It is often hard to describe what it feels like when you suddenly find yourself unable to catch your breath. A panic attack will usually bring on this kind of sensation, but there are many other reasons why it might happen as well. Breathing problems can be both physical and emotional, so the first step, if you’re experiencing shortness of breath, is to run it by a medical professional with a good understanding of the different causes of shortness of breath in Otsego. After that, you can look into why it’s happening in your personal life. This article highlights some of why you could be having shortness of breath.

Pneumonia

When you have pneumonia, the part of the lungs that should carry oxygen to the blood starts to swell up. This can even happen after your pneumonia has healed. You might think it’s something like asthma or an allergic reaction causing shortness of breath, but it’s likely pneumonia instead. The best way to rule this out is to visit your doctor and get a complete exam. They’ll listen for abnormal breathing sounds and then ask you about the kinds of symptoms you’ve been having.

Heart Problems

Many symptoms can point to heart problems, and shortness of breath is one of them. Even if you’re relatively young, the arteries in your body can clog up or harden over time with plaque deposits. This makes the heart work harder to pump blood around the body properly. Eventually, this stress on the heart can lead to a heart attack if left untreated. A doctor will be able to give you an exam, including blood pressure and cholesterol measurements that might explain why you’re having shortness of breath.

Asthma

Shortness of breath is one of the most common signs of asthma, but it’s also one of the least understood because many people think it’s just the same thing as wheezing. Wheezing is when there are abnormally loud breathing sounds coming from your chest, but the shortness of breath can happen with regular sounding wheezing or even at times when you don’t hear any sounds at all. The inflammation in the airways causes the smooth muscles to constrict, making it difficult to breathe. Learn more about the different parts of asthma that can cause shortness of breath.

Collapsed Lung

A collapsed lung is usually the result of an injury, but sometimes it can happen without any known cause. This usually occurs when there’s a tear in the lining that separates the lungs from one another. Air then enters into that space and makes it difficult to breathe normally. You may notice that you’re breathing faster than usual, trying to compensate for your shortness of breath.

Obesity

If you’re overweight, your extra weight strain the heart and lungs. The more you weigh, the harder it is for your body to do what it needs to stay alive. Your doctor will perform a full exam, including blood tests, to rule out any other possible conditions that may be causing shortness of breath before deciding that obesity is the cause.

In summary, shortness of breath can be a very frustrating experience. Most people experience shortness of breath due to pneumonia, heart problems, and asthma. However, it can also come about due to obesity and a collapsed lung.