Experiencing difficulty breathing is annoying and potentially unpleasant. Unfortunately, whether you’re physically engaged or just sitting around, you can develop a sudden sensation of shortness of breath.

But of course, breathing difficulties are commonplace when there is an increase in physical exertion, a shift in temperature, reduced air quality, increased altitude, or excess body fat. If you suddenly struggle to catch your breath for no apparent reason, this could indicate a severe health problem.

Lucky for you, this article covers some of the reasons you may be experiencing shortness of breath and how you can manage every situation.

Shortness Of Breath: What Is It And How Does It Feel Like?

Often known as dyspnea, shortness of breath; is an inability to fully exhale, “a collection of intangible feelings indicating that something is wrong with our respiratory system.

These feelings typically manifest as tightness or numbness in the chest, a need for more oxygen in the lungs, a heaviness in the stomach, or a ting “fatigue caused by low oxygen levels.

If you’re having trouble breathing, you may feel that you can’t take full breath or that your breathing is too slow. In other cases, it may feel like you’re suffocating for lack of air. Breathing may become more labored. You may need to take a breath before your exhalation is complete.

The following are some of the symptoms that may accompany breathlessness:

  • A squeezing sensation or a constricted feeling in the chest
  • The sense of being suffocated
  • The feeling that you need to use more effort than usual to take a breath
  • Needing to take deeper or more rapid breaths
  • The feeling that your body is not receiving enough oxygen
  • A lack of ability to take deep breathes

Causes of Shortness of Breath

In addition to more severe conditions, including pneumonia, heart failure, asthma, and lung cancer, mild physical exertion can induce breathlessness. The following are some possible causes of your difficulty breathing. 

  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Asthma
  • Choking
  • Pneumonia
  • Low blood pressure
  • Heart Problems
  • Lung cancer
  • Smoking
  • Obesity
  • Anxiety

Pulmonary Embolism (PE)

Pulmonary embolisms are blood clots that have moved to the lungs from another section of the body (often the legs). It causes sudden and extreme shortness of breath and also causes additional symptoms like:

  • Ache in the chest
  • Bloody coughing

Some people have a higher risk of developing PE due to their genetics, while others are more at risk due to lifestyle choices, including smoking, being overweight, or having sustained an injury.

Image alt text: shortness of breath. A medical display of Covid-19 symptoms including shortness of breath.

Author credit: By Mikael Häggström, M.D. Author info- Reusing images- Conflicts of interest:NoneMikael Häggström, M.D. – Own work, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=87223640

Furthermore, several drugs, such as birth control pills, can increase the likelihood of pulmonary embolism in their users. Long airline rides can be problematic for some people since they include extended periods of immobility.

Shortening the time a clot travels through the body can be accomplished by staying active (particularly on long travels), maintaining a healthy fluid balance, and donning compression socks.

However, getting treatment soon is critical because the disease could be lethal. Physicians typically prescribe blood thinners or perform surgery to treat pulmonary embolisms.

Asthma

People with asthma commonly experience difficulty breathing because their narrow airways prevent oxygen-rich air from freely entering and leaving the body. Asthma also causes the following symptoms:

  • Coughing and wheezing
  • Pain in the chest

Allergy- and non-allergic-induced asthma are the two most common forms of the disease, and they require entirely different approaches to therapy.

Allergic asthma can be triggered by environmental allergens, including pollen, dust mites, mold, pet dander, and even the weather. Fortunately, most of these can easily be managed by medications. However, non-allergic asthma is more difficult to manage, primarily when it manifests in middle-aged or overweight persons.

Choking

When anything becomes lodged in one’s throat, choking is frequently an immediate and noticeable phenomenon. It claims more lives since it prevents normal breathing. Chest pain and breathlessness are vital signs, but you may also experience the following:

  • Lack of verbal capacity or having no voice at all
  • An inefficient, feeble cough
  • Inhaling with a lot of noise or a very high pitch
  • If the obstruction isn’t removed, you could lose consciousness and become unresponsive

If you need to help someone breathe, consider performing the Heimlich maneuver. While standing behind the victim, wrap your hands or arms around the waist and push firmly into the area just above the belly button until the choking person spits out the object.

Pneumonia

Pneumonia is a result of lung infection, which can be viral or bacterial. In addition to the symptoms of bacterial pneumonia, viral pneumonia (often less severe) and walking pneumonia can also cause shortness of breath.

Breathing difficulties and exhaustion are common symptoms of pneumonia because the disease causes mucus to build up in the bronchial tubes and the air sacs of the lungs.

