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Shortness of breath or Dyspnea occurs for many reason and is very common today making discomfort and causing negative impact on quality of life. Shortness of breath is used to describe difficulty in breathing when doing simple activities like walking up on a stairs, due to cold effect or sometimes due to underlying health conditions.  Breathing faster or heavier, is what the shortness of breath feels like and people start breathing from the mouth to try to get more air. When this happens occasionally, it can be ignored but if occurs continuously, it’s a point of concern. 

Researchers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center have recently found that patients with shortness of breath, can have a higher risk of dying from cardiac disease than patients without symptoms.

If anyone feel difficulty in breathing which doing routine activities, it is a point of concern and needs to visit doctors. A healthy adult breaths 30,000 a day. Shortness of breath is a sign that lungs aren’t getting enough oxygen in or not getting enough carbon dioxide out and sometimes can be a warning sign of some seriousness. 

Call 911 if you have shortness of breath for any reasons.

Symptoms- The common symptoms appears during shortness of breath are:

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Choking
• Coughing up blood
• Dizziness or fainting 
• Breathing problems at night
• Significant or worsening fluid retention (edema)

Causes of shortness of breath 

Shortness of breath occurs as a result many physical and psychological factors or sometimes as a result of environmental conditions, if the air quality is poor in your area. The main cause of this condition are due to lungs as it helps to transport oxygen to the body and remove carbon dioxide from the body. Any problems in the lungs can lead to this condition.  There are certain medical conditions causing shortness of breath. 

It has been reported that  85% cases of shortness of breath occurs due to asthma, cardiac ischemia, congestive heart failure, pneumonia, interstitial lung disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or psychogenic causes such as panic disorder and anxiety. The other cause includes:

• Anemia- low hemoglobin
• Angina- Chest pain due to poor blood flow through the blood vessels of the heart
• Bronchitis- Swelling and mucus buildup in the smallest air passages in the lungs
• Blockage of the air passages in your nose, mouth, or throat
• Choking on something stuck in the airways
• Dust in the environment
• Pleurisy
• Pulmonary embolism- Blood clot in the arteries of the lungs
• Pulmonary arterial hypertension
• Obesity
• Tuberculosis
• COVID-19: the most noticeable symptom of this disease is fever, dry cough, loss of smell and taste, or shortness of breath.

Risk factors

• Smoking is the major risk factor which causes the shortness of breathing.
• People suffering from Asthma, can also be the risk factor.

Treatments for shortness of breath

Treatment of this condition mainly depends upon the symptoms of the underlying conditions but breathing and relaxation is the method that works. 

On the basis of diagnosis, done by doctor, certain medicines are prescribed like bronchodilators to help you breathe easier. The other medicines include antibiotics for pneumonia, corticosteroids and bronchodilators for lungs, anticoagulant for heart or another medication related to your underlying condition

Doctor also advice to follow precautionary measures and lifestyle modification like quitting smoking, alcohol etc. which help to get more oxygen, avoiding exposure to pollutants and allergens, proper diet

The other treatments are based on the basis of conditions severity. 

Disease Management

There are several ways in which a person can manage shortness of breath.

Deep breath: People who experience shortness of breath need to take breaths faster or deeper. 

Breathing techniques- people can try some breathing techniques to ease their symptoms. This include:

Breathing in and out: It should be done gently through the nose to take air in and blowing out the air from the mouth. (Pursed Lip Breathing)

Diaphragmatic breathing: It also help to ease shortness of breath. 

Using a fan: study shows that sitting in a cool air relieves the symptoms of this condition. A clinical trial research showed that use of reduced the sensation of shortness of breath.

Oxygen Therapy: In some cases, supplemental oxygen are also recommended by the physician. 

Reports suggest that people with severe breathing problems, should sleep at night with the head of the bed elevated, which may make breathe easier. This can be done by sleeping on 2 or 3 extra pillows. This process help lung expansion (spreading out), as well as promote the drainage of secretions.

Home Remedies

• Healthy Diet: Maintaining a healthy diet and exercising regularly can help to improve symptoms.
• Steam Inhalation: This is another very effective method for those facing breathing problems due to cold. It helps to break the mucus and clear air pathways, which is affected from cold. 
• Black Coffee: As coffee contains caffeine, it help to reduce the muscles tightness present in the airway. This remedy has proven to be quite effective for people suffering from Asthma, as it can improve lungs function and help to overcome the breathing problem.

• Ginger: Ginger tea also helps to reduce the shortness of breath caused due to a respiratory infection, due to its anti-inflammatory properties, which can reduce inflammation in the lungs.
• Garlic: It is a proven effective in ease symptoms of bronchitis and asthma, as it help to remove mucus from the respiratory tract, hence improve lungs capacity.
• Citrus Fruit: Fruits like oranges and lemon have the potential to manage disease like asthma and bronchitis.