Dyspnea

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

Causes

There are many different causes of dyspnea. Some include:

Pulmonary disorders

• Obstructive lung diseases
  • Asthma
  • Bronchitis
  • Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
  • Cystic fibrosis
  • Emphysema
  • Laryngeal edema due to allergies
  • Hookworm disease
• 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
• 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
  • Fentanyl
• Other
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning