Dyspnea

Dyspnea (pronounced “DISP-nee-uh”) is the word healthcare providers use for feeling short of breath. Shortness of breath can feel different from person to person and depending on what’s causing it. It might feel like:

• You can’t get enough air
• Your chest is tight
• You’re working harder to breathe or to get a full breath
• You need to force a deep breath

Sometimes, it comes with other symptoms, including:

• Cough
• Rapid breathing (tachypnea) or a fast heartbeat (palpitations)
• Wheezing or stridor (noisy breathing)

Many conditions can make you feel short of breath, including asthma, allergies, anxiety and colds. It can also be a sign of more serious heart and lung conditions.

Acute dyspnea can come on quickly and doesn’t last very long (hours to days). Chronic dyspnea is shortness of breath that lasts a long time (several weeks or longer) or keeps coming back.

What causes shortness of breath?

Exercise, illness and health conditions can cause shortness of breath. The most common causes are heart, lung and airway conditions.

Anything that increases your need for oxygen or raises carbon dioxide levels in your blood can make you feel short of breath. When this happens, your body tells you to breathe harder to get more oxygen in or carbon dioxide out.

For example, vigorous exercise can make you breathe heavily since your muscles are using more oxygen during physical activity. On the other hand, not getting regular exercise can make you feel breathless much of the time. This is because your muscles are working hard during daily activities.

Your heart and lungs work together to bring oxygen to your blood and tissues and remove carbon dioxide. That’s why conditions that affect either are common causes of dyspnea.

Specific causes of shortness of breath

Lung, airway and heart conditions are the most common causes of shortness of breath. Other conditions can also cause it.

Lung and airway conditions

• Allergies
• Asthma
• Blocked or narrowed airways
• Blood clot (pulmonary embolism)
• Choking
• COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
• Fluid in or around your lungs
• High blood pressure in your lungs (pulmonary hypertension)
• Lung cancer or pleural mesothelioma
• Lung inflammation or scarring
• Partial or complete collapsed lung (pneumothorax or atelectasis)
• Pneumonia
• Respiratory viruses (like COVID-19 or the flu)
• Sarcoidosis
• Smoking
• Tuberculosis

Heart and blood conditions

• Abnormal heart rhythm
• Anemia
• Heart muscle conditions (cardiomyopathy)
• Heart failure
• Inflammation in or around your heart (endocarditis, pericarditis or myocarditis)

Other conditions

• Anxiety
• High altitude
• Body mass index (BMI) over 30 (having obesity)
• Chronic kidney or liver conditions
• Extreme temperatures (very hot or very cold)
• Injuries that make breathing difficult, like a broken rib
• Lack of physical activity
• Medications, like statins and beta-blockers
• Sleep apnea (paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea)
• Strenuous exercise or physical activity

How do I know what’s causing shortness of breath?

To try to figure out what’s making you feel breathless, a healthcare provider will ask you about any symptoms you’re having. They’ll listen to your lungs with a stethoscope and take your blood pressure. They’ll put a sensor on your finger to test oxygen levels in your blood.

They may do additional testing, including:

• Chest X-ray or CT scan: Shows images of your lungs
• Blood tests: Check for anemia or infection
• Lung function tests: Measure how well your lungs are working
• Echocardiogram: Checks how well your heart is working
• Cardiopulmonary exercise testing: Measures oxygen use and carbon dioxide output during exercise

How is dyspnea treated?

How you treat shortness of breath depends on the cause. If you have an underlying medical condition, managing it can improve your symptoms.

Treatments that may improve your breathing include:

• Physical activity: Increases strength in your heart and lungs
• Relaxation techniques: Help you control breathing, manage lung conditions and reduce anxiety
• Medications: Relax your airways or treat underlying conditions
• Oxygen therapy: Provides extra oxygen when levels are low

How can I prevent shortness of breath?

Some strategies to prevent shortness of breath include:

• Make a care plan with your healthcare provider to manage conditions that can lead to dyspnea.
• Avoid inhaling lung irritants like fumes.
• Practice breathing exercises.
• Don’t smoke or vape.
• Maintain a weight that’s healthy for you.
• Avoid extreme heat, cold or poor air quality.

When should I see a healthcare provider?

Contact a healthcare provider if you have severe shortness of breath or if your breathlessness interferes with your everyday activities. If you have a condition that makes you short of breath often, ask a healthcare provider if there are additional treatments to help you breathe better.

On its own, dyspnea usually isn’t dangerous. But sometimes, shortness of breath can be a sign of a life-threatening condition. Go to the nearest ER or get emergency medical attention if you have:

• Sudden difficulty breathing
• Severe breathlessness (can’t catch your breath)
• Breathlessness after 30 minutes of rest
• Blue or gray skin, lips or nails (cyanosis)
• Chest pain or heaviness
• Fast or irregular heartbeat (heart palpitations)
• High fever
• Stridor or wheezing when breathing
• Swollen ankles or feet