What makes you have trouble breathing

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Symptoms Shortness of breath. Definition Causes When to see a doctor. Products and services. Thank you for Subscribing Our Housecall e-newsletter will keep you up-to-date on the latest health information. Article: Effects of wearing facemasks on the sensation of exertional dyspnea and Article: Relationship of pharyngeal transition time and presence of residue with dyspnea Breathing Problems -- see more articles.

Find an Expert. Older Adults. Some respiratory physicians help with sleep problems. Read more on raisingchildren. If your well child suddenly develops breathing problems, get emergency medical help. Read more on myDr website. Dyspnoea is a subjective symptom common in palliative care patients. It is experienced as breathing discomfort or shortness of breath.

GPs need to consider that there may be a psychosocial component to dyspnoea. Read more on CareSearch website. We tend to throw around the term 'congestive heart failure' like there is such a beast, the truth is that there are scads of pathophysiologic differences between left and right CHF, low and high output CHF, and systolic and diastolic CHF.

Read more on Ausmed Education website. Authors' conclusions: Further research is required to establish any benefit from the use of leukotriene antagonists in bronchiectasis.

Read more on Cochrane Australasian Centre website. Authors' conclusions: Chemical and physical methods aimed at reducing exposure to house dust mite allergens cannot be recommended.

Authors' conclusions: There is not enough evidence to make recommendations about the value of acupuncture in asthma treatment. Read more on National Asthma Council Australia website. The National Asthma Council Australia NAC is a not-for-profit organisation working to improve health outcomes and quality of life for people with asthma. Navigating treatment options for mild asthma includes practical considerations, shared decision-making and treatment guidelines.

NPS Webinar: Join our panel of experts as they discuss the recent changes to asthma guidelines and what this means in practice. There are many possible causes of breathing difficulties. Whenever a person has trouble breathing for unknown reasons, they should see their doctor.

At an appointment, the doctor will ask about the other symptoms that a person is experiencing. In some cases, this may be enough for the doctor to determine the cause. In other cases, a doctor may want to run tests to help diagnose the problem. These tests may include:. For example, children are more at risk of choking than adults, while smokers have a higher likelihood of developing emphysema. People with asthma are more at risk of having breathing trouble following exercise or exposure to allergens.

The cause of the breathing difficulty will determine the treatment. Some common treatments could include:. In some cases, people can improve their breathing by using specific breathing exercises to increase their lung capacity.

Learn about these exercises here. A person should seek immediate medical attention if they experience difficulty breathing that causes them to feel faint or occurs alongside other symptoms of a heart attack. Otherwise, a person with unexplained shortness of breath or other breathing problems should speak to their doctor to determine what is causing the issue.

There are many potential ways to prevent the development of breathing difficulties. Some steps to consider include:. There are several different causes of breathing difficulty. Anyone with concerns about this symptom should see their doctor. Some causes are chronic, such as COPD, while others are temporary, for example, the common cold.

A person can typically avoid having difficulty breathing by avoiding triggers and living a healthful lifestyle that includes eating well and exercising regularly. Nebulizer machines may be useful for people with respiratory conditions.

Learn about the uses for nebulizer machines and some options here.