Shortness of Breath
Learn about Shortness Of Breath including its common causes, symptoms, and treatments.
What is Shortness of Breath?
Shortness of breath or dyspnea is an intense tightening of the chest, inability to breathe, or a feeling of suffocation.
Shortness of breath can occur in a healthy person after intense physical exercise, exposure to extremely cold or hot weather, or high altitudes. If shortness of breath comes on suddenly and without explanation, it could be a sign of an underlying medical condition that should be diagnosed and treated properly. If you think you have shortness of breath, you should see immediate medical attention.
Symptoms of Shortness of Breath
Seek emergency medical care if you experience severe shortness of breath that comes on suddenly or if also have chest pain, fainting, nausea, a bluish tinge to lips or nails, or a change in your mental alertness.
Make an appointment to see a doctor if you have shortness of breath and:
- Swelling in your feet and ankles
- Trouble breathing when you lie down
- High fever, chills and cough
- Wheezing
- Worsening of preexisting shortness of breath
Possible Causes of Shortness of Breath
Some possible causes of Shortness of Breath may be:
- Anaphylaxis
- Asthma
- Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
- Collapsed lung
- Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- COVID-19
- Excess fluid around the heart (Cardiac tamponade)
- Heart attack
- Heart arrhythmia
- Heart failure
- Pneumonia
- Pulmonary embolism (blood clot in an artery in the lung)
- Sudden blood loss
- Upper airway obstruction
- Deconditioning
- Heart dysfunction
- Interstitial lung disease
- Obesity
- Pleural effusion (fluid around the lungs)
- Croup
- Lung cancer
- Pleurisy (inflammation of the membrane surrounding the lungs)
- Pulmonary edema (excess fluid in the lungs)
- Pulmonary fibrosis (scarred and damaged lungs)
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Sarcoidosis (collections of inflammatory cells in the body)
- Tuberculosis
- Cardiomyopathy (problem with the heart muscle)
- Heart failure
- Pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue around the heart)
- Anemia
- Anxiety disorders
- Broken ribs
- Epiglottitis (swelling of the “lid” of your windpipe)
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
- Kyphoscoliosis (a chest wall deformity)
- Myasthenia gravis (a condition causing muscle weakness)
Risk Factors of Shortness of Breath
Risk factors of Shortness of Breath may include:
- Heart disease
- Respiratory infection or pneumonia
- Cancer, especially lung cancer
- Emphysema or chronic bronchitis
- Asthma
- Allergies
- Reflux
- Obesity
Complications from Shortness of Breath
Complications from Shortness of Breath may include:
- Inability to catch your breath
- Reduction in activity and quality of life
- In severe cases, death, if the underlying cause is not treated
How to Prevent Shortness of Breath
Some ways to prevent Shortness of Breath may include:
- Stop smoking or don’t start smoking
- Avoid exposure to pollutants, including secondhand smoke
- Avoid extremes in temperature
- When traveling to areas with higher altitude, take time to adjust
- Exercise regularly
- Take your medications
- Regularly check your equipment, if you rely on supplemental oxygen
Learn about the Smoking Cessation program at Oneida Health