Akademik

Orthopnea
The inability to breathe easily unless one is sitting up straight or standing erect.
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Discomfort in breathing that is brought on or aggravated by lying flat. Cf.:platypnea. [ortho- + G. pnoe, a breathing]

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or·thop·nea or chiefly Brit or·thop·noea ȯr-'thäp-nē-əalso .ȯr-.thäp-'nē-ə n difficulty in breathing that occurs when lying down and is relieved upon changing to an upright position (as in congestive heart failure)
or·thop·ne·ic or chiefly Brit or·thop·noe·ic -ik adj

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or·thop·nea (or″thop-neґə) [ortho- + -pnea] dyspnea that is relieved by assuming an upright position. Cf. platypnea. orthopneic adj

Medical dictionary. 2011.