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Many people often wonder what is the condition of short of breath? It is a manifestation of many causes, which can be physiological or pathological from mild to severe. Long-term shortness of breath, in particular, can be a medical problem that requires treatment.
1. What is shortness of breath? Shortness of breath is the feeling of having difficulty breathing, feeling like you can't catch your breath, or losing your breath. Shortness of breath is not a disease, it is a symptom that can be experienced in many different problems. It can be a normal physiological sign or it can also be a sign of pathology.
2. The cause of your shortness of breath or shortness of breath is a frequent condition and it can be caused by a number of reasons below:
Asthma Asthma is a condition of the lining of the airways swelling, causing the narrowing of the airways to happen suddenly. That makes it difficult to breathe, needs to try to get air, coughs up mucus, when breathing can cause hissing sound.
Asthma is often related to allergies, although it's not clear why it happens to some people, but there are many things that can trigger an asthma attack, including pollen, dust, smoke, exercise, and asthma. exercise, colds and stress.
To treat this condition it is best to find out the cause of the asthma attack, but this is not easy because it is possible for a person to be allergic to many allergens at the same time. In addition, methods to treat symptoms during and outside of the attack help patients breathe easier, control the number of asthma attacks.
Allergies Allergies are conditions in which a person with a predisposition is exposed to certain irritants and causes allergic manifestations. Those allergens can be pollen, dust, pet dander and other things that you breathe in that can also cause allergies or even food, drugs, or water.
Allergies can cause you to develop angioedema, angioedema can float in the airways, blocking the airways and causing shortness of breath. Sometimes an allergic reaction causes asthma.
When symptoms of an allergic reaction such as skin rash appear and are accompanied by shortness of breath, it is important to talk to a doctor to find out the cause and control the symptoms.
Anxiety and Fear Breathing or shortness of breath is also experienced when you feel really scared or anxious. This is not a big deal, as it usually goes away as soon as your emotions become more stable. But this can be serious if you already have lung problems such as COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease). Stress and anxiety come on suddenly, which can trigger an asthma attack if you have a history of asthma. In healthy people, excessive anxiety and fear can also cause you to breathe so fast that you feel dizzy and pass out.
If possible, avoid strong stimuli that cause strong emotional changes. It can be dangerous for some people.
Carbon Monoxide(CO) CO is a colorless, odorless gas that can be generated from sources such as furnaces, fireplaces, water heaters, dryers, and car fumes. If after being born through many processes but cannot escape properly such as closing the door, it can accumulate in the air and you may breathe too much into the body, this gas has a strong affinity for air. The force of hemoglobin in red blood cells is many times higher than that of oxygen. This makes it difficult for red blood cells to carry oxygen throughout the body.
When you inhale too much you may experience shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, dizziness, weakness and nausea, decreased vision and possible fainting. If not removed from an environment containing a lot of CO, death can result from asphyxiation of this gas, which is the main cause of death in fires.
Colds Colds are caused by a virus and there are hundreds of viruses that can cause colds. The main symptoms of a cold are a runny nose, sneezing, and sometimes a low-grade fever. Sometimes the virus can enter the respiratory tract and cause a cough, sometimes difficulty breathing. There is no specific cure, but it usually clears up on its own after a week or so with proper care. However, in cases of fever higher than 39 degrees Celsius, wheezing or shortness of breath should be examined and treated.
COVID-19 This disease is caused by a virus called coronavirus. The disease can be spread through droplets that are left when they cough, sneeze, or talk to an infected person. First, the virus attacks the cells in the airways that cause the symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection. But for some people, it can then spread quickly to the lungs, making you short of breath.
To date, there is no specific cure for COVID-19. Most people have mild symptoms and can recover on their own at home. But contact your doctor immediately if you are really short of breath, tired, or have chest pain.
