Breathing Problems: Types Of Lung And Heart Diseases Causing This Condition

Experiencing problems in breathing are one of the most concerning things nowadays. Trouble breathing can impact your health and can cause discomfort at different levels. In the present situation, people are scared of getting COVID-19 if they have shortness of breath. However, that is not the only reason for having breathing problems. There are ample of other lung problems or heart issues that could lead a person to this condition. Mild breathing problems can often be controlled with the help of proper exercise and good diet, but other might need treatment. Today we will discuss about probable causes of breathing issues faced by people.

Types of Conditions Causing Breathing Difficulty 

Lung Conditions 

1. Asthma 

Asthma is one of the common lung problems that affect individuals of all ages from childhood to older adults. This lung condition actually inflames your tissues present in the lungs and leads to narrowing of airways. As a result of this, it causes wheezing, chest tightness and coughing problems. Asthma can range in severity and lead to complications if medication is not provided within time.  

2. Pneumonia 

This is a severe lung infection that causes inflammation in the lungs. It also leads to fluid build-up in the lung that causes pneumonia. It is a very contagious diseases and has several types depending on the complexity of the cases. Pneumonia can lead a person to life-threatening complications, thus immediate medical support is needed in order to control shortness of breath. Some symptoms of pneumonia are as follows- 

• Chills 
• Cough 
• Shortness of breath 
• Chest pain 
• Fever 
• Muscle pain 
• Exhaustion 
• Sweating 

3. Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease 

COPD refers to a group of diseases that could lead to poor health function. This can be caused because of smoking and other irritants present in the air. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease has various symptoms, but some of the common ones are- 

• Wheezing 
• Constant coughing  
• Increased production of mucus  
• Low levels of oxygens in the body 
• Tightness in the chest 

Also Read- How Does Inflammation Affect Your Body? Know Symptoms, Causes From Our Expert 

4. Pulmonary Embolism 

Another condition that could lead a person to blockage in one of more arteries in the lungs. This is often caused because of blood clots from different organs which leads it to the lungs. Pulmonary embolism could affect your legs, pelvis region or could travel up in the lungs. This could lead to complications and need quick medical support. If you find more than 2 of these symptoms, then you must check with a doctor.  

• Swelling in the legs 
• Chest pain 
• Profuse sweating  
• Abnormal heart rate dizziness 
• Loss of consciousness 
• Bluish tint to skin 
• Cough 

5. Pulmonary Hypertension 

This is a condition that causes high blood pressure which affects the arteries in the lungs leading to shortness of breath. Pulmonary hypertension could be caused because of narrowing or hardening of the arteries which might even lead to complications such as heart failure. Majority of people experience worsening of symptoms with time and breathing problems increase gradually. Here are some symptoms of this condition- 

• Shortness of breath 
• Trouble breathing properly 
• Extreme tiredness or sudden fatigue 
• Pain in the chest 

Heart Conditions Leading to Breathing Problems 

1. Coronary Artery Disease 

This is a disease that result to problems in the arteries that are responsible to supply blood to the heart. It might be possible that coronary artery disease could lead the heart to get narrow or hard. This could lead to decreased blood flow in the heart which might damage the heart muscles. As a result of this, you can get shortness of breath and breathing problems in a quite permanent scenario which can be dangerous for your health.  

2. Congenital Heart Diseases 

It is a type of birth defect in which there are inherited problems with structure and functioning of the heart. Congenital heart disease interferes with the functioning of the heart that could lead the person to breathing difficulties. It can also cause abnormal heart rhythms which increases the risk of complications.  

Also Read- How Does Exercising Reduce The Risk Of Cardiovascular Diseases?

3. Congestive Heart Failure 

One of the most difficult and life-threatening situations can be of congestive heart failure. This happens when there are weak muscles that are unable to pump blood efficiently throughout the body. This often leads to buildup of fluid around the lungs and cause breathing difficulties. You can even get life-threatening situations such as heart attack and problems with heart valves.

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