Shortness of Breath
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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 these 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 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 problems with insulin production or resistance. There are often no symptoms until the condition has worsened, hence regular screening is important.
- Cough variant asthma
A type of asthma where the main symptom is a persistent dry cough. This is due to the airways being highly sensitive and overreacting to foreign substances. The underlying cause is unclear but involves genetics. There are many triggers for asthma flares, including smoke, pollen, dust mite droppings, cold weather, exercise and viral infections.
- Benign arrhythmias such as extrasystoles
Arrhythmias are problems 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 which do not cause any symptoms. Causes include certain medications, caffeine, nicotine, alcohol, cocaine, inhaled aerosols, diet pills, stress, etc.
Related serious diseases
- Uremia / chronic renal failure
Severe decrease in kidney function. There are many causes of this, from repeated damage due to infections, diabetes, high blood pressure to autoimmunity (body's immune system attacking itself).
- Pneumonia (lower respiratory tract infection)
- Right heart failure
- Tuberculosis (TB) (including scrofuloderma)
- Deep-seated mycosis
- Bronchial asthma
- 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 the same body system / part
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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Developed by doctors.
Ubie is supervised by 50+ medical experts worldwide
Seiji Kanazawa, MD, PHD
Obstetrics and gynecology (OBGYN)
National Center for Child Health and Development, Japan