Breathing Disorder Causes
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Shortness of breath or dyspnea is a feeling of breathlessness or a sense of getting “not enough air” out of proportion to activity. Shortness of breath that is experienced when you are at rest or with little physical activity is not normal and should be brought to the immediate attention of your physician. There are many causes of dyspnea, and the specific one must be clarified.
Tests will be ordered after your discussion and physical examination by your doctor. These tests may include a chest X ray, tests of lung function, and measurement of oxygen levels in the blood, if lung disease is suspected. Other tests may be ordered to evaluate possible heart disease, including electrocardiogram.
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Because there are so many different kinds of breathing disorders, there are too many causes to list. Some of the disease-related causes of breathing disorders include asthma, lung cancer, and emphysema. Breathing disorders can be caused by a combination of problems with the airways, lung tissue, or lung circulation. Being overweight can also lead to breathing disorders.
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Smoking causes a number of health issues, including breathing disorders. It is responsible for 87 percent of fatal cases of lung cancer. Secondhand smoke can also be dangerous. The toxins in cigarette smoke can cause the lung tissue to become irritated.
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Here are the main reasons:
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Postural conditioning. From an early age, we are taught to adopt a posture that is not conducive to abdominal breathing. In school, children are told to “stand up tall and straight.” In the military, recruits are ordered, “Chest out, stomach in!” And modern paradigms of fitness and attractiveness emphasize an erect bearing, a flat stomach, and a curved-backward lower spine. All of these promote a posture that makes deep breathing difficult.
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We hold negative emotions and tension in the muscles of the chest and abdomen. Have you ever been so scared, angry, or stressed out that you felt like you couldn’t breathe? We frequently physicalize our stress and negative emotions; the unconscious mind traps them in the body. While this can happen in any part of our musculature, the chest and abdomen are prime sites for tightness, and the diaphragm muscle is particularly vulnerable. Tension held in the diaphragm manifests as a spasm or contraction, which makes it difficult to draw the diaphragm lower to take a deep breath.
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Lack of awareness. Many of us simply don’t know we could breathe more deeply and more effectively and that deep breathing is healthier. We’ve been conditioned to breathe shallow and high, and we’re unaware of how fully and powerfully we could breathe.
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Breathing problems can potentially be caused by a number of conditions, including: heart disease, lung infection (pneumonia), a collapsed lung, asthma, smoking, inhalation of fumes, choking, and a chest or head injury. Sudden onset of asthma-like symptoms should be treated with a rescue inhaler. Fear, panic and anxiety may also cause breathing problems, resulting in rapid, shallow breathing, known as hyperventilation or over-breathing. Over-breathing may also occur in more serious medical conditions, including heart attack, bleeding, fever or serious infection.
