Shortness of Breath

Shortness of breath is a common symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Two conditions make up COPD: chronic bronchitis and emphysema. Both can cause shortness of breath. Shortness of breath is also called breathlessness or dyspnea.^1,2

What is shortness of breath?

People with COPD have damage to their lungs that makes it harder to breathe. They often feel short of breath because it takes more effort to make air travel in and out of the lungs. The feeling of breathlessness can be very uncomfortable. It can make you feel anxious and frightened. Breathlessness may also feel like or cause:^1-3

• More effort needed to breathe
• Feeling of heaviness in the chest
• Hunger for air
• Gasping for air

Why does COPD cause shortness of breath?

Shortness of breath is the most common symptom of COPD. Emphysema and chronic bronchitis can both cause shortness of breath, though it is more common in people with emphysema.^1,4

Emphysema

Emphysema affects the millions of tiny air sacs within the lungs. In healthy lungs, these air sacs have walls that are flexible and stretchy. Emphysema can cause the air sacs to lose stretchiness. It can also damage the walls that separate the air sacs from each other.^1,3,4

When your air sac walls become less stretchy, it takes more effort to breathe in and out. This can cause shortness of breath.^1,3,4

Also, when the air sac walls become damaged, they can combine into larger sacs. The new larger air sacs make it harder for the lungs to fully empty. This keeps the sacs from filling up with fresh air during the next breath. People with emphysema can also feel short of breath because they have too much extra air in their lungs.^1,3,4

Chronic bronchitis

Chronic bronchitis can cause breathlessness in other ways. People with chronic bronchitis have airways that are partly blocked by inflammation or mucus. This causes their airways to become narrower. Because the airways are blocked, air does not flow through them as it should. This can lead to a feeling of breathlessness.^1,3,4

How is shortness of breath treated?

Shortness of breath caused by COPD can be treated in several ways. One of the best ways is to treat your COPD as instructed. Take all your COPD medicines exactly as your doctor prescribes them. These medicines may include bronchodilators, steroids, or antibiotics.^1,3,5

Other treatments may include pulmonary rehabilitation programs or oxygen therapy. Pulmonary rehabilitation programs can help people with COPD learn how to better control their breathing. Oxygen therapy uses supplemental oxygen to add extra oxygen to the blood.^1,3,5

Shortness of breath can make people with COPD avoid physical activities or exercise. But being out of shape can then cause even more shortness of breath. It is important to stay as active as possible, even if it makes you feel breathless. A regular exercise routine can help improve lung strength and reduce the feeling of breathlessness.^1,3,5

New or increased shortness of breath may be a sign of a COPD flare-up, or exacerbation. This is a time of worsening symptoms. If you think you are having a flare-up, call your doctor or go to the hospital.^1,3