Breathing difficulty Health Article

Definition

Breathing difficulty involves a sensation of difficult or uncomfortable breathing or a feeling of not getting enough air.

See also: Difficulty breathing - first aid

Alternative Names

Shortness of breath; Breathlessness; Difficulty breathing; Dyspnea

Considerations

No standard definition exists for difficulty breathing. Some people may feel breathless with only mild exercise (for example, climbing stairs), even though they do not have a specific disorder. Others may have advanced lung disease but never feel short of breath.

Wheezing is one form of breathing difficulty.

See also:

• Apnea
• Lung diseases
• Rapid breathing

Common Causes

Shortness of breath has many different causes.

• A blockage of the air passages in your nose, mouth, or throat may lead to difficulty breathing.
• Heart disease can cause breathlessness if your heart is unable to pump enough blood to supply oxygen to your body. If your brain, muscles, or other body organs do not receive enough oxygen, a sense of breathlessness may occur.
• Sometimes emotional distress, such as anxiety, can lead to difficulty breathing.

The following problems may cause breathing difficulty:

Problems with the lungs

• Pneumonia (severe)
• Bronchiolitis
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, and other chronic lung problems
• Blood clot in the arteries of the lungs (pulmonary embolism)
• Pulmonary hypertension

Problems with the airways leading to the lungs

• Choking on something stuck in the airways
• Croup
• Epiglottitis

Problems with the heart

• Heart attack or angina
• Heart failure
• Heart rhythm disturbances (arrhythmias)
• Children born with heart defects (congenital heart disease)

Other problems

• Rapid ascent to high altitudes, where there is less oxygen in the air
• A large amount of dust in the environment
• Allergies (such as to mold, dander, or pollen)
• Lack of exercise
• Obesity
• Compression of the chest wall
• Panic attacks
• Hiatial hernia