Healthy people can get short of breath from extreme temperatures, exercise, obesity, and altitude. Shortness of breath outside these examples may indicate a medical issue. Here we look at its causes and when to call our home GP emergency in Sotogrande.
What could be the cause of shortness of breath?
The majority of cases of shortness of breath are caused by conditions affecting either the heart or the lungs. Problems with either of these processes can affect your ability to take deep breaths because they both involve your heart and lungs. Your lungs are responsible for removing carbon dioxide from your blood, while your heart delivers oxygen to your tissues.
The sudden onset of shortness of breath, also known as acute shortness of breath, can have a few different causes.
Chronic shortness of breath, also known as persistent or persistent shortness of breath, can be caused by a number of factors, the most common of which are as follows:
- COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) worsening of symptoms
- Asthma
- Heart dysfunction
- Obesity
- Deconditioning
- Interstitial lung disease
- Pleural effusion (accumulation of fluid around the lungs)
There are a variety of other medical conditions that can make it challenging to take in sufficient air. These include:
Lung problems
- Sarcoidosis
- Croup
- Pulmonary hypertension
- Lung cancer
- Pulmonary edema
- Pleurisy
- Tuberculosis
- Pulmonary fibrosis
Heart problems
- Heart failure
- Cardiomyopathy
- Pericarditis (inflammation of the tissue around the heart)
Other problems
- Broken ribs
- Anaemia
- Anxiety disorders
- Epiglottitis
- Kyphoscoliosis
- Choking
- Guillain-Barre syndrome
Home GP emergency in Sotogrande
Seek emergency medical care
If you experience severe shortness of breath that comes on suddenly and interferes with your ability to function, call our home GP emergency in Sotogrande or the emergency number in your area, or have someone drive you to the nearest emergency room. If you have shortness of breath that is accompanied by chest pain, fainting, nausea, a bluish tinge to your lips or nails, or a change in mental alertness, you should seek emergency medical care as soon as possible because these symptoms may indicate that you are having a heart attack or a pulmonary embolism.
Make a doctor's appointment
Call our home GP emergency in Sotogrande if any of the following symptoms accompany your shortness of breath:
- Symptoms of swelling in both your feet and your ankles
- You have difficulty breathing when you are in a flat position.
- High temperature, chills, and a hacking cough
- Wheezing
- A deterioration of the shortness of breath that was already present