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Excessively rapid breathing is referred to as hyperventilation. Shortness of Breath is also referred to as DYSPNEA.
The rate and depth of breathing normally increase during exercise and at high altitudes, but the increase seldom causes
discomfort. With dyspnea, faster breathing is accompanied by the sensation of running out of air. People feel as if they
cannot breathe fast enough or deeply enough. They may notice that more effort is needed to expand the chest when
breathing in or to expel air when breathing out. They may also have the uncomfortable sensation that inhaling is
urgently needed before exhaling is completed and have various sensations often described as tightness in the chest.
Causes of Shortness of Breath include:
Symptoms
Whether it is sudden or long term, difficulty breathing should always be taken seriously. If you experience shortness of
breath, be sure to take note of when it occurs, how often it occurs and other related symptomatic information to assist
your doctor in reviewing your case. If breathlessness is sudden and severe, it may be the result of air around the lung or
a blood clots in the lung both emergency conditions that require urgent and immediate medical attention.
Shortness of breath can be associated with symptoms of
Dizziness, fainting
Chest pain, neck pain
Pain with inspiration (pleurisy)
Cough, wheezing, bloody sputum
Physical exam
CT scan of the chest
Exercise test, blood tests
Echocardiogram (EKG, ECG)
Ambulatory cardiac monitoring