It's hard to breathe - reasons

After physical exertion, as a result of excitement, emotional outbursts, breathing often becomes frequent or shortness of breath occurs. These reactions are quite normal for a healthy organism. But in the absence of such provoking factors, it is important to pay special attention when it becomes difficult to breathe - the reasons can be much more serious and dangerous than listed.

Why is it sometimes difficult to breathe?

The problem described in the medical community is called dyspnea. This condition is caused by oxygen starvation (hypoxia) of soft tissues or blood vessels. As a result, neurons in the brain produce impulses that provoke a spasm of smooth muscles and shortness of breath.

There are three types of dyspnea:

• inspiratory (difficult to breathe);
• expiratory (it is difficult to exhale);
• mixed (both symptoms).

In the first case, heart disease is most likely:

1. Ischemic disease, accompanied by a squeezing pain in the chest area.
2. Heart failure is stagnant, breathing difficulties appear only in the horizontal position and pass when sitting, standing (orthopnea).
3. Paroxysmal dyspnea (cardiac asthma) is a very dangerous condition, grows into choking and can end in death if you do not call for an emergency medical care.

In addition, inspiratory dyspnea can indicate bronchial diseases and lung tumors. As a result of filling the lumens of these organs with mucus, oncological neoplasms or viscous sputum, the amount of incoming air decreases and, consequently, oxygen starvation occurs. It becomes hard to breathe and there is a cough due to the need for expectoration of the contents of the bronchi, purification of their lumen.

Expiratory dyspnea is typical for lung spasms, which usually occur during an attack of bronchial asthma. After inhaling, the smooth muscles contract strongly, making it difficult to exhale.

With mixed syndrome - constant shortness of breath, many pathologies are assumed:

1. Panic attacks in which adrenaline is released into the blood, which causes hyperventilation of the lungs and acceleration of the heartbeat.
2. Anemia or iron deficiency anemia (more common in women). Due to the lack of metal ions in the body, the blood is not saturated enough with oxygen, which leads to hypoxia.
3. Thrombophlebitis of deep veins. One of its complications is thromboembolism of the pulmonary arteries, the first sign of which is severe dyspnoea.
4. Obesity is a severe stage, when pathological cells cover the internal organs and heart. Fat prevents the flow of oxygen to the tissues, provoking hypoxia.

In addition, there is the concept of physiological dyspnea: difficulty breathing due to a sedentary lifestyle. In such cases, the problem arises from insufficient loads and is easily solved by performing simple exercises.

Why is it difficult to breathe after eating?

If the observed clinical manifestation is observed after eating, there is a possibility that inflammatory processes occur in the digestive organs. Often this symptom speaks of such diseases:

• stomach ulcer;
• increased acidity;
• irritable bowel syndrome;
• pathology of the pancreas;
• esophagitis.

It's hard to breathe through your nose - other reasons

Factors hampering air access:

• nasal congestion due to infectious, allergic and viral diseases (sinusitis, sinusitis, rhinitis);
• adenoids;
• a tumor or cyst in the nasal sinuses;
• severe swelling of mucous membranes (may be caused by the use of certain medications, for example, Naphthyzin);
• nosebleeds .