Pulmonary embolism Pulmonary embolism is caused by the movement of blood clots, usually in the legs and blocking blood flow in the lungs. This is a dangerous disease and can make you feel short of breath, chest pain, fatigue, heart palpitations, and some people cough up blood. If you see any of these symptoms happening to you, especially if you have a history of deep vein disease, sitting motionless for long periods of time... go to the hospital, as a pulmonary embolism can be life-threatening. life threatening.
Sleep apnea It is a condition where breathing stops repeatedly during sleep, so a person may not realize anything is happening. But the condition can cause fatigue, shortness of breath or shortness of breath, grogginess, and moodiness the next day. It can lead to high blood pressure, an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
The risk of this condition is higher in overweight and obese people and symptoms can be reduced with weight loss. However, not all people with sleep apnea are overweight.
Pneumonia Virus, bacteria or fungi can be inhaled and infect the alveoli. This then causes the alveoli to fill with fluid, reducing gas exchange and causing shortness of breath. It also causes symptoms such as chills and fever, which can cause coughing up sputum that is yellow, green, and thick.
When pneumonia needs to be treated with prescription drugs such as antibiotics if the cause is bacteria, plus symptomatic treatments such as rest, antipyretic, expectorant, oxygen if needed ...
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) Smoking is the most frequent cause of COPD. With this disease, it dilates the alveoli in the lungs, making it difficult for the lungs to exchange air to supply oxygen to the blood. This causes shortness of breath, shortness of breath, feeling tight in the chest and coughing, sometimes accompanied by wheezing. To control your serious condition need to stop smoking, use medicine to help relax the airways, anti-inflammatory...
Heart failure Heart failure is a condition in which the heart works less efficiently than normal. That makes it harder to get oxygen where it's needed. Blood collects in the ventricles and backs up into the lungs. That can make you short of breath. Symptoms may appear depending on the degree of heart failure, severe, even at rest, mild, when the work is light or too hard, shortness of breath will appear. Your cardiologist can prescribe medications that can help you control your symptoms.
Anemia When the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells, the tissues cannot receive enough oxygen. That can make you weak and tired, sometimes short of breath, can cause dizziness and paleness, cold hands and feet, and a fast heartbeat.
There are many causes of anemia such as diet, chronic disease, blood loss... depending on the cause, it can be treated with different measures.
Effusion, pneumothorax, effusion, or pneumothorax can occur after an injury or disease that causes air or fluid to leak from the lungs into the space between the lungs and the chest wall (pleural space). Air or fluid pushes against the lungs, causing the lungs to narrow. May cause chest pain and shortness of breath. Your doctor may insert a needle or thin tube into the area to remove air or fluid, or surgery may be needed.
Crying or scared Children 6 months to 6 years old can sometimes stop breathing when they scream or startle. This sometimes causes an uncontrolled reaction that causes the child to pass out. After about 1 minute the child regains consciousness and may be a little unsteady. While it can be scary at first, it's nothing to worry about and it can happen again and again.
Myasthenia gravis This is a neuromuscular disease that causes the muscles and nerves to not work properly. You may notice weakness in arm and leg movements, which can also affect automatic movements such as breathing, making it difficult to breathe. Symptoms are usually worse with exertion and get better after you rest. Your doctor can help prescribe some medications to help control symptoms, but there is no cure. In some cases, the patient can go into remission on their own.
Falling in love doesn't sound real, but it actually happens and causes breathing or shortness of breath. There is even a name for heartbreak called broken heart syndrome. Due to sudden, intense emotional changes such as the death of a loved one or the end of a relationship that affects your heart, causing chest pain and shortness of breath, your heart may not be working as well. in a period of time. The tests show changes in the rhythm of the heart and substances in the blood such as a heart attack.
However, unlike a heart attack, broken heart syndrome does not occur because the arteries are blocked. Although it can lead to heart failure in the short term, most people get better within a few days or weeks.
Above are some of the common reasons for shortness of breath or shortness of breath. If it is short-lived and has a trigger factor such as intense emotions, after extreme exercise, there is no cause for concern. But if it happens on a very frequent basis, you need to see a doctor to find out the cause.
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Reference source: webmd.com