Breathing difficulties - first aid
Difficulty breathing - first aid; Dyspnea - first aid; Shortness of breath - first aidMost people take breathing for granted. People with certain illnesses may have breathing problems that they deal with on a regular basis.
This article discusses first aid for someone who is having unexpected or sudden breathing problems.
Breathing difficulties can range from:
- Being short of breath
- Being unable to take a deep breath and gasping for air
- Feeling like you are not getting enough air
Considerations
Breathing difficulty is often a medical emergency. An exception is feeling slightly winded from normal activity, such as exercise.
Causes
There are many different causes for breathing problems. Common causes include some health conditions and sudden medical emergencies.
Some health conditions that may cause breathing problems are:
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Anemia (low red blood cell count)
Anemia
Anemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough healthy red blood cells. Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues. Different type...
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Asthma
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic disease that causes the airways of the lungs to swell and narrow. It leads to breathing difficulty such as wheezing, shortness o...
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Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), sometimes called emphysema or chronic bronchitis
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (...
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common lung disease. Having COPD makes it hard to breathe. There are two main forms of COPD:Chroni...
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Heart disease or heart failure
Heart disease
Coronary heart disease is a narrowing of the blood vessels that supply blood and oxygen to the heart. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is also called co...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleHeart failure
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart is no longer able to pump oxygen-rich blood to the rest of the body efficiently. This causes symptom...
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Lung cancer, or cancer that has spread to the lungs
Lung cancer
Lung cancer is cancer that starts in the lungs. The lungs are located in the chest. When you breathe, air goes through your nose, down your windpipe...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Respiratory infections, including pneumonia, acute bronchitis, whooping cough, croup, and others
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is a breathing (respiratory) condition in which there is an infection of the lung. This article covers community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). ...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleWhooping cough
Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial disease that causes uncontrollable, violent coughing. The coughing can make it hard to breathe. A deep "...
Read Article Now Book Mark ArticleCroup
Croup is an infection of the upper airways that causes breathing difficulty and a barking cough. Croup is due to swelling around the vocal cords. I...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Conditions which restrict the movement of the chest wall or diaphragm
- Certain neurologic conditions
Some medical emergencies that can cause breathing problems are:
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Blood clot in the lung
Blood clot in the lung
A pulmonary embolus is a blockage of an artery in the lungs. The most common cause of the blockage is a blood clot.
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Collapsed lung (pneumothorax)
Collapsed lung (pneumothorax)
A collapsed lung occurs when air escapes from the lung. The air then fills the space outside of the lung between the lung and chest wall. This buil...
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Heart attack
Heart attack
Most heart attacks are caused by a blood clot that blocks one of the coronary arteries. The coronary arteries bring blood and oxygen to the heart. ...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE)
- Injury to the neck, chest wall, or lungs
- Pericardial effusion (fluid surrounding the heart that can stop it from filling properly with blood)
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Pleural effusion (fluid surrounding the lungs that can compress them)
Pleural effusion
A pleural effusion is a buildup of fluid between the layers of tissue that line the lungs and chest cavity.
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Life-threatening allergic reaction
Life-threatening allergic reaction
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening type of allergic reaction.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Near drowning, which causes fluid buildup in the lungs
Symptoms
People having breathing difficulty will often look uncomfortable. They may be:
- Breathing rapidly
- Unable to breathe lying down and need to sit up to breathe
- Very anxious and agitated
- Sleepy or confused
Confused
Confusion is the inability to think as clearly or quickly as you normally do. You may feel disoriented and have difficulty paying attention, remembe...
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They might have other symptoms, including:
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Dizziness or lightheadedness
Dizziness
Dizziness is a term that is often used to describe 2 different symptoms: lightheadedness and vertigo. Lightheadedness is a feeling that you might fai...
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Fever
Fever
Fever is the temporary increase in the body's temperature in response to a disease or illness. A child has a fever when the temperature is at or abov...
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Cough
Cough
Coughing is an important way to keep your throat and airways clear. But too much coughing may mean you have a disease or disorder. Some coughs are d...
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Nausea
Nausea
Nausea is feeling an urge to vomit. It is often called "being sick to your stomach. "Vomiting or throwing-up forces the contents of the stomach up t...
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Bluish lips, fingers, and fingernails
Bluish lips, fingers, and fingernails
A bluish color to the skin or mucous membrane is usually due to a lack of oxygen in the blood. The medical term is cyanosis.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Chest moving in an unusual way
- Gurgling, wheezing, or making whistling sounds
Wheezing
Wheezing is a high-pitched whistling sound during breathing. It occurs when air moves through narrowed breathing tubes in the lungs.
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Muffled voice or difficulty speaking
- Coughing up blood
- Rapid or irregular heartbeat
Irregular heartbeat
Palpitations are feelings or sensations that your heart is pounding or racing. They can be felt in your chest, throat, or neck. You may:Have an unpl...
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Sweating
Sweating
Sweating is the release of liquid from the body's sweat glands. This liquid contains salt. This process is also called perspiration. Sweating helps...
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If an allergy is causing the breathing problem, they might have a rash or swelling of the face, tongue, or throat.
If an injury is causing breathing difficulty, they might be bleeding or have a visible wound.
First Aid
If someone is having breathing difficulty, call 911 or your local emergency number right away, then:
- Check the person's airway, breathing, and pulse. If necessary, begin CPR.
CPR
CPR stands for cardiopulmonary resuscitation. It is an emergency life-saving procedure that is done when someone's breathing or heartbeat has stoppe...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Loosen any tight clothing.
- Help the person use any prescribed medicine (such as an asthma inhaler or home oxygen).
