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Author: Admin | 2025-04-28
Shortness of breath is a feeling of not being able to get enough air into your lungs. The medical term for it is dyspnea (pronounced disp-nee-uh). It can feel like you’re gasping for air or need to work harder to breathe. People experiencing shortness of breath can feel as if they are air hungry. If asked to describe the feeling, it is common to hear it described as chest tightness, inability to take deep breaths, or simply difficulty breathing. Other symptoms that can accompany shortness of breath include rapid breathing, wheezing (noisy breathing), abnormal breath sounds, chest pain, and palpitations.Cardiovascular and respiratory diseases are common causes of shortness of breath. In addition, many medicines such as sulfa drugs, heart medicines, and other drugs can cause you to develop symptoms such as shortness of breath. This also includes drug reactions to “street drugs.” Please continue reading to learn about some of the medications that can result in shortness of breath.Why do you feel short of breath?There are many reasons to feel short of breath. The most common is if there is too little oxygen or too much carbon dioxide in the body. In these situations, the central nervous system tells the lungs to work harder, which can result in a feeling of shortness of breath depending on the main cause (Asthma attack, Pulmonary Embolism, COPD exacerbation, Heart Failure exacerbation, etc.).What is the leading cause of shortness of breath?The leading cause of shortness of breath is heart or lung conditions. This includes common respiratory disorders such as allergies, asthma, bronchitis (lung inflammation), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and respiratory infections such as the flu, pneumonia, and COVID-19. In addition, other lung disorders such as pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs), pulmonary fibrosis (scarring of lung tissue), pneumothorax (lung collapse), lung vasculitis (inflammation of the blood vessels in the lungs), hypersensitivity pneumonitis (an immune system disorder), pulmonary embolism (a blood clot in the lungs), pleurisy (inflammation of the membrane between the lungs and chest wall), pleural effusion (abnormal buildup of fluid in the pleura), medical conditions such as tuberculosis or sarcoidosis, lung injury, lung cancer, and other lung diseases can cause shortness of breath and breathing problems. Besides these respiratory issues, cardiovascular conditions such as heart failure, cardiomyopathy, angina, heart attack, and abnormal heart rhythm can have effects on the respiratory system and cause shortness of breath.What are the top 3 causes of shortness of breath?Three of the most common causes of shortness of breath in people who do not have severe lung disease include:Deconditioning or lack of exerciseOverweight or obesitySmokingOther possible causes besides lung problems include anemia, anxiety, panic attacks, strenuous workouts, and being at high altitudes. Anything that causes the lungs inflammation or irritation blocks air movement in the lung tissue, or blocks the movement of the lungs in the chest cavity can cause shortness of breath. Your primary care physician can make a diagnosis by taking a history, performing a physical exam, and ordering the necessary blood test or imaging
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