8 Reasons You’re Short of Breath

Few sensations are as frightening as not being able to get enough air. Shortness of breath — known medically as dyspnea — is often described as an intense tightening in the chest, air hunger or a feeling of suffocation.

Most cases of shortness of breath are due to heart or lung conditions. Your heart and lungs are involved in transporting oxygen to your tissues and removing carbon dioxide, and problems with either of these processes affect your breathing. Shortness of breath that comes on suddenly (called acute) has a limited number of causes, including: asthma, heart attack, heart failure, pneumonia, sudden blood loss, carbon monoxide poisoning or low blood pressure.

In the case of shortness of breath that has lasted for weeks or longer (called chronic), the condition is most often due to: asthma, COPD, heart dysfunction, obesity, deconditioning or interstitial lung disease.  If you have unexplained shortness of breath, especially if it comes on suddenly and is severe, see your doctor as soon as possible. Check out the possible reasons!

Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp
Pinterest
Reddit
LinkedIn
Facebook
Twitter
WhatsApp

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

READ NEXT

7 Proven Benefits of Green Tea

Green tea has been used as a medicine for thousands of years, originating in China but widely used throughout Asia, this beverage has a multitude of uses from lowering blood

6 Foods for Keeping Your Skin Healthy

Nutrition is important for health. An unhealthy diet can damage your metabolism, cause weight gain and even hurt organs, such as your heart and liver. But what you eat also

13 Tips for Cutting Back on Sugar

Added sugars are empty calories. Your body doesn’t need them, and they can pack on the pounds pretty quickly. The average American eats about 22 teaspoons a day. That’s more

10 Signs Your Body Needs More Water

Water constitutes more than 60% of our body. It’s absolutely essential in our lives, and it’s vital for various functions, like balancing body liquids, temperature maintenance, flushing out bad toxins,

5 Strange Reasons You Can’t Sleep

Sometimes the reason you’re tossing and turning at night is clear. Maybe you’re leading a huge meeting the next morning, or you ate a huge meal way too close to

6 Subtle Signs of Lupus to Watch Out For

Lupus is an autoimmune disease that causes swelling (inflammation) and a wide variety of symptoms. Lupus affects everyone differently. Some people have only a few mild symptoms and others have

Scroll to Top