6 Conditions of Disease that Can Cause Shortness of Breath
In fact, the body breathes about 6 liters of air every minute. Without air, certainly a lot of body functions that will be impaired. Thus, shortness of breath can be bad for health. Shortness of breath can also be a sign that you have an illness. So what are the diseases that can cause shortness of breath?
Actually, what happens when I'm short of breath?
Shortness of breath occurs when the body lacks air. This condition can come in two forms, namely chronic and acute. Both are differentiated based on the duration and severity of symptoms that appear.
Acute shortness of breath will occur suddenly and can be severe. While chronic conditions of shortness of breath will appear slowly and gradually, even taking a long time.
What are the causes of shortness of breath?
The most common cause of breathlessness is the result of impaired lung or heart function. However, it is possible if these symptoms arise due to other health problems or due to the use of certain drugs. However, the following are the most common causes of breathlessness and you should be aware.
1. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
The first cause of shortness of breath is a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). People with COPD will generally experience chronic and acute respiratory symptoms. Actually, this disease occurs due to air sacs in the damaged lung, so that the lungs difficult to take air and eventually shortness of breath occurs. COPD is more common in people over the age of 40 and has been an active smoker.
2. Asthma
Asthma is another common cause of breathlessness. This disease occurs when the respiratory tract becomes inflamed until it swells and produces excessive mucus. This condition then causes symptoms of shortness of breath.
Allergies can also be one cause of shortness of breath in people with asthma. While other things that can cause asthma attacks appear is weather changes to excessive sports.
3. Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a disease that occurs when one or both parts of the lung are inflamed due to bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Infectious substances that cause infection will attack air sacs that make the body short of air until finally shortness of breath.
This infection will also usually make the air sac in the lungs swell and release pus. The greater the swelling that occurs, the more severe the symptoms of shortness of breath will be experienced. People with pneumonia will usually have acute and chronic breathlessness.
4. Interstitial lung disease
An interstitial lung disease is a group of diseases that attack lung sac tissue. This health disorder is characterized by the appearance of scar tissue in the lung sac, thus making the air storage space decreases. Finally, the oxygen that has entered into the lungs will be difficult to flow into the blood. This then causes shortness of breath.
5. Pulmonary embolism
Pulmonary embolism is a disease that occurs due to blockage of arteries in the lungs. This blockage can occur due to various things, such as pregnancy, obesity, and cancer. Blocked blood flow makes oxygen cannot be drained throughout the body, so the body lacks air. This then causes symptoms of shortness of breath.
6. Congestive heart failure
Not only disruption in lung function alone, problems in the heart's organs can be the cause of shortness of breath. One is congestive heart failure. The disease is caused by a narrowing or blockage that occurs in the coronary arteries. This narrowed blood vessel makes the blood flow carrying oxygen is not smooth.
Finally, other body tissues do not get oxygen causing some symptoms such as shortness of breath, fatigue, unfocused, to the accumulation of fluid inside the organs.
Not infrequently disruption of heart and lung function appear together to make asthma symptoms increasingly severe. If you experience shortness of breath, you should not panic and immediately visit the nearest health service to get help.
Most of these causes of breathlessness are experienced by adults. While the most common cause of breathlessness in children is due to respiratory tract infections. To know the exact cause, better consult a doctor.
