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Other Names: Shortness of Breath, Breathlessness, Difficulty Breathing, Dyspnea
Breathing Difficulty
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Breathing difficulty or shortness of breath involves
a sensation of discomfort during breathing or a feeling of not getting enough
air.
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- Obstruction of the Air Passages (of the nose, mouth or throat):
- Inhalation of a foreign object
- Dust-laden environment
- Allergies such as to mold, dander, or pollen which may cause swelling
of the mucous membrane of the air passages resulting in their blockage.
- Common cold
- Chronic Sinusitis
- Epiglottitis
- Heart Disease:
- Coronary artery disease
- Heart attack (myocardial infarction)
- Congestive heart failure (CHF)
- Heart arrhythmias
- Mitral valve regurgitation
- Cor Pulmonale (Cardiac Asthma)
- Mitral valve stenosis
- Mitral valve prolapse
- Cardiac Temponade
- Lung Disease:
- Asthma
- Emphysema
- Interstitial lung disease
- Pneumonia
- Pneumothorax (collapsed lung)
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Pulmonary Embolism
- Croup (whooping cough)
- Emotional Distress
- Anxiety
- Panic Attacks
- Post Traumatic Anxiety Disorder
- Phobias
- Other
- Rapid ascent to high altitudes, with less oxygen in the air
- Lack of exercise
- Obesity
- Cigarette smoking
- Compression of the chest wall
- Direct trauma to the neck or chest
- Limited expansion of the chest wall as might occur in ankylosing spondylitis,
scoliosis
- Anaphylaxis e.g. bee sting, andioedema, penicillin allergy
- Muscular dystrophy
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Prolonged episodes of breatlessnes can be life threatening and should be taken
very seriously. Any episode of stopped breathing (apnea), even a temporary one,
in which a person turns blue (cyanosis), has a seizure, becomes limp, or remains
drowsy or unconscious, requires immediate medical attention. Difficulty breathing
or breathlessness is a feeling that may vary from person to person. For some a
sense of breathlessness may occur with only mild exercise in the absence of any
cardiac or lung disorder. Others may have advanced lung disease but may never
feel a sensation of breathlessness. A small degree of breathing difficulty may
be normal, for example, in case of severe nasal congestion or doing strenuous
exercise, especially when a person does not exercise regularly. Wheezing is one
form of breathing difficulty and is a characteristic symptom of asthma.
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- Breathing difficulty of any duration should be considered a serious problem.
Thorough evaluation should be done by a physician as the cause of this problem
may be easily corrected without any serious complications.
- Follow the treatment prescribed by your physician to treat the underlying
cause.
- Call 911 if breathlessness comes on suddenly or if it seriously interferes
with normal breathing or if there is sudden cessation of breathing (apnea).
- Consult your physician immediately if any of the following accompany breathing
difficulties:
- There is shortness of breath without any apparent reason.
- There is chest discomfort, sharp or dull aching pain.
- There is shortness of breath on slight exertion or while at rest.
- Your sleep is disturbed at night night due to breathlessness or you
have to sleep propped up on several pillows to avoid breathlessness.
- There is wheezing which may be an indication of asthma or early emphysema.
- There is tightness in the throat or a barking, croupy cough.
- There is fever or cough.
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AAT Deficiency
