Shortness of Breath

What is shortness of breath?
When you are short of breath, you may feel like you can't get enough air oryour chest may feel tight. Sometimes the feeling is worse when you arephysically active or when you lie down flat. You may have other symptomssuch as a cough, chest pains or fever. If you have any of these problems,tell your doctor.

What could be causing me to be short of breath?
Shortness of breath can be caused by many things, including the following:

• Asthma
• Other lung diseases, including emphysema (say: "em-fa-see-ma" ), a lungdisease that is caused by smoking
• Heart failure that causes fluid to collect in the lungs
• Panic attacks

If you are short of breath with a cough and/or fever, you may have a chestinfection or pneumonia (say: "new-moan-yuh" ). Less common causes ofbreathing problems are lung cancer, a blood clot in the lungs, air leakagearound the lungs and scarring of the lung tissue.

What tests will my doctor perform?
Your doctor can help find the cause of your breathing problem by asking youquestions and doing a physical exam. You doctor also may order some tests.To find the cause of your shortness of breath, your doctor may order a chestx-ray or an electrocardiogram (also called an ECG). During this test, yourdoctor will have you lie down so your heart can be monitored. The ECGmachine makes a picture, or tracing, that shows your heart's electricalsignals. Your doctor may measure your breathing and the oxygen level in yourblood. You also may need to have a blood test .

What can I do to help my breathing?
If you smoke, you need to stop. Ask your doctor for help. Also, avoid strongsmells and breathing chemicals that can bother your lungs. (AAFP)