Shortness of breath; Breathlessness; Difficulty breathing;
Dyspnea No standard definition exists for difficulty breathing.
Some people may feel breathless with only mild exercise (for
example, climbing stairs), even though they do not have a
medical condition. Others may have advanced lung disease but
never feel short of breath. Wheezing is one form of breathing
difficulty in which you make a high-pitched sound when you
breathe out. A blockage of the air passages in your nose, mouth,
or throat may lead to difficulty breathing. Heart disease can
cause breathlessness if your heart is unable to pump enough
blood to supply oxygen to your body. If your brain, muscles, or
other body organs do not receive enough oxygen, a sense of
breathlessness may occur. Lung disease can cause breathlessness.
Sometimes emotional distress, such as anxiety, can lead to
difficulty breathing. The following problems may cause breathing
difficulty: Sometimes, a small amount of breathing difficulty
may be normal, and is not cause for con