Dyspnea

Dyspnea or dyspnoea (said disp-nee-ah) is shortness of breath. Some research says that about 27% of people suffer it.

The Universal Choking Sign to let someone know you are choking

Causes

There are many different causes of dyspnea. Some types and their causes are listed below. There may be duplicates in this list.

Pulmonary disorders

• Obstructive lung diseases
  • Asthma
  • Bronchitis
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
  • Cystic fibrosis (CF)
  • Emphysema
  • Laryngeal edema due to allergies
  • Hookworm disease
• Restrictive lung diseases/conditions
  • Sarcoidosis
  • Pulmonary fibrosis
  • Pneumonias
  • Pneumoconiosis (work/industrial/environment disease)
  • Pleural effusion
  • Connective tissue disease
  • Neuromuscular problems
  • Kyphoscoliosis (a thoracic cage deformity)
• Diseases of lung parenchyma and pleura
  • Contagious
    • Anthrax through inhalation of Bacillus anthracis
    • Pneumonia
  • Non-contagious
    • Fibrosing alveolitis
    • Atelectasis
    • Hypersensitivity pneumonitis
    • Interstitial lung disease
    • Lung cancer
    • Pleural effusion
    • Pneumoconiosis
    • Pneumothorax
    • Non-cardiogenic pulmonary edema or acute respiratory distress syndrome
    • Sarcoidosis
• Pulmonary vascular diseases
  • Acute or recurrent pulmonary emboli
  • Pulmonary hypertension, primary or secondary
  • Pulmonary veno-occlusive disease
  • Superior vena cava syndrome

Other causes of diminished breathing

• Obstruction of the airway
  • Cancer of the larynx or pharynx
  • Empty nose syndrome
  • Pulmonary aspiration
  • Epiglottitis
  • Vocal cord dysfunction
• Immobilization of the diaphragm
  • Lesion of the phrenic nerve
  • Polycystic liver disease
  • Tumor in the diaphragm
  • Drugs, including those which relax muscles (including the diaphragm)
• Restriction of the chest volume
  • Ankylosing spondylitis
  • Broken ribs
  • Kyphosis of the spine
  • Obesity
  • Pregnancy
  • Pectus excavatum
  • Scoliosis
• Disorders of the cardiovascular system
  • Aortic dissection
  • Cardiomyopathy
  • Congenital heart disease
  • CREST syndrome
  • Heart failure
  • Ischaemic heart disease
  • Malignant hypertension
  • Pericardium disorders, including:
    • Cardiac tamponade
    • Constrictive pericarditis
    • Pericardial effusion
  • Pulmonary edema
  • Pulmonary embolism
  • Valvular heart disease
• Disorders of the blood and metabolism
  • Anemia
  • Hypothyroidism
  • Adrenal insufficiency
  • Metabolic acidosis
  • Sepsis
  • Leukemia
• Disorders affecting breathing nerves and muscles
  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • Guillain-Barré syndrome
  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Myasthenia gravis
  • Parsonage Turner syndrome
  • Eaton-Lambert syndrome
  • Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Psychological conditions
  • Anxiety disorders and panic attacks
• Medications
  • Opioids, such as Fentanyl
• Other
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning