Evaluation of dyspnea in the elderly.

The word "dyspnea" encompasses many different features. It can be considered to be a sensation, a symptom, or an illness. From a practical perspective many physicians and nurses use dyspnea to refer to difficult or labored breathing or an uncomfortable awareness of breathing. The American Thoracic Society recently defined dyspnea as a subjective experience of breathing discomfort that consists of qualitatively distinct sensations that vary in intensity.