Reasons for not being able to breathe

Causes and Risk Factors for Breathing Difficulties

Breathing difficulties, whether mild or severe, can be traced to conditions that cause abnormalities or blockages in the lungs or in your airways, which include the following, per the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHBLI): (3)

• Your mouth
• Your nose and linked air passages, called nasal cavities and sinuses
• Your larynx, or voice box
• Your trachea, or windpipe
• Your bronchial tubes or bronchi, and their branches

There are five common underlying conditions, according to the online Merck Manual: (4)

• Asthma Asthma-related inflammation causes airways to spasm and narrow, making it harder to breathe deeply.
• COPD A hallmark of COPD, which includes chronic bronchitis and emphysema, is difficulty pushing air out of your lungs.
• Heart Failure or Heart Disease If the heart cannot pump enough blood through the body, too little oxygen reaches your tissues, which can affect breathing.
• Being Out of Shape When your muscles and heart are weakened by inactivity, it can make breathing more difficult.
• Pneumonia Whether it is caused by bacteria or a virus (such as the flu or a coronavirus), this type of lung infection can lead to inflammation of the respiratory airway, increased and thickened mucus, and ultimately, difficulty with air exchange in the lung air sacs (alveoli), setting off a variety of other respiratory and systemic problems.

There are many other medical conditions that can lead to breathing difficulties:

• Allergies Allergens like pollen, mold, and animal dander can trigger asthma symptoms that make it hard to take normal breaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (5) In extreme cases, allergic reactions to, say, peanuts, bee stings, or certain medications can cause anaphylaxis, an immune system response that can block breathing due to swollen airways.
• Anemia The most common type of anemia is caused by a shortage of iron, according to Mayo Clinic experts. (6) This can make it harder to breathe because iron is needed to make hemoglobin, the protein that red blood cells use to carry oxygen through the body.
• Anxiety “Anxiety can sometimes lead to hyperventilation, which is breathing too quickly,” explains Dr. Maxfield. And it can cause difficulty taking a deep breath. “You’re breathing so quickly, you don’t relax enough to let the air out, so you can’t get a deep breath — which can make you panic and try even harder to take in air while forgetting to exhale,” he says.
• CancerTumors in the throat or lungs can cause blockages that make it hard to catch your breath or inhale deeply. Certain cancer treatments may also cause breathing problems, per Cancer Research UK. (7)
• Colds and the Flu  Both types of viral infections can cause swelling in the nasal passageways that greatly reduces or even blocks airflow to the lungs. COVID-19, which is caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in the same family as the viruses that cause colds, can also cause shortness of breath, Maxfield says. However, that is a less common symptom of COVID-19 than fever, cough, and fatigue, he notes. When breathlessness does occur, it usually means that the disease has infected the lungs and can be taken as a sign to seek medical attention.
• Diabetes Shortness of breath can be a sign of diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious complication of diabetes that occurs when your body produces high levels of blood acids called ketones, according to the Mayo Clinic. (8)
• Obesity Extra fat on your neck or chest or across your abdomen can make it difficult to breathe deeply, resulting in a breathing disorder called obesity hypoventilation syndrome, per the NHBLI. (9)
• Pulmonary Embolism When these blood clots in the lungs travel to the legs or another part of the body (called deep vein thrombosis), they can block an artery and make breathing so difficult that it becomes life-threatening, American Lung Association (ALA) experts explain. (10)
• Sleep Apnea If you have sleep apnea, you may have difficulty breathing at night. Your breathing slows or stops for seconds at a time repeatedly throughout your sleep cycle. Because breathing restarts quickly, you may never know if it ever stopped. In extreme cases, however, sleep apnea can trigger severe shortness of breath that causes you to suddenly wake up gasping for air, according to the Journal of Cardiology. (11) The medical term for this is paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, which can also be a symptom of other conditions, including heart failure.
• Medications In rare cases, certain medications, such as beta-blockers or aspirin, may cause breathlessness if you have asthma, Maxfield notes.

Nonmedical situations may cause breathing difficulties, too:

• High Altitude Because there is less oxygen in the air at altitudes above 4,000 feet, people who live closer to sea level may feel uncomfortably winded and light-headed for several hours or days until they become acclimated.
• Poor Indoor or Outdoor Air Quality Inhaling air pollutants can irritate airways, setting off symptoms that may include shortness of breath and asthma episodes, according to the Respiratory Health Association. (12)
• Extreme Weather Conditions Exposure to unusual temperatures like high heat forces your body to use extra energy to maintain your normal body temperature. This, in turn, forces your body to work harder to breathe, reports Breathe: The Lung Association. (13)

Treatment Options for Breathing Difficulties

If oxygen levels in your blood are low, shortness of breath may be treated with oxygen administered via a tube that sits under your nostrils. (4) In general, however, shortness of breath is a symptom of an underlying condition, so the best way to treat it is to take medications for that condition as prescribed and to follow any other doctor-approved plan for managing your symptoms.

