Shortness of breath can feel like one is not getting enough air, or the chest feels like it tightens up. While those experiencing shortness of breath may think there is something wrong with their lungs, shortness of breath is often caused by heart or other cardiovascular problems as well as allergies.

In their article, “Shortness of breath,” the Mayo Clinic lists many possible causes for shortness of breath.

Lung Conditions Causing Shortness of Breath

• Bronchitis is an infection that is characterized by the inflammation of the lining of the bronchial tubes, which are the airways that carry air into and out of the lungs. Cold viruses, bacteria, and smoking can cause bronchitis.
• Chronic sinusitis is the inflammation of the membranes in the nasal passages. These membranes produce mucus that can cause head congestion. The mucus may also drain into the throat causing coughing and the feeling of shortness of breath.
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is lung damage characterized by the inability of the lungs to adequately exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide within the lungs. It is most often caused by smoking but can result from chronic bronchitis.




• Emphysema is associated with COPD. It is damage to the alveoli in the lungs, which are little sacs where oxygen and carbon dioxide are exchanged between the lungs and blood. The alveoli lose their elasticity making it difficult for air to enter the lungs and preventing blood and lung gas exchange.
• Interstitial lung disease, according to the Mayo Clinic article, “Interstitial lung disease,” is any number of disorders that “cause progressive scarring of lung tissue.”
• Lung cancer is most often caused by smoking. Cancer tumors grow in the lung tissue causing damage.
• Pleural effusion is the collection of fluid around the lungs. The fluid prevents the lungs from fully expanding to take in more air.
• Pleurisy is the inflammation of the membranes that surround the lungs. It is characterized by sharp pain upon inhalation and can cause shortness of breath.
• Pneumonia is the infection and inflammation of the lungs. It may be accompanied by pulmonary edema, which is the filling of the lungs with fluid. The fluid takes up space that is normally occupied by incoming air.
• Pneumothorax is a collapsed lung often caused by trauma to the lung.
• Pulmonary embolism is a blood clot that blocks an artery in the lungs.
• Pulmonary fibrosis is the scarring of the lungs caused by repeated injury to the tissue. Pollution, radiation, and acid reflux are among the many causes of pulmonary fibrosis.
• Pulmonary hypertension occurs when the blood pressure is abnormally high in the arteries of the lungs and the right side of the heart. It is caused by plaque build-up and blockages in these arteries. It can eventually lead to the weakening and failure of the right side of the heart that had to work harder to push blood into the lungs.
• Tuberculosis is a serious, bacterial infection affecting the lungs.

Cardiovascular Diseases and Conditions Causing Shortness of Breath

• Coronary artery disease is the build-up of plaque within the arteries. The plaque narrows the artery making it more difficult for blood to leave the heart and lungs.
• Heart arrhythmias are abnormal heart rhythms such as a heart rate that is too fast or too slow, that which skips a beat, and that which adds an extra beat. Most people have an occasional arrhythmia, although some develop a serious arrhythmia that may cause shortness of breath.
• Heart attack occurs when a coronary artery becomes completely blocked preventing blood from flowing to part of the heart muscle. The coronary arteries are the arteries that feed oxygenated blood to the heart muscle so it can continuously pump blood throughout the body.
• Congestive heart failure is the inability of the heart to pump an adequate amount of blood throughout the body. This is caused by a weakened heart, most often resulting from plaque buildup within the arteries. Congestive heart failure is a common cause of shortness of breath.

Generalized anxiety disorder is an abnormal stress response that causes the chest to feel tight. This can lead to shallow breathing and shortness of breath. Low fitness level and obesity can also cause shortness of breath.

Shortness of breath is not a disease, but a symptom that can be caused by any number of conditions. Anyone experiencing shortness of breath should be tested for cardiovascular and pulmonary disorders in order to determine the cause, and whether it is caused by one or several conditions.

Tweet