Shortness of breath is characterized by difficulty in getting air to the lungs, which can happen due to excessive physical activity, anxiety, nervousness, bronchitis or asthma, in addition to other more serious situations that should be investigated by the doctor.
When the shortness of breath appears, sit down and try to calm down the first steps to be followed, but if the feeling of shortness of breath does not improve within half an hour or, if worse, you should go to the emergency room.
Main causes of shortness of breath
Some of the major causes or illnesses that can cause shortness of breath include:
1. Stress and anxiety
Emotional causes are the most frequent causes of shortness of breath in healthy people. Thus, in case of anxiety, excessive stress or even in a panic attack, the individual may have trouble breathing.
- What to do: Taking a soothing tea like chamomile or valerian capsules are good choices, but it is also important to seek psychological help to deal with problems without harming your health. Check out some teas for calming recipes.
2. Excessive physical activity
People who are not accustomed to practicing physical activity may feel short of breath when starting any type of activity, but especially when walking or running due to lack of physical conditioning. Overweight people are most affected, but shortness of breath can also happen in people within the ideal weight.
- What to do: In this case, it is enough to continue practicing physical activity regularly so that the heart and the breathing habituate to the physical effort.
3. Pregnancy
Shortness of breath is common after 26 weeks of gestation due to the growth of the belly, which compresses the diaphragm, with less space for the lungs.
- What to do: You should sit comfortably in a chair, closing your eyes and concentrating on your own breath, trying to inhale and exhale deeply and slowly. Using pillows and cushions can be a good strategy for better sleep. Check out more causes and know if the breathlessness harms the baby.
4. Heart problems
Heart disease, such as heart failure or pericarditis, causes shortness of breath when making efforts such as getting out of bed or climbing stairs. Usually people with this condition report feeling of suffocation or urgency to breathe. Usually the individual also has chest pain, angina type, weeks or months before they start feeling short of breath. Check out more heart trouble symptoms.
- What to do: You should follow the treatment indicated by the doctor, which is usually done with the use of medicines.
5. Respiratory diseases
Flu and cold, especially when a person is very phlegm can cause shortness of breath and cough. But certain diseases like asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia, pulmonary edema, pneumothorax can also cause a feeling of shortness of breath. The following are the main respiratory diseases that cause this symptom:
- Asthma: shortness of breath starts suddenly, may feel suffocated or tight in the chest, and signs such as coughing and prolonged expiration may be present;
- Bronchitis: shortness of breath is directly related to phlegm in the airways or lungs;
- COPD: shortness of breath starts very slowly and gets worse with the passing of days, usually affects people with bronchitis or emphysema. There is a strong cough with phlegm and prolonged expiration;
- Pneumonia: shortness of breath begins gradually and is getting worse, there is also pain in the back or lung when breathing, fever and cough;
- Pneumothorax: shortness of breath begins suddenly and there is also pain in the back or lung when breathing;
- Embolism: Shortness of breath begins suddenly, especially affecting people who have had recent surgery, who have been resting or in the women who take the pill. Cough, chest pain, and fainting may also occur.
What to do: In case of flu or cold you can take syrups to release the phlegm and get better breathing, in the case of more serious diseases, you should follow the doctor's indicated treatment, which can be done using medicines and respiratory therapy.
6. Small object in the airways
Shortness of breath begins suddenly, while eating or feeling something in the nose or throat. There is usually some sound when breathing or it may be impossible to talk or cough, and babies and children are most affected, although it may also happen in bed-dwellers.
- What to do: When the object is in the nose or can be easily removed from the mouth, you can try to remove it very carefully using a forceps. However, it is safer to set the person aside to clear your airway and when it is not possible to identify what is making breathing difficult, you should go to the ER.
7. Allergic reaction
In this case, shortness of breath starts suddenly after taking some medicine, eating something that has an allergy or being bitten by an insect.
- What to do: People with severe allergy symptoms usually have an injection of adrenaline to be used in an emergency. If this is the case, it should be applied immediately, and the doctor should be advised. When the person does not have this injection, this may indicate that the doctor has not identified any serious allergy symptoms. In that case you should call an ambulance or take it to the ER immediately.
8. Obesity
Excess weight and obesity can also cause shortness of breath when lying down or sleeping because the weight decreases the lungs' ability to expand during air intake.
- What to do: In order to breathe better, with less effort, you can use pillows or pillows to sleep, but it is very important to lose weight, being accompanied by a nutritionist. See the treatment options for obesity and how not to give up.
9. Neuromuscular diseases
Myasthenia gravis and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis can also cause shortness of breath due to weakness in the muscles of the breath.
- What to do: Follow your doctor's prescribed drug treatment and keep him or her informed of how often the shortness of breath comes on because you may need to change the medicine or adjust your dose.
10. Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea
This is one of the common causes of shortness of breath at night, during sleep, with difficulty sleeping, which is usually caused by heart problems or respiratory diseases such as chronic bronchitis or asthma.
- What to do: In these cases, a medical consultation is recommended, as it may be necessary to perform some laboratory tests to identify the disease and thus initiate appropriate treatment.
What to do immediately in case of shortness of breath
In case of shortness of breath, the first step is to stay calm and sit comfortably, closing your eyes so that you can focus on your own breathing. After that, you should focus your attention on the air in and out of the lungs to regulate breathing.
If shortness of breath is being caused by a transient illness such as cold or flu, steam sprays of eucalyptus tea can help clear the airways, easing airflow and reducing discomfort.
However, if shortness of breath is caused by diseases such as asthma or bronchitis, for example, it may be necessary to use specific medicines to clear the airways, such as Aerolin or Salbutamol for example, as indicated by your doctor.
Exam required
Tests are not always necessary to identify the cause of shortness of breath because some cases are obvious, such as tiredness, obesity, stress, pregnancy or when the person already has asthma, bronchitis, or other heart or respiratory disease that has been previously discovered.
But sometimes, the tests are necessary, and therefore you may need to perform chest x-rays, electrocardiograms, spirometry, blood counts, blood glucose, TSH, urea, and electrolytes.
What to tell the doctor
Some information that may be useful for the doctor to find out the cause and indicate the necessary treatment are:
- When the shortness of breath arose, whether it was sudden or worsening gradually;
- What time of year, and whether person was out of the country or not;
- If you have had physical activity or some exertion before starting this symptom;
- How often does it arise and the most difficult moments;
- If there are other symptoms at the same time, such as cough, catarrh, use of medications.
It is also very useful for a physician to know if the feeling of shortness of breath he has is similar to the feeling of an effort to breathe, a feeling of being choked or a tightness in the chest.
