Common causes of feeling short of breath are lung problems, such as asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) heart problems, such as a cardiovascular disease and heart failure. Infections in the airways, such as croup, bronchitis, pneumonia, COVID-19, the flu and even a cold. 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. Anxiety and panic attacks. These also can cause problems for breathing.
Shortness of breath is often described as an intense tightening in the chest, air hunger, difficulty breathing, breathlessness or a feeling of suffocation. Very strenuous exercise, extreme temperatures, obesity and higher altitude all can cause shortness of breath in a healthy person.
Breathlessness can last for up to 6 months before symptom’s decline and go away but not fully people are put on inhalers. One type of lung function test is called spirometry. You breathe into a mouthpiece that connects to a machine and measures your lung capacity and air flow. Your doctor may also have you stand in a box that looks like a telephone booth to check your lung capacity. This is called plethysmography. If your having problems with breathing then there will be not much oxygen going to your brain and then you can pass out more and even die if you don’t go and see someone from the NHS phone 999 for ambulance.
