A comment on our post about respiratory therapy was from a reader who has been suffering from breathing problems which her doctors did not seem to find any cause for concern; however breathing problems of any kind could potentially be very problematic and deserve medical investigation.
Here, we are talking about the kind of breathing problems that are recurrent shortness of breath that is not caused by minor exertions such as walking fast or climbing a few flights of stairs. That could just be due to being in poor condition and being overweight.
On the other hand, you may have a minor ailment like a cold that causes a stuffy nose; however, many causes of breathing difficulties could be due to far more serious problems.
Lung Conditions could cause breathing difficulties: A wide variety of medical conditions that affect the lungs could be the cause of breathing difficulties.
Asthma is a chronically occurring problem that causes the airways of lungs to become swollen and sore, thereby making it difficult to breathe.
This could be an allergic reaction to certain triggers that causes the airways to constrict which causes breathlessness, wheezing, labored breathing, tightness in the chest and the frightening feeling of not getting enough air into the lungs.
Emphysema is a kind of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease which causes damage to the alveoli (air sacs in the lungs). This causes breathlessness and one finds they get quickly winded during any kind of exercise.
Pneumonia, which is an infection that causes inflammation of the lungs, could be the cause of shortness of breath. The infection could be viral, bacterial or fungal.
Heart Disease: A number of different heart problems could also manifest themselves with the sufferer having some breathing difficulties.
The commonest form of heart disease is caused due to the narrowing or hardening of the arteries and/or a blockage in them that prevents the supply of blood to the heart. This is also the major reason for heart attacks.
The major effect that heart disease has is a mismanagement of job or supplying oxygen to the different part of the body, thereby resulting in breathing difficulties.
Anxiety or Panic Attacks: These are another cause for breathing problems. Anxiety can manifest itself in different ways, some of which may help by making us more alert and able, however others can be overwhelming and debilitating.
