Shortness of Breath
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Try one of these related symptoms.
Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath when lying down
Breathing out is easy but breathing in is difficult
Wake up in the middle of the night with shortness of breath
Feeling that I am suffocating and will die from the breathlessness
Shortness of breath in the morning
Short of breath because of rapid breathing
Shallow breathing
Breathing in is easy and breathing out is difficult
Abnormal breathing and difficulty taking in deep breths
Accelerated breathing
Moving shoulders up and down to breathe
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
Generally, Shortness of breath can be related to:
- Tracheomalacia
Tracheomalacia literally translates to floppy airway (trachea) and happens when the tissues of the airway instead of being rigid and stiff, are weak and floppy, causing breathing difficulties. This can be due to intrinsic issues with tissues (cartilage) of the windpipe (trachea) itself or due to something in the chest pushing on the airway such as a blood vessel. As there are highly variable severities and types of tracheomalacia, the symptoms vary greatly as well.
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD)
Lung damage from long-term smoking or smoke exposure. Airways become narrow, and lung tissue gets damaged, developing bubbles (blebs). COPD patients are also prone to lung infections.
- Hypersensitivity Pneumonitis
An inflammatory condition in which the lungs have a strong reaction to inhaled foreign particles like mold, pet dander, or bird feathers.
- Viral Bronchiolitis
- Lymphangioleiomyomatosis
Related Serious Diseases
Sometimes, Shortness of breath may be related to these serious diseases:
- Tension Pneumothorax
A pneumothorax is the leakage of air from the lungs into the space around the lungs and heart. In a tension pneumothorax, this pressure builds up and can cause life-threatening blood flow problems in the heart and lungs. Risk factors include smoking, emphysema, and genetic diseases.
- Pneumocystis Pneumonia
- Mediastinal Emphysema
- Bronchial Asthma
- Niemann-Pick Disease
Doctor's Diagnostic Questions
Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this symptom:
- Are you experiencing difficulty breathing?
- When did you first notice the difficulty breathing?
- Which of the following best describes how your difficulty breathing appeared?
- How often do you experience difficulty breathing?
- During an episode, how long does your difficulty breathing typically last?
Reviewed By:
Phillip Aguila, MD, MBA (Pulmonology, 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 (Pulmonology)
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.
Yoshinori Abe, MD (Internal Medicine)
Dr. Abe graduated from The University of Tokyo School of Medicine in 2015. He completed his residency at the Tokyo Metropolitan Health and Longevity Medical Center. He co-founded Ubie, Inc. in May 2017, where he currently serves as CEO & product owner at Ubie. Since December 2019, he has been a member of the Special Committee for Activation of Research in Emergency AI of the Japanese Association for Acute Medicine. | | Dr. Abe has been elected in the 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia Healthcare & Science category.
Content updated on Feb 6, 2025
Following the Medical Content Editorial Policy
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- Difficulty breathing because of hyperventilation
- Breathing is getting more and more shallow
- Difficulty breathing while sleeping
- Breathing is more rapid than normal
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- Allergy got triggered because I ate something that I am allergic to
- Area between the ribs and in the neck sink in when trying to inhale
See full list
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FAQs
Q.
Is It Common to Experience Shortness of Breath Due to COVID-19?
A.
Yes, it is common to experience shortness of breath due to COVID-19, both during the acute phase of the infection and as a lingering symptom in the post-COVID period. Many individuals report breathlessness as a significant and distressing symptom.
References:
Zheng B, Daines L, Han Q, Hurst JR, Pfeffer P, Shankar-Hari M, Elneima O, Walker S, Brown JS, Siddiqui S, Quint JK, Brightling CE, Evans RA, Wain LV, Heaney LG, Sheikh A. Prevalence, risk factors and treatments for post-COVID-19 breathlessness: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur Respir Rev. 2022 Nov 2;31(166):220071. doi: 10.1183/16000617.0071-2022. PMID: 36323418; PMCID: PMC9724798.
Hentsch L, Cocetta S, Allali G, Santana I, Eason R, Adam E, Janssens JP. Breathlessness and COVID-19: A Call for Research. Respiration. 2021;100(10):1016-1026. doi: 10.1159/000517400. Epub 2021 Jul 30. PMID: 34333497; PMCID: PMC8450822.
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Link to full study:
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