In cases of advanced pneumonia, COVID-19, or other infections or lung diseases, a ventilator is sometimes necessary to breathe for the body when the lungs are failing. By blowing air, or air with extra oxygen, into the airways and then the lungs, the ventilator supports life, giving the patient extra energy and time to fight off the infection, according to the American Thoracic Society (ATS). (15)

If you have a chronic condition that affects the lungs, such as COPD, the ALA suggests that you ask your pulmonologist (a lung specialist) about pulmonary rehabilitation, a form of outpatient treatment aimed at strengthening your lungs and muscles to improve your breathing and your quality of life. (16)

RELATED: How Does Pulmonary Rehab Help People With COPD?

Alternative and Complementary Therapies

If you have breathing difficulties, you may wonder if there are any supplements, herbal remedies, or other nontraditional treatments that might help. Small studies suggest certain alternative therapies may improve symptoms:

• Yoga According to the ATS, some research indicates that yoga can improve quality of life in people with asthma and COPD by increasing lung function and making it easier to exercise longer and more strenuously before experiencing shortness of breath and fatigue. (17) It also helps relieve stress, a common asthma trigger, per the Cleveland Clinic. (18)
• Pursed Lip Breathing Simply practicing breathing in through your nose and breathing out at least twice as long through your mouth while puckering your lips (as if blowing on hot food) helps keep your airways open, according to the ALA. (19) Start by inhaling slowly to a count of two and exhaling slowly to a count of four. Increase your counts over time.
• Probiotics These living microorganisms that have health benefits “coat all of your mucus membranes, so if you’re inhaling anything you shouldn’t be, you’re going to have a good barrier to strengthen the mucus membranes against irritation,” explains Stephanie Gray, a doctor of nursing practice and co-owner of the Integrative Health and Hormone Clinic in Hiawatha, Iowa. In addition, research published in the journal Mediators of Inflammation suggests that taking probiotic supplements, particularly Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccharomyce, may reduce inflammation in the airways caused by allergic reactions, viral infections, and asthma. (20)
• Omega-3 Fatty Acids  Regularly consuming this healthy type of polyunsaturated fat found naturally in fish, nuts, and seeds helps reduce inflammation at a cellular level, says Gray. The National Academy of Medicine sets the adequate intake of alpha-linolenic acid, a kind of omega-3, at 1.6 grams (g) per day for men and 1.1 g per day for women, but Gray recommends higher doses — 2 g to 4 g per day in supplement form — for treating shortness of breath. (21)
• N-acetylcysteine Supplementing with this antioxidant (which Gray calls “natural Mucinex”) helps thin airway mucus, according to the ATS. (17)

Prevention of Breathing Difficulties

There are many steps you can take to help you avoid breathing problems. To start:

Stop smoking or vaping, if you do. Inhaling tobacco smoke is the major cause of lung cancer and COPD, according to the National Cancer Institute's SmokeFree.gov website. Within two weeks of becoming tobacco-free, you could notice that you’re breathing easier. The cilia (the hairlike microscopic structures in your respiratory tract) will also begin coming back to life, boosting your ability to fight off colds and infections. (22)

Stay hydrated. “Taking in plenty of fluids helps keep the mucus in your respiratory system thin, so it can trap large particles that you breathe,” says Varner. This helps your lungs cleanse themselves.

Be active. “Like the rest of your body, vigorous activity gives your lungs a good workout, which helps expand their capacity,” Varner says.

Lose weight if your body mass index is 30 or higher. Being significantly overweight or obese forces your heart and lungs to work harder, which can make breathing more difficult and aggravate conditions like COPD that are linked to shortness of breath.

Minimize your exposure to smog. Check daily air pollution forecasts in your area at AirNow.gov. Keep windows closed and limit your time spent outdoors when levels are high. A study of more than 300,000 people published in July 2019 in the European Respiratory Journal linked exposure to outdoor air pollution with decreased lung function and an increased risk of developing COPD. (23)

Reduce pollutants in the home. These include secondhand smoke, bleach and chemicals in cleaning products, mold from standing water, burning wood, and scented candles, according to the ALA. (24) Gray also advises airing out freshly dry-cleaned clothes by hanging them in your garage for a few days before bringing them into your home and opening your windows for a little while on days when the air quality is good.