CHEST PAIN
What Does Shortness of Breath Feel Like?
April 8, 2020
Symptom Guides > Chest Pain > What Does Shortness of Breath Feel Like?

by
Dr. Chris Bodle
Dr. Bodle is a board certified emergency medicine physician. He received his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine, and completed his residency in emergency medicine at Emory University. In addition to K Health, he currently works as an Emergency Medicine physician in an Urban, Level 1 Trauma Center in the south east.
If you are feeling like you can’t catch your breath or you can’t breathe deeply enough to fill your lungs with air, you may be experiencing dyspnea, an uncomfortable but common sensation called “shortness of breath.”
If you’re experiencing dyspnea, your symptoms might include tightness in your chest, breathlessness, feeling “hungry for air,” or feeling that you’re being suffocated. Shortness of breath can be a scary sensation, but it is not always cause for concern. Healthy people who are vigorously exercising, are in high-altitude environments, or are exposed to extreme temperatures can develop short-term dyspnea as their body acclimates to their environment. Shortness of breath that occurs outside of those circumstances, or presents more severely and rapidly, or persists for a long period of time may indicate an underlying health condition that requires medical attention.
In this article, I’ll cover:
“If you have shortness of breath, you may describe feeling like you can’t catch your breath or can’t take deep breaths, and that you feel short of breath or like you’re suffocating.”
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by
Dr. Chris Bodle
Dr. Bodle is a board certified emergency medicine physician. He received his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine, and completed his residency in emergency medicine at Emory University. In addition to K Health, he currently works as an Emergency Medicine physician in an Urban, Level 1 Trauma Center in the south east.
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