Breathing Difficulty

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Breathing Difficulty: Common Causes

Shortness of breath has many different causes. Obstruction of the air passages of the nose, mouth, or throat may lead to difficulty breathing. Heart disease can cause breathlessness if the heart is unable to pump enough blood to supply oxygen to the body. If the brain, muscles, or other body organs do not receive enough oxygen, a sense of breathlessness may occur. Sometimes emotional distress, such as anxiety, can lead to difficulty breathing. Specific causes include the following:

• Lung disease
• Cigarette smoking
• Asthma
• Emphysema
• Coronary artery disease
• Heart attack (myocardial infarction)
• Interstitial lung disease
• Pneumonia
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Rapid ascent to high altitudes, with less oxygen in the air
• Airway obstruction
• Inhalation of a foreign object
• Dust-laden environment
• Allergies (such as to mold, dander, or pollen)
• Congestive heart failure (CHF)
• Heart arrhythmias
• Deconditioning (lack of exercise)
• Obesity
• Compression of the chest wall
• Panic attacks