- Continue to monitor the person's breathing and pulse until medical help arrives. DO NOT assume that the person's condition is improving if you can no longer hear abnormal breath sounds, such as wheezing.
- If there are open wounds in the neck or chest, they must be closed immediately, especially if air bubbles appear in the wound. Bandage such wounds at once.
- A "sucking" chest wound allows air to enter the person's chest cavity with each breath. This can cause a collapsed lung. Bandage the wound with plastic wrap, a plastic bag, or gauze pads covered with petroleum jelly, sealing it on three sides, leaving one side unsealed. This creates a valve to prevent air from entering the chest through the wound, while allowing trapped air to escape from the chest through the unsealed side.
Collapsed lung
A collapsed lung occurs when air escapes from the lung. The air then fills the space outside of the lung between the lung and chest wall. This buil...
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Do Not
DO NOT:
- Give the person food or drink.
- Move the person if there has been a head, neck, chest or airway injury, unless it is absolutely necessary. Protect and stabilize the neck if the person must be moved.
- Place a pillow under the person's head. This can close the airway.
- Wait to see if the person's condition improves before getting medical help. Get help immediately.
When to Contact a Medical Professional
Call 911 or your local emergency number if you or someone else has any of the symptoms of difficult breathing, in the Symptoms section above.
Also call your health care provider right away if you:
- Have a cold or other respiratory infection and are having difficulty breathing
Cold
The common cold most often causes a runny nose, nasal congestion, and sneezing. You may also have a sore throat, cough, headache, or other symptoms....
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Have a cough that does not go away after 2 or 3 weeks
Cough
Coughing is an important way to keep your throat and airways clear. But too much coughing may mean you have a disease or disorder. Some coughs are d...
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- Are losing weight without meaning to or having night sweats
Losing weight
Unexplained weight loss is a decrease in body weight, when you did not try to lose the weight on your own. Many people gain and lose weight. Uninten...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Cannot get to sleep or wake up at night because of breathing difficulty
- Notice it is hard to breathe when doing things that you normally do without breathing difficulty, for example, climbing stairs
Also call your provider if your child has a cough and is making a barking sound or wheezing.
Prevention
Some things you can do to help prevent breathing problems:
- If you have a history of severe allergic reactions, carry an epinephrine pen and wear a medical alert tag. Your provider will teach you how to use the epinephrine pen.
- If you have asthma or allergies, eliminate household allergy triggers like dust mites and mold.
Asthma
Asthma is a chronic disease that causes the airways of the lungs to swell and narrow. It leads to breathing difficulty such as wheezing, shortness o...
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - DO NOT smoke, and keep away from secondhand smoke. DO NOT allow smoking in your home.
- If you have asthma, see the article on asthma to learn ways to manage it.
- Make sure your child gets the whooping cough (pertussis) vaccine.
Vaccine
All content below is taken in its entirety from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) DTaP vaccine information statement (VIS) -- www....
Read Article Now Book Mark Article - Make sure your tetanus booster, influenza, and COVID-19 vaccines are up to date.
- When traveling by airplane, get up and walk around every few hours to avoid forming blood clots in your legs. Once formed, clots can break off and lodge in your lungs. While seated, do ankle circles and raise and lower your heels, toes, and knees to increase blood flow in your legs. If traveling by car, stop and get out and walk around regularly.
- If you are overweight, lose weight. You are more likely to feel winded if you are overweight. You are also at greater risk for heart disease and heart attack.
Overweight
Overweight and obesity mean having a weight than is higher than what is healthy for a given height. A person may be overweight from extra muscle, bo...
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Wear a medical alert tag if you have a pre-existing breathing condition, such as asthma.
References
Goodloe JM, Soulek J. Foreign bodies. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 51.
Rose E. Pediatric upper airway obstruction and infections. In: Walls RM, ed. Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 10th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 162.
Schwartzstein RM, Adams L. Dyspnea. In: Broaddus VC, Ernst JD, King TE, et al, eds. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 7th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 36.
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Collapsed lung, pneumothorax - illustration
A collapsed lung, or pneumothorax, occurs when all or part of a lung collapses or caves inward. This occurs when air gets in the area between the lung and chest wall. When this happens the lung cannot fill up with air, breathing becomes hard, and the body gets less oxygen. A collapsed lung can occur spontaneously in a healthy person or in someone who has lungs compromised by trauma, asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema.
Collapsed lung, pneumothorax
illustration
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Breathing - illustration
Breathing consists of two phases. The first phase is the inspiration phase. Inspiration allows air to flow into the lungs. The second phase is expiration. Expiration involves gases leaving the lungs. During inspiration, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles contract allowing air to enter the lungs. During expiration, the inspiration muscles relax forcing gases to flow out of the lungs.
Breathing
illustration
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Collapsed lung, pneumothorax - illustration
A collapsed lung, or pneumothorax, occurs when all or part of a lung collapses or caves inward. This occurs when air gets in the area between the lung and chest wall. When this happens the lung cannot fill up with air, breathing becomes hard, and the body gets less oxygen. A collapsed lung can occur spontaneously in a healthy person or in someone who has lungs compromised by trauma, asthma, bronchitis, or emphysema.
Collapsed lung, pneumothorax
illustration
-
Breathing - illustration
Breathing consists of two phases. The first phase is the inspiration phase. Inspiration allows air to flow into the lungs. The second phase is expiration. Expiration involves gases leaving the lungs. During inspiration, the diaphragm and intercostal muscles contract allowing air to enter the lungs. During expiration, the inspiration muscles relax forcing gases to flow out of the lungs.
Breathing
illustration
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Review Date: 1/2/2023
Reviewed By: Jesse Borke, MD, CPE, FAAEM, FACEP, Attending Physician at Kaiser Permanente, Orange County, CA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.