Shortness of breath
Shortness of breath
It's normal to feel out of breath after pushing yourself physically. But if breathlessness starts suddenly, for no clear reason, it's usually a sign of an underlying medical condition.
Common Symptoms
Symptom information is not available for this condition yet.
Emergency Warning Signs
When to get medical advice
Phone 999 or go to A&E if:
- you have severe difficulty breathing – for example, you struggle to speak without pausing, gasping or choking
- you have severe chest pain in the middle of your chest that isn’t going away – it may feel like pressure, tightness or squeezing
- you have pain that spreads to your arms, back, neck and jaw
- you feel more drowsy than usual or find it more difficult to wake up
- your lips or skin are turning very pale, blue or grey – on brown or black skin this is easier to see on the palms of your hands
Information on breathing problems in children
Contact your GP practice urgently if you:
- have difficulty breathing – you may be more short of breath than usual
- have pain when breathing in or coughing
- are feeling confused, dizzy, or lightheaded
- feel sick or are being sick – for example, you can’t keep food or fluids down
- are coughing up blood (haemoptysis)
- have pain or swelling in 1 of your legs
- have heart palpitations – this may feel like your heart is racing, going too slowly or skipping a beat or like a fluttering feeling in your chest
If your GP practice is closed, phone 111.
Speak to your GP practice if you:
- have symptoms that are not improving
- have had a cough for more than 3 weeks
Your doctor may ask you some questions, such as:
- did the breathlessness come on suddenly or slowly?
- did anything trigger it, such as exercise?
- how bad is it?
- does it only happen when you’ve been active, or when you’re not doing anything?
- is there any pain when you breathe?
- do you have a cough?
- do certain positions make it worse – for example, can you lie down?
Feeling like you can’t get enough air can be scary. Make sure you get help from a healthcare professional. They may give you extra oxygen to breathe if you need it.
⚠️ This symptom list is for educational purposes. Having these symptoms does not mean you have this condition. See a doctor for proper diagnosis.
Medicines Commonly Used
⚠️ These medicines are commonly used for confirmed diagnoses of this condition. This is NOT a recommendation or prescription. Treatment must be determined by your doctor.
No medicines have been linked to this condition yet.
When to See a Doctor
When to get medical advice
Phone 999 or go to A&E if:
- you have severe difficulty breathing – for example, you struggle to speak without pausing, gasping or choking
- you have severe chest pain in the middle of your chest that isn’t going away – it may feel like pressure, tightness or squeezing
- you have pain that spreads to your arms, back, neck and jaw
- you feel more drowsy than usual or find it more difficult to wake up
- your lips or skin are turning very pale, blue or grey – on brown or black skin this is easier to see on the palms of your hands
Information on breathing problems in children
Contact your GP practice urgently if you:
- have difficulty breathing – you may be more short of breath than usual
- have pain when breathing in or coughing
- are feeling confused, dizzy, or lightheaded
- feel sick or are being sick – for example, you can’t keep food or fluids down
- are coughing up blood (haemoptysis)
- have pain or swelling in 1 of your legs
- have heart palpitations – this may feel like your heart is racing, going too slowly or skipping a beat or like a fluttering feeling in your chest
If your GP practice is closed, phone 111.
Speak to your GP practice if you:
- have symptoms that are not improving
- have had a cough for more than 3 weeks
Your doctor may ask you some questions, such as:
- did the breathlessness come on suddenly or slowly?
- did anything trigger it, such as exercise?
- how bad is it?
- does it only happen when you’ve been active, or when you’re not doing anything?
- is there any pain when you breathe?
- do you have a cough?
- do certain positions make it worse – for example, can you lie down?
Feeling like you can’t get enough air can be scary. Make sure you get help from a healthcare professional. They may give you extra oxygen to breathe if you need it.
Causes
Sudden shortness of breath: what causes it?
A number of different health problems can bring on sudden, unexpected breathlessness.
A problem with your lungs or airways
Sudden breathlessness could be an asthma attack. You feel breathless because air has trouble moving in and out of your airways. Your doctor may suggest using a spacer device with your inhaler to help ease this.
Pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs) can also cause shortness of breath along with a cough. It's usually caused by an infection, so you'll need antibiotics to treat it.
If you have COPD, sudden breathlessness is often a sign that the condition has flared up and gotten worse.
A heart problem
It's possible to have a heart attack without the classic symptoms, such as chest pain and anxiety.
In such cases, shortness of breath may be the only warning sign that you're having a heart attack. If you or your doctor suspect this, you'll be given aspirin and admitted to hospital right away.
Heart failure can also cause breathing difficulties. This means the heart isn't able to pump enough blood around the body, usually because the heart muscle has become too weak or stiff to work properly. As a result, fluid builds up inside the lungs, making it harder to breathe. Lifestyle changes, along with medicines or surgery, can help the heart pump more effectively and relieve breathlessness.
Breathlessness may also be linked to a problem with your heart rate or rhythm. Examples include atrial fibrillation (an irregular, fast heart rate) and supraventricular tachycardia (a regular but fast heart rate).
Panic attack or anxiety
A panic attack or anxiety can make you breathe rapidly or too deeply, known as hyperventilating. Focusing on slow breathing, or breathing through a paper bag, can help bring your breathing back to normal. Try this only when you're sure that anxiety is the cause of your breathlessness.
Less common causes
Other, less common causes include:
- a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)
- pneumothorax: a partial collapse of the lung caused by a small tear in its surface, which lets air become trapped in the space around the lung
- pulmonary embolism: a blockage in one of the blood vessels in the lung
- idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis: a condition that causes scarring of the lungs
- pleural effusion: excess fluid around the lung
- diabetic ketoacidosis: a complication of diabetes in which acids build up in the blood and urine
Complications
What causes long-term breathlessness?
Long-term breathlessness is usually caused by:
- obesity
- being unfit
- poorly controlled asthma
- chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
- anaemia
- heart failure
- a problem with your heart rate or rhythm
More unusual causes of long-term breathlessness are:
- bronchiectasis
- a blockage in a blood vessel in the lung (pulmonary embolism)
- partial collapse of your lung caused by lung cancer
- excess fluid next to the lung (pleural effusion)
- narrowing of the main heart valve, restricting blood flow to the rest of the body
- having panic attacks often
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