Breathing Problems Summary When you’re short of breath, it’s hard or uncomfortable for you to take in the oxygen your body needs. You may feel as if you’re not getting enough air. Sometimes mild breathing problems are from a stuffy nose or hard exercise. But shortness of breath can also be a sign of a serious disease. Many conditions can make you feel short of breath. Lung conditions such as asthma, emphysema or pneumonia cause breathing difficulties. So can problems with your trachea or bronchi, which are part of your airway system. Heart disease can make you feel breathless if your heart cannot pump enough blood to supply oxygen to your body. Stress caused by anxiety can also make it hard for you to breathe. If you often have trouble breathing, it is important to find out the cause. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Find an Expert American Lung Association American Lung Association National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Array Blood gases Breath sounds Breathing Breathing difficulty Breathing difficulty – lying down Gas exchange How to breathe when you are short of breath How to Properly Put On, Take Off a Disposable Respirator Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Pulmonary function tests Rapid shallow breathing Wheezing Diagnosis and Tests Blood Gases Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry Chest CT Scan National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Fiberoptic Bronchoscopy American Thoracic Society Pulmonary Function Tests American Thoracic Society Shortness of Breath American Academy of Family Physicians Spirometry Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research What Are Lung Function Tests? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute What Is a Chest X Ray? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Wheezing Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Encyclopedia Breath holding spell Breathing – slowed or stopped Breathing difficulties – first aid Bronchiectasis Bronchoscopy Home apnea monitor use – infants Hyperventilation Intercostal retractions Nasal flaring Obesity hypoventilation syndrome (OHS) Palliative care – shortness of breath Primary alveolar hypoventilation Stridor Thoracic CT Tracheomalacia – acquired Tracheomalacia – congenital Transient tachypnea – newborn Traveling with breathing problems Turbinate surgery Children Breath-Holding Spells Nemours Foundation Healthy Living: Helping Your Child Breathe Easier American Association for Respiratory Care Shortness of Breath in Infants and Children American Academy of Family Physicians Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn (TTN) Nemours Foundation Health Check Tools Breathing Difficulty DSHI Systems Wheezing DSHI Systems Specifics Breathing Problems? Learn to Recognize the Symptoms of COPD National Institutes of Health Hypoxemia (Low Blood Oxygen) Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Lung Diseases and Conditions National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Obesity Hypoventilation Syndrome National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Start Here Breathlessness American Thoracic Society Shortness of Breath American Heart Association Shortness of Breath Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Shortness of Breath American Academy of Family Physicians What Controls Your Breathing? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Dyspnea National Institutes of Health Related Issues Dyspnea during Advanced Cancer National Cancer Institute Humidifiers: Air Moisture Eases Skin, Breathing Symptoms Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Thoracic Insufficiency Syndrome Scoliosis Research Society Seniors Eldercare at Home: Breathing Problems AGS Foundation for Health in Aging Living With MedlinePlus: Pulmonary Rehabilitation National Library of Medicine Minimizing Shortness of Breath National Jewish Health Shortness of Breath and Eating National Jewish Health Journal Articles Breathing Problems Reference Desk Respiratory System National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute What Happens When You Breathe? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute
