Ailments & ConditionsYour Health

Dyspnea Causes & Treatments

Shortness of breath, medically known as dyspnea, is a very common health issue. It is often the result of the high demands after strenuous exercises, or other causes such as a panic attack, carrying excess weight, pneumonia, or asthma. People with dyspnea might breathe painfully, uncomfortably, or quickly. They would also feel tightness in the chest and many other signs. In some severe cases, it might lead to some complications that require medical intervention. Below are a few things you need to know about the causes and treatments for dyspnea.

5 Causes of Dyspnea

Exercises

Exercises can be the most benign trigger of dyspnea, especially short-term shortness of breath. If you often swim or run a race, then you might know that it takes a couple of minutes to catch the breath. When the body is doing physical exercises, it will increase oxygen demands, thus causing you to breathe more quickly to get sufficient oxygen for normal operation. The more intense the exercises are, the higher levels of oxygen you might need. However, if you are healthy, your breathing pattern would ease soon after stopping for several minutes. [1]