You may also experience the following symptoms:

  • Infrequent, shallow breaths
  • Apathy, lethargy, and loss of appetite
  • Disorientation, especially among the elderly
  • High body temperature, profuse sweating, and a shivering chill
  • Symptoms of vomiting and nausea most commonly experienced by young children
  • Pain in the center of the chest that is sharp or stabbing and grows worse with heavy breathing or coughing

The onset of bacterial pneumonia may be rapid or gradual, often coinciding with a high temperature. Symptoms of viral pneumonia, which often manifest over days, are similar to those of the flu.

Antibiotics are effective against bacterial pneumonia, whereas antiviral drugs show promise against viral pneumonia. Even better, consider vaccination against Streptococcus pneumonia for bacterial causes of pneumonia.

Condition of Low Blood Pressure

Breathlessness, dizziness, and confusion are some symptoms of low blood pressure (sometimes termed hypotension), which is less prevalent than high blood pressure.

Dehydration from intense activity, infections, pregnancy, drugs, and medical problems can all lead to extremely low blood pressure. Abnormalities can also cause it in the brain or the neurological system.

There are two sub-categories of low blood pressure:

  • Orthostatic hypotension occurs when a person’s blood pressure drops abruptly upon standing after being sedentary.
  • Postprandial hypotension-This occur significantly when your blood pressure drops after eating.

Alongside difficulty breathing, you may also experience the following signs and symptoms when you have low blood pressure:

  • Blurry vision and fainting
  • Nausea and headache
  • Back or neck pain

The sensation that your heart is fluttering, skipping, or beating too forcefully or too rapidly

The following ways will help prevent low blood pressure:

  • Stay hydrated
  • Eat enough salt
  • Donning compression socks
  • Avoid drugs that may be contributing to your symptoms

Heart Problems

The symptoms of a heart attack include shortness of breath and chest pain. Besides chest pain, other heart attack symptoms include:

  • Pain or aching in the chest
  • Experiencing chills, nausea, or dizziness
  • Pain or discomfort in upper body part-shoulders and head, arms, back, jaw, and neck

Breathlessness might also indicate fluid buildup caused by heart valve or pumping dysfunction. Wheezing similar to that caused by bronchial asthma can be caused by fluid accumulation in the heart’s left side.

Image alt text: a medical poster showing effects of Covid-19 on the heart which causes shortness of breath.

Author credit: By Vigneshwar Senthivel – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89666105

Fortunately, the patient’s breathing improves when the valve is repaired because fluid no longer collects in the lungs.

Smoking

When a person smokes, inflammation occurs in the bronchioles and other airway tissues. It can lead to wheezing, other breathing difficulties, and a tight chest feeling. Long-term lung inflammation from smoking can lead to a persistent, mucus-producing cough.

Continued smoking can increase the severity of breathing difficulties, the risk of developing lung cancer, and the likelihood of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Obesity

Asthma and heart-related issues might be made worse by excessive body fat. For instance, extra fat causes the body to produce inflammatory substances, which can narrow the airways.

Besides, studies show that asthma can be more severe in obese people. But even if one does not suffer from asthma, being excessively obese can make breathing difficult due to mechanical factors such as the increased pressure on the chest wall and diaphragm caused by excess weight.

Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) is also characterized by shortness of breath. When the tension in the chest causes breathing difficulties, blood oxygen levels drop, and carbon dioxide levels rise. OHS has severe consequences for the heart if left untreated.

Lung Cancer

Breathing difficulties can be a symptom of various lung diseases and cancers.

Here are some of the symptoms that accompany breathlessness:

  • Wheezing
  • Pain in the chest
  • Always feeling exhausted
  • Sudden and unexplained weight loss
  • Fever, chills, and a persistent or worsening cough

Anxiety

Having trouble breathing is a common symptom of an anxiety episode. Worrying ideas and beliefs are difficult to change and can cause a person to feel agitated and uptight, all while getting in the way of their everyday life. They persist and may even worsen with time.

You may also experience the following:

  • Physical manifestations, including a racing or pounding heartbeat, unusual aches and pains, lightheadedness, and difficulty breathing, are also possible.
  • Alterations in behavior: you might stop doing the things you used to love

Learn to manage your stress with relaxation techniques and practice deep breathing (this will help your lungs expand, allowing you to take in more air), and you will be well on your way to conquering your anxiety once and for all.

Rib fractures

Rib fractures not only result in pain and difficulty breathing but can also rupture a lung, resulting in a pneumothorax 

Anemia

The human body cannot function properly without iron. The mineral is essential for the development of both the body and the brain, as it aids in producing red blood cells (which transport oxygen to the rest of the body from the lungs).

With anemia, your blood cannot deliver adequate oxygen to your organs and tissues. Lack of iron in the diet is the leading cause of anemia.

The first symptoms may include increased difficulty breathing while performing routine physical activities like stair climbing or running. After some time of doing nothing, you may find you are short of breath, even when sitting still.

