Trouble breathing (2024)

FAQs

Trouble breathing? ›

Shortness of breath can have many different causes, such as a lung problem, heart problem, infection, panic attack or allergic reaction. If you feel short of breath — lean forward, stay calm, take slow deep breaths and use your inhaler if you have one.

You might describe it as not being able to get enough air (“air hunger”), chest tightness or working harder to breathe. Shortness of breath is often a symptom of heart and lung problems. But it can also be a sign of other conditions like asthma, allergies or anxiety.

The feeling that you're not getting enough air can come on suddenly whether you are active or sedentary. It's normal for strenuous exercise, temperature changes, poor air quality, high altitude, and obesity to make breathing difficult.

The most common causes of shortness of breath are: Anxiety disorders. Asthma. A blood clot in your lungs, known as pulmonary embolism.

A doctor suspects orthopnea when a person experiences shortness of breath when lying down, and they exhibit other symptoms of one of the conditions commonly associated with orthopnea, such as heart failure, COPD, obesity, anxiety, or another heart or lung disease.

"Chest pain, rapid heartbeat and breathlessness may result when an insufficient amount of blood reaches the heart muscle," says Tung. (See "Symptoms" below.) One of the key distinctions between the two is that a heart attack often develops during physical exertion, whereas a panic attack can occur at rest.

Takeaway. Maintaining healthy lungs is one of many good reasons to stay hydrated. If you are very dehydrated, you may notice you have more difficulty breathing. Seeking immediate medical attention for severe dehydration can enable you to start rehydrating to help your body systems (including your lungs) work properly.

Let the victim sit, stand, or lie however is the most comfortable. Coaches sometimes tell players to hold their arms above their heads to maximize chest expansion. Paramedics use the "tripod position" of sitting on the edge of a chair or bed and leaning forward, propped up with hands or elbows on knees.

Aerobic activities like walking, running or jumping rope give your heart and lungs the kind of workout they need to function efficiently. Muscle-strengthening activities like weight-lifting or Pilates build core strength, improving your posture, and toning your breathing muscles.

Shortness of breath does not always indicate that you are hypoxic. In other words, your level of dyspnea, or air hunger, does not always correlate with your oxygen saturation. This means that you can be short of breath, even extremely short of breath, even in the presence of normal oxygen saturation.

Why do I feel short of breath but my oxygen saturation is good? ›

You could possibly be retaining CO2. If this is the case, you could still show high sats but still feel short of breath. In fact, high CO2 will trigger the feeling of shortness of breath long before you are actually low on breath.

Physical Causes—Fatigue, general tiredness, body temperature malfunctions, and stimulation of the vagus nerve can cause frequent yawning. Excessive yawning and sleep disorders are often correlated. Emotional Causes—Anxiety and depression can lead to yawning excessively.

Anxiety is your body's natural fear response. This is known as the fight-or-flight response. Your body reacts in physical and mental ways to prepare you to either fight or run from a threatening situation. Shortness of breath is one of those responses.