Shortness of Breath
Symptoms & Signs Index
Shortness of breath has many causes affecting either the
breathing passages and lungs or the heart or blood vessels. However, the causes fall into simple categories that we have listed for you below. Shortness of breath is also referred to as dyspnea. Doctors will further classify dyspnea as either occurring at rest or being associated with activity or exercise. They will also want to know if the dyspnea occurs gradually or all of a sudden.
Each of these symptoms help to detect the precise cause of the shortness of breath.
An average 150 pound (70 kilogram) adult will breath at
an average rate of 14 breaths per minute at rest. Excessively rapid breathing is
referred to as hyperventilation.
Main Articles on Shortness of Breath
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Causes of Shortness of Breath
Other Causes of Shortness of Breath
- Anxiety
Anxiety can lead to acute or chronic hyperventilation and is a common cause of shortness of breath.
- Chest Wall & Chest Muscle Diseases
Numerous diseases of muscles and the nervous
system can lead to shortness of breath by weakening the body's capacity for
opening the lungs up for respiration. Examples of muscle diseases include muscular dystrophy, polymyositis, and dermatomyositis. Nervous system diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, multiple sclerosis, brain damage from stroke and paralysis can lead to shortness of breath.
- Heart Diseases
Many conditions that affect the heart and its capacity to move blood through the lungs can lead to shortness of breath. These conditions include congestive heart failure, heart attack, valve diseases of the heart, and others.
- Lung Blood Vessel Diseases
The blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the lung tissue and the blood vessels that bring blood to and from the lungs to transport oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from body tissues can be affected by diseases and lead to shortness of breath. Examples of conditions that affect these blood vessels include pulmonary embolism, pulmonary hypertension, and vasculitis.
- Lung Tissue Diseases
There are a vast number of lung tissue diseases ranging from common and temporary, to uncommon and chronic. These include infections (pneumonia, acute bronchitis from bacteria, viruses, etc.), cancers of the lung and cancers that have spread to the lung, chemical
and radiation toxicity to the lung (including radiation therapy), occupational toxicities (such as minerals from mines), sarcoidosis, hemosiderosis, tuberculosis, fungus infections (histoplasmosis, coccidiomycosis, blastomycosis, aspergillosis), allergic reactions (hypersensitivity pneumonitis), drug toxicity, connective tissue diseases (such as rheumatoid arthritis and systemic lupus erythematosus), and many others.
- Obstructions To Airflow
Obstruction to airflow can occur anywhere along the
passageway that the air we breathe takes from entering the nose and mouth,
through the trachea (windpipe in our throats), through the bronchial tubes and
tiny airways in the lungs. Sudden blockage of airways is a medical emergency and
can be caused by inhaling objects, food particles or fluids. It can also be
caused by swelling of the glottis (breathing flap) in the back of the throat from an allergic reaction. Intermittent obstruction of the airflow can come from conditions that irritate or swell the bronchial airways, such as in asthma, chronic bronchitis, or bronchiectasis. Chronic shortness of breath, even at rest, is characteristic of emphysema.
- Other Causes
Acidosis, such
as from salicylate (aspirin) poisoning, severe diabetes mellitus, and kidney failure. Low oxygen
environment, such as at high altitudes.
Examples of Medications for Shortness of Breath
- albuterol and ipratropium inhaler, Combivent
- albuterol, Ventolin, Proventil, AccuNeb, Vospire, ProAir
- beclomethasone dipropionate inhaler, Vanceril
- budesonide inhaler, Pulmicort Turbuhaler, Pulmicort Respules
- cromolyn, Nasalcrom, Intal; Opticrom
- fluticasone and salmeterol oral inhaler, Advair Diskus
- fluticasone propionate oral inhaler, Flovent
- ipratropium bromide inhaler, Atrovent
- prednisone, Deltasone, Liquid Pred
- salmeterol, Serevent
- theophylline, Theo-Dur, Respbid, Slo-Bid, Theo-24, Theolair, Uniphyl, Slo-Phyllin
- triamcinolone acetonide inhaler, Azmacort
- zafirlukast, Accolate
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