Anemia can induce various symptoms, including shortness of breath, fatigue, irritability, and dizziness.

When Should You Contact A Medical Professional?

Your doctor will be able to determine the source of your shortness of breath and recommend a course of therapy. The majority of cases of breathlessness can be treated with the use of medicine, breathing exercises, or both.

If you’re feeling out of breath more often than usual, yet your physical exertion and fitness would predict otherwise, it’s time to see a doctor. Also, consult your doctor if your shortness of breath persists despite treatment.

Together with breathlessness, other concerning symptoms that warrant medical care are:

  • Chronic discomfort or pressure in the chest
  • More difficulty breathing after using an inhaler
  • High-pitched noise during respiration
  • A whistle-like sound made by the respiratory system

You must get immediate medical attention by calling your primary care physician or going to an emergency hospital if you experience any of these symptoms coupled with shortness of breath.

Diagnosing shortness of breath

A thorough medical history will be taken, and your doctor will inquire about the frequency, severity, and other symptoms associated with shortness of breath. Therefore, let’s disclose all the feelings and symptoms you’re experiencing to help your care providers determine the best solutions.

Keep track of any episodes of breathlessness that develop unexpectedly, persist, or get in the way of your routine.

Your doctor will undertake a physical check, including monitoring your heart and lungs and may then decide to order further testing. Standard diagnostic procedures may include a complete blood count, imaging tests like a CT scan or chest X-ray, lung function tests, or echocardiography.

How to manage shortness of breath

Treatment options for shortness of breath vary according to the nature and severity of the underlying condition. As soon as that is established, your doctor can start planning a course of action

Lifestyle change

While managing shortness of breath, it may be necessary to adjust your lifestyle. For instance, if being overweight or having poor health is the underlying cause, you can significantly manage or reduce your symptoms by adopting a healthy lifestyle, including eating well and exercising often.

Because of the link between smoking and lung disease, quitting and avoiding secondhand smoke are highly recommended. Avoiding polluted environments or anything that sets off your allergies will help you feel better.

Medication ad Prescription Supplements

Your doctor can prescribe bronchodilators and steroids to ease breathing and lessen lung swelling. They may also recommend iron supplements, especially if you’re anemic.

Surgery

Some medical disorders, such as persistent structural cardiac defects and blood clots, may be treatable with surgical intervention.

If you suspect your breathlessness is due to something other than asthma, a pulmonologist can investigate the possibility. Your doctor may recommend pulmonary rehabilitation in addition to medicine for your condition because of its proven positive effects on patients’ quality of life through increased physical fitness and better symptom management.

Treatments you can try at home if you’re having trouble breathing

When the cause of a person’s shortness of breath is known, and the situation is not life-threatening, the individual may wish to attempt treating it at home.

Some simple exercises you can do at home to aid with breathlessness are as follows:

Practice Deep Breathing

One way to deal with shortness of breath is to take deep belly breaths. If you want to give deep breathing a try at home, simply:

  • Relax by taking a few long, deep breaths through your nose, allowing your stomach to expand as your lungs fill.
  • Inhale deeply and hold it for a moment.
  • Gently exhale through your mouth to purge your lungs of air

It is recommended that this exercise be performed multiple times daily or whenever symptoms of shortness of breath are experienced. Slow, easy, and deep breathing is preferable to shallow, rapid breathing.

Finding a restful and secure stance

One can calm down and regain composure by finding a supported standing or lying position. This treatment works best if your breathing difficulty results from stress or physical exercise.

Making use of a fan

According to a study, the feeling of being unable to breathe may be alleviated by blowing air across your nose and face using a handheld fan.

The sensation of air pressure during inhalation can give the impression that more air is being taken in than is the case. As a result, this treatment can potentially alleviate feelings of shortness of breath. However, a fan would not be effective, especially if a medical condition brings on problems.

Steam Inhalation

Steam inhalation has been shown to cleanse nasal passages, allowing for easier breathing. If the heat and moisture of steam break down the mucus in your lungs, you may also experience less difficulty breathing.

Consumption of Raw Ginger

Eating fresh ginger or drinking hot water with some ginger added may help alleviate shortness of breath when dealing with a respiratory infection. Besides, some studies have found that ginger helps combat the respiratory syncytial virus, a frequent cause of respiratory illnesses.

Conclusion

Breathlessness is a common symptom that may indicate a more serious medical issue. It can be minor to severe and develop slowly or quickly, depending on the cause.

When you have difficulty breathing, you may feel like you can’t take full breath or that your breathing is too slow. Taking full breaths in and out could be challenging, and you may feel like you have to take another breath before your last one has left your lungs.

Therefore, seek medical intervention whenever you notice that you are having trouble breathing, especially if it lasts long after you’ve rested or if you also have chest pain, nausea, a high body temperature, or chills.