Shortness of Breath
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with Physician-supervised AI
Reviewed By:
Phillip Aguila, MD, MBA (Respiratory medicine, Critical Care)
Dr. Aguila graduated from West Virginia University School of Medicine. He has trained in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and Internal Medicine at Medical College of Pennsylvania/Hahnemann University at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. He has served as Assistant Professor since 2010.
Eisaku Kamakura, MD (Respiratory medicine)
Dr. Kamakura graduated from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, School of Dentistry, and the Niigata University School of Medicine. He trained at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital and held positions in the Respiratory Medicine departments at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Ome City General Hospital, and Musashino Red Cross Hospital. In 2021, he became the specially appointed assistant professor at the Department of General Medicine, Niigata University School of Medicine.
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People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes
Have difficulty breathing
Breathing abnormally with skin getting "sucked in" above the collarbone and between the ribs
Breathing is difficult when lying down, breathing is easy when raising the upper body
Allergic reaction after eating/touching something I have a known allergy to
Having difficulty breathing, using shoulders and muscles to breathe
Breathlessness happens or gets worse when the air is cold
Air feels trapped in my lungs and I can't breathe it out
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Content updated on Jan 4, 2023
About the symptom
Also known as shortness of breath or dyspnea, it is often described as struggling to breathe, unable to take a deep breath, or the feeling of suffocation.
When to see a doctor
Seek professional care if you experience any of the following symptoms
Feel breathless
Possible causes
- Diabetes mellitus (DM)
A disease where blood sugar levels are abnormally high due to issues with insulin production or resistance. Often, there are no symptoms until the condition worsens, so regular screening is important.
- Cough variant asthma
A kind of asthma with the main symptom being a constant dry cough. This occurs because the airways are very sensitive and overreact to foreign substances. The root cause is unclear but involves genetics. Many triggers for asthma flare-ups exist, including smoke, pollen, dust mite droppings, cold weather, exercise, and viral infections.
- Benign arrhythmias such as extrasystoles
Arrhythmias are issues with the rate or rhythm of your heartbeat, where it might beat too slowly, too fast, or with an irregular pattern. Benign arrhythmias are heartbeat irregularities that do not cause any symptoms. Causes include certain medications, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, inhaled aerosols, diet pills, stress, etc.
- Urticaria
Related serious diseases
- Uremia / chronic renal failure
Significant decrease in kidney function. Causes include repeated damage from infections, diabetes, high blood pressure, and autoimmunity (the body's immune system attacking itself).
- Bronchial asthma
- Pneumonia (lower respiratory tract infection)
- Right heart failure
- Deep-seated mycosis
- Heatstroke
Questions your doctor may ask about this symptom
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom
Are you breathless or having hard time breathing?
Do you have breathing difficulty when lying down which improves when you sit up?
Have you had contacted with anything that may cause or is known to cause allergic reactions?
Do you feel your heart is pounding?
Is your breathing noisy; e.g. wheezing, rattling?
Other Related Symptoms
Symptoms from similar body parts
Reviewed By:
Phillip Aguila, MD, MBA (Respiratory medicine, Critical Care)
Dr. Aguila graduated from West Virginia University School of Medicine. He has trained in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at The University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and Internal Medicine at Medical College of Pennsylvania/Hahnemann University at Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania. He has served as Assistant Professor since 2010.
Eisaku Kamakura, MD (Respiratory medicine)
Dr. Kamakura graduated from the Tokyo Medical and Dental University, School of Dentistry, and the Niigata University School of Medicine. He trained at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital and held positions in the Respiratory Medicine departments at Yokosuka Kyosai Hospital, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Ome City General Hospital, and Musashino Red Cross Hospital. In 2021, he became the specially appointed assistant professor at the Department of General Medicine, Niigata University School of Medicine.
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Dale Mueller, MD
Cardiothoracic Surgery, Vascular surgery
Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery Associates
