I Have Shortness Of Breath When Breathing: What Could It Be?

Shortness of breath when breathing can be the result of multiple causes. Sometimes, it can appear after physical exertion, being exposed to external agents such as cigarette smoke or facing extreme temperatures. However, in others, it can be a warning sign as it is a symptom of a more serious illness, the most common being those that affect the lungs or heart and anxiety disorders. In PsychologyFor, we are going to answer the question of I have shortness of breath when breathing, what could it be? in order to identify all the possible causes and thus know when it is necessary to put ourselves in the hands of a medical specialist to help us initiate the best treatment in each case.

Feeling short of breath or dyspnea

The difficulty breathing which manifests itself as a feeling of shortness of breath in the lungs is medically called as dyspnoea. This feeling of lack of air can also be accompanied by other symptoms such as difficult or uncomfortable breathing, a feeling of suffocation or suffocation, pressure in the chest, inability to get enough air, and anxiety.

Dyspnea can occur both at rest and when performing any activity, however, factors such as intense exercise, very extreme temperatures or high elevations can cause momentary shortness of breath that does not constitute, in that case, no health problems. Now, if dyspnea occurs at unexpected times and occurs repeatedly, it can be a pathological symptom and appear as a result of some type of condition or disease. Next, we will explain in detail what the possible causes of dyspnea are.

hortness of breath due to anxiety

Both the shortness of breath like the feeling of suffocation or suffocation are among the symptoms of anxiety. A person with anxiety may feel as if their chest is not going to open enough to contain all the air, that they have lost control of their breathing or that their nose is blocked and, therefore, they cannot breathe normally. Although this can be experienced in specific moments of greater tension, when anxiety leads to a chronic disorder, these sensations can even be experienced throughout the day.

The hyperventilation (rapid or deep breathing) that occurs as a result of lack of air or breath causes a reduction of carbon dioxide and calcium in the blood, which causes the blood vessels of the brain to end up constricting, giving rise to symptoms such as dizziness. , headaches, fainting, numbness, tachycardia, chest pain, etc.

Feeling short of breath when sleeping

Many people report feeling short of breath while lying down and, in this case, respiratory distress is called paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea. When it is suffered, the affected person has their sleep interrupted due to sudden nocturnal episodes of shortness of breath.

Paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea is a common condition in patients with lung or heart problems. Your treatment must be focused on addressing the cause that causes it, so it is very important to put yourself in the hands of a specialist. Some people realize that they suffer from this type of breathing difficulty when they have to sleep with their head elevated by pillows or even in a semi-sitting position.

Lung diseases that cause shortness of breath

Shortness of breath and difficulty breathing are one of the main symptoms of many lung diseases. Below we list the most frequent ones:

• Asthma: chronic inflammatory disease that causes the airways to become inflamed and narrowed. It leads to difficulty breathing, a feeling of shortness of breath, especially in the morning, at night and after physical exertion, constant cough, pressure in the chest and wheezing.
• Bronchitis: inflammation of the bronchial tubes, which causes coughing up mucus, difficult breathing, wheezing, and chest pressure. It can be acute if it disappears in 2 or 3 weeks or chronic if it is suffered permanently. The latter is usually caused by smoking.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): lung condition that causes respiratory distress and is mostly caused by smoking. Its two main forms are chronic bronchitis and pulmonary emphysema, which cause significant long-term damage to the lungs.
• Pneumonia: Inflammation of the lung tissue occurs due to an infectious agent. The alveoli fill with fluid and pus, causing difficult breathing and limited oxygen absorption.
• Pulmonary fibrosis: The lung tissue scars, making it hard and thick. This causes shortness of breath, hacking and dry cough, fatigue, weight loss, and muscle and/or joint pain.
• Pulmonary edema: It refers to the accumulation of fluid in the lungs, which causes difficulties in breathing normally because the normal movement of oxygen is diminished.
• Lung tumor: Feeling short of breath or wheezing are some of the common symptoms of lung cancer when it begins to appear. Others may include: incessant cough, constant chest pain, coughing up blood, hoarseness, weight loss, fatigue, and repeated pneumonia or bronchitis.
• Pulmonary embolism: It occurs when a pulmonary artery is normally blocked due to the formation of a clot in the leg (deep vein thrombosis), which travels through the bloodstream to the lung.
• Pneumotorax: It happens when air escapes from the lung and an accumulation of air occurs outside the lung, which causes it to not be able to expand as it normally does when inhaling.

Cardiovascular disease

On the other hand, there are a series of diseases that affect heart health which can also cause respiratory distress and a feeling of shortness of breath when breathing. These are the following:

• Heart failure: The heart does not pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body as efficiently as it previously did. Although it can occur suddenly, it is usually a chronic condition. It usually causes respiratory distress, especially during times of activity or after going to bed.
• Cardiomyopathy: refers to diseases that affect the heart muscle, which cause the heart to increase in size or become stiffer or thicker than normal.
• Arrhythmia: alteration in heart rate, which may be too fast (tachycardia) or too slow (bradycardia).
• Heart attack: It happens when blood flow to the heart is suddenly blocked. Shortness of breath, chest pains and upper body discomfort are its main symptoms.
• Myocarditis: The heart muscle becomes inflamed and is usually caused by some type of bacterial or viral infection.
• Pericarditis: It is inflammation of the pericardium, a membrane that covers the heart. Although in many cases the cause is unknown, in others it is the result of a bacterial, viral or fungal infection.

infectious disease