Frequent Shortness of Breath? This Can Be The Cause

Breathing is important for human survival. But what happens if we experience interference in breathing or shortness of breath? Obviously, it can reduce the quality of our lives.

Shortness of breath yourself is a condition when you have difficulty in breathing or not getting enough air intake. There are several causes that allow you shortness of breath. Want to know what are the causes?

Causes Shortness of Breath

A person experiencing shortness of breath can be due to obesity, exercising too heavily, being in a place with extreme temperatures, or being in an area with a certain height. However, if shortness of breath is caused by health problems, the conditions that can cause it are:

• Cold
• Allergy
• Infections of the respiratory tract and lungs, such as tuberculosis, pneumonia (wet lungs), and Coronavirus infections
• Asthma
• Anemia
• Pregnancy
• Sinusitis
• Low blood pressure
• Broken ribs
• Carbon monoxide poisoning
• Lung cancer
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Disorders of the heart such as heart failure, heart attack, or cardiac arrhythmias
• Pulmonary embolism

From the conditions mentioned above, common causes that often trigger shortness of breath conditions are asthma, a disease related to the lungs and heart. Shortness of breath caused by these conditions usually takes place in the long term or also referred to as chronic.

Shortness of breath is also often experienced by heartburn sufferers. In certain conditions, shortness of breath needs to watch out because it can be one of the symptoms of a heart attack. Likewise, shortness of breath in children, do not be underestimated, because it could be a complaint is a sign of serious illness.

To find out the cause of shortness of breath that you feel, you should consult a doctor in order to get further tests. Usually, your doctor will ask about your and your family's medical history.

Physical examination and various tests will also be done, for example, blood tests, X-rays, and spirometry breathing tests. Blood tests are used to assess general health. While X-rays, or if necessary CT-scan, is done to find out the condition of the lungs, heart, and bones. Spirometry breathing tests will find out how much air you can exhale and how fast you exhale.

Allergy tests may also help your doctor know the cause of shortness of breath. As mentioned above, the most common cause of shortness of breath is asthma, but the biggest trigger for asthma is allergies.

Knowing the exact cause of your shortness of breath is very important because the results will be used as a benchmark to deal with shortness of breath effectively.

How to handle it?

The handling of shortness of breath is not always the same, depending on the cause. Therefore, a proper diagnosis is needed regarding the cause of shortness of breath. The following handling shortness of breath based on the cause:

• If you experience shortness of breath due to asthma or allergies, all you need to do is avoid the triggering elements, such as dust, cigarette smoke, air pollution, pet dander, or pollen. Always keep the house clean to be free from dust, lice, or mites.
• Taking drugs, such as decongestants and antihistamines, you can also do to deal with shortness of breath due to allergies. Both of these drugs can expedite the process of breathing air. If your allergies are severe, you may be given inhaled corticosteroid drugs. This inhalation drug can also be given to people with sinusitis.
• Asthma sufferers can also be treated with drugs that are inhaled or taken. The goal is to help alleviate or prevent airway obstruction and excessive mucus production. If you use inhalation medicine, always make sure the supply is adequate and the tool works well, if at any time it is needed in the event of an asthma attack.
• Stop smoking can expedite your breathing. In addition, by stopping smoking, you can reduce the risk of serious illnesses, such as heart disease, lung disease, and cancer.
• Going on a diet can be done if you experience shortness of breath due to obesity. By losing weight to a healthy level, breathing can be more relieved.
• To avoid shortness of breath when in a high place, avoid doing strenuous activities when in a place with a height of more than 1500 meters.

For those of you who experience shortness of breath due to serious illness, you may have to undergo treatment or take certain medications from a doctor. Consult your doctor about what treatment is right for your condition.

If you experience shortness of breath accompanied by high fever, chills, coughing, swelling in the legs, lip color to blue, or shortness of breath that is getting worse, visit your doctor as soon as possible.

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