Shortness of breath (dyspnea) – causes and when to get help

Shortness of breath can feel frightening, but it isn’t always serious. Learn more about possible causes and what type of medical help you might need.


Shortness of breath symptoms

Getting urgent help

Causes and risk factors

When to see a doctor

Diagnosing shortness of breath

Treatment

Self-care tips

From asthma, anemia, and panic attacks to COPD and pulmonary fibrosis, shortness of breath has many causes. Here’s how to spot symptoms, triggers, and when to get emergency help.


If your chest feels tight, you’re breathing fast and working hard to take a deep breath, you have shortness of breath (or dyspnea). It often feels like you can’t get enough air into your lungs.

It’s not always caused by something serious and it can be normal, for example if you’ve been exercising intensely, but it could also signal a health issue.

Here’s how to spot the signs, understand your triggers, and know when to [get help right away](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/symptoms/shortness-of-breath#getting-urgent-help).

## Shortness of breath symptoms

The signs can be different for everyone, but common symptoms to look out for include:

- a tight chest
- breathing very fast
- wheezing or stridor (breathing noisily) 
- feeling dizzy
- feeling like you need to force yourself to breathe deeply.


Get help with this

## Getting urgent help

You should get emergency help if you’re finding it hard to breathe and:

- you can’t speak or you’re gasping or choking
- your chest feels tight or heavy
- pain is spreading to your arms, neck, back, and jaw
- you feel sudden confusion
- your lips have gone a pale blue or gray, or your palms have gone pale
- your heart is racing, going too slow, or skipping a beat ([heart palpitations](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/symptoms/heart-palpitations))
- you’re coughing up blood
- 1 of your legs is painful and swollen
- you feel nauseous or are being sick, or feeling faint.


## Causes and risk factors

There are many reasons why you might feel short of breath, such as if you smoke or feel anxious. 

Other causes can be due to a specific heart or lung condition. This is because it's the job of your heart and lungs to transport oxygen to the rest of your body, while removing carbon dioxide. So if either of these processes aren’t working properly, you might find it hard to breathe.

Shortness of breath is most commonly caused by:

- __being [overweight or obese](https://www.livehealthily.com/self-care/what-are-the-health-risks-of-being-overweight-or-obese)__ – having a [body mass index (BMI)](https://www.livehealthily.com/self-care/what-is-my-bmi) over 30 can cause breathlessness
- __smoking__ – it causes inflammation in your airways and your lungs. Over time, this can lead to lung cancer 
- __a [panic attack](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/what-is-a-panic-attack)__ – is when you have intense fear despite no real danger or cause. It makes you sweat, struggle to breathe, and feel like your heart’s racing
- __a [chest infection](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/chest-infection-adult)__ – an infection of the lung and airways, which can cause shortness of breath, among other symptoms
- __[asthma](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/asthma)__ – a lung condition that causes problems with breathing
- __[anemia](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/anaemia-iron-deficiency)__ – when your body doesn’t get enough oxygen-rich blood.

More severe but less common causes may include:

- __[chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease)__ – a long-term lung condition that causes breathing problems
- __[pulmonary fibrosis](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/pulmonary-fibrosis)__ – a condition where the lungs become scarred, making breathing difficult
- __[heart failure](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/heart-failure)__ – when the heart can’t pump blood around your body properly, causing tiredness and breathlessness
- __[lung cancer](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/cancer-of-the-lung)__ – a serious type of cancer that can cause breathlessness, among other symptoms.


## When to see a doctor

Get emergency medical help if you’re short of breath and you’re gasping or choking and not able to speak; your chest is tight or heavy; you have pain that’s spreading to your arms, back, jaw and neck; your lips/skin are/is turning pale; you have sudden confusion.

Make an appointment with your doctor as soon as you can if you’re short of breath and: 

- it comes on suddenly, happens often, and gets in the way of your life
- you have swollen feet or ankles
- it gets worse when you lie down, or do normal things
- you've been coughing for 3 weeks or longer.


## Diagnosing shortness of breath

Your doctor will likely run you through a physical exam, including listening to your heart and your lungs, checking your blood pressure, and putting a sensor on your finger to find out how much oxygen is in your blood.

Further tests might include:

- __lung function tests__ – to see how well you’re breathing
- __blood tests__ – used to check if you have a condition called anemia, or any other illnesses that might explain your symptoms
- __cardiopulmonary exercise testing__ – where a treadmill or static bike is used to find out how much oxygen you breathe in, and how much carbon dioxide you breathe out, during exercise
- __a chest X-ray or CT scan__ – they provide computerized images to check whether there are problems with your lungs.

## Treatment

Shortness of breath is caused by many things, so treatment options can vary.  They may include:

- __inhalers and bronchodilators__ – to relax your airways if you have asthma or [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/chronic-obstructive-pulmonary-disease)
- __pulmonary rehabilitation__ – a program designed to help you with exercise alongside managing a condition like COPD, with the support of a team of specialists
- __oxygen therapy__ – a tube in your nose that delivers extra oxygen if your blood oxygen levels are low
- __[cognitive behavioral therapy](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/treatments/cognitive-behavioural-therapy)__ – a talking therapy used to help identify and change the way you respond to your triggers if you have anxiety, or experience panic attacks
- __medication__ – from beta blockers for conditions like heart failure; to treatments to relieve feelings of [anxiety](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/conditions/anxiety) and pain; and medicine to manage symptoms, such as scarring of the lungs in conditions like pulmonary fibrosis
- __surgery__ – used to remove cancerous cells if you have lung cancer, which may be combined with [chemotherapy](https://www.livehealthily.com/health-library/treatments/chemotherapy).


## Self-care tips

Alongside medical treatments, there are things you can do to ease shortness of breath symptoms at home. These include:

- stopping smoking
- practicing breathing and relaxation techniques 
- maintaining a healthy weight
- avoiding pollutants or irritants that might trigger your symptoms
- exercising regularly – do this indoors if the humidity or pollution levels are high outdoors
- taking medicines for underlying or chronic conditions that you have
- keeping up to date with key resources for the latest information. You could also join support groups to connect with like-minded people. Try the [American Lung Association](https://www.lung.org/), [Asthma + Lung UK](https://www.asthmaandlung.org.uk/), and [Supporting Breathlessness](https://supporting-breathlessness.org.uk/).


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References

Amelia Glean

Jo Wheatley

Dr Tamer T Malak

Article information

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Woman with breathing problems sitting on a couch in the living room at home (Credit - AntonioGuillem)