie down I feel short of breath and have to sit up to breathe normally.
Cada vez que me acuesto me falta el aire y tengo que sentarme para respirar con normalidad.
I started having trouble breathing when lying flat about two weeks ago.
Empecé a tener dificultad para respirar cuando me acuesto hace unos dos semanas.
Where you'll see it
Related ICD-10-CM category
R06 Abnormalities of breathingRelated terms
Sources
Last reviewed: September 2026