what does it mean when you are having a hard time breathing?
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Many conditions can make you feel short of breath: Lung conditions such as asthma, emphysema, or pneumonia. Problems with your trachea or bronchi, which are part of your airway system. Heart disease can make you feel breathless if your heart cannot pump enough blood to supply oxygen to your body.
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Difficulty breathing is one of the top reasons people go to the emergency room. Shortness of breath is a red-alert symptom. If you experience shortness of breath that is so severe that it interferes with activities of daily living or function, call 911 for an ambulance or have someone drive you to the ER immediately.
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The symptoms of respiratory failure depend on the cause and the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood. A low oxygen level in the blood can cause shortness of breath and air hunger (the feeling that you can't breathe in enough air). Your skin, lips, and fingernails may also have a bluish color.
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Physical deconditioning—or being out of shape—can cause shortness of breath in people when they try to exercise. Deconditioning is a weakening of the heart and other muscles and decreased heart and blood vessel function as a result of prolonged inactivity. Deconditioning is most common in sedentary older adults.
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Dr. Pellegrino: Fibromyalgia can affect the muscles of the chest wall that make it hurt to take a deep breath and make it hard to take a deep breath. Also, as I mentioned above, people with FM often have mitral valve prolapse, which can lead to increased anxiety or anxiety attacks which causes shortness of breath.
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In most cases these dreams mean that you are very tired or under pressure. Also, these dreams may be related to asthma and other respiratory problems in your waking life. Dreams about not being able to breathe are usually reminding you that you should find time for rest and relaxation.
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Breathing Problems Temporary breathing issues such as a severe cough, bronchitis, wheezing, or shortness of breath will often delay a procedure until the issue has resolved. A new diagnosis of a severe breathing problem may postpone surgery or lead to a canceled surgery.
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['Extreme shortness of breath or difficulty breathing (dyspnea) that worsens with activity or when lying down.', 'A feeling of suffocating or drowning that worsens when lying down.', 'Wheezing or gasping for breath.', 'Cold, clammy skin.', 'Anxiety, restlessness or a sense of apprehension.']
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COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, is a lung disorder that makes it hard to breathe. The first symptoms can be so mild that people mistakenly chalk them up to "getting old." People with COPD may develop chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both.
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Feeling heaviness in the chest can result from various mental and physical health conditions. People often associate a heavy feeling in the chest with heart problems, but this discomfort can be a sign of anxiety or depression.
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Sleep apnea is the blockage of your airway during sleep so gasping for air is a clear a symptom of sleep apnea. This causes you to wake up periodically throughout the night feeling a shortness of breath and you remain tired when you wake up.
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Your lungs may be unable to process the intake of oxygen or your heart may not able to pump blood effectively. Shortness of breath when you lie down is called orthopnea. When the symptom occurs after a few hours of sleep, it is called paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea.
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Muscle strain is a common cause of tightness in the chest. Straining of the intercostal muscles, in particular, can cause symptoms.
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Some people with severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—especially those with emphysema—may be underweight and malnourished. People with COPD often lose weight. When you lose weight, you lose muscle mass, including the muscles that help you breathe. This may make breathing more difficult.
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Your body needs oxygen to work properly, so if your oxygen levels are too low, your body may not work the way it is supposed to. In addition to difficulty breathing, you can experience confusion, dizziness, chest pain, headache, rapid breathing and a racing heart.
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Asthma doesn't just take a physical toll on those who suffer from it but also an emotional and social one. Difficulty breathing can be an upsetting experience, especially during an asthma attack. It is common for people to become afraid of dying during these attacks and for them to fear future episodes.
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One potential cause is a condition called paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea (PND), according to the NLM. This condition will cause you to wake up suddenly during the night and feel short of breath. You might even awaken and find yourself coughing or wheezing. PND could be caused by congestive heart failure or COPD.