What does shortness of breath mean?

Definitions for shortness of breath
short·ness of breath

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word shortness of breath.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. shortness of breath, SOB, breathlessnessnoun

    a dyspneic condition

Wiktionary

  1. shortness of breathnoun

    difficulty in breathing; dyspnea

Wikipedia

  1. Shortness of breath

    Shortness of breath (SOB), also medically known as dyspnea (in AmE) or dyspnoea (in BrE), is an uncomfortable feeling of not being able to breathe well enough. The American Thoracic Society defines it as "a subjective experience of breathing discomfort that consists of qualitatively distinct sensations that vary in intensity", and recommends evaluating dyspnea by assessing the intensity of its distinct sensations, the degree of distress and discomfort involved, and its burden or impact on the patient's activities of daily living. Distinct sensations include effort/work to breathe, chest tightness or pain, and "air hunger" (the feeling of not enough oxygen). The tripod position is often assumed to be a sign. Dyspnea is a normal symptom of heavy physical exertion but becomes pathological if it occurs in unexpected situations, when resting or during light exertion. In 85% of cases it is due to asthma, pneumonia, cardiac ischemia, interstitial lung disease, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or psychogenic causes, such as panic disorder and anxiety. The best treatment to relieve or even remove shortness of breath typically depends on the underlying cause.

ChatGPT

  1. shortness of breath

    Shortness of breath, also known as dyspnea, is a sensation of difficulty or discomfort when breathing, typically resulting in a feeling of not getting enough air. It can occur in both strenuous and normal situations, and can be a symptom of various medical conditions such as heart or lung diseases, severe anxiety, or physical exertion.

Matched Categories

How to pronounce shortness of breath?

How to say shortness of breath in sign language?

Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of shortness of breath in Chaldean Numerology is: 8

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of shortness of breath in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of shortness of breath in a Sentence

  1. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus:

    In about 14 % of cases, the virus causes severe diseases including pneumonia and shortness of breath. And about 5 % of patients have critical diseases including respiratory failure, septic shock and multiorgan failure, in 2 % of reported cases, the virus is fatal, and the risk of death increases the older you are. We see relatively few cases among children. More research is needed to understand why.

  2. Michele Heisler:

    You can't say that someone dies from any form of delirium, it's like saying, what is the cause of death ? Chest pain. What is the cause of death ? I don't know, shortness of breath. In a way, it's as nonsensical.

  3. Alison Hedervary:

    I don’t have any more shortness of breath. I basically live a normal life, i don’t even think about having this disease whereas before I would worry about my breathing getting worse, but as Dr. Parambil has told me, ‘You can do anything you want to do,’ and I have.

  4. Suzanne Steinbaum:

    If you’re exercising and you have symptoms of chest discomfort, not just shortness of breath, but real difficulty getting air in, stop. If you don’t recover quickly and it happens again, go see your doctor.

  5. Suzanne Steinbaum:

    Dr. Suzanne Steinbaum, a cardiologist and director of women’s heart health at the Heart and Vascular Institute at Lenox Hill Hospitalin New York, told Fox News. Symptoms of ARVD can include palpitations, shortness of breath and fainting. NIKI TAYLOR'S TIPS FOR JUGGLING MOTHERHOOD AND A CAREER Niki said Krissy Taylor never showed any direct symptoms but was generally an anxious person, especially before fashion shoots and go-sees. She would always say ‘ my heart’s beating so fast … I don't know what's going on, ’ so we just thought it was normal butterflies or excitement, but this was probably symptoms that something else was going on, Niki said. Diagnosing ARVD can be challenging, Suzanne Steinbaum said. Diagnosing ARVD’s normal for our heart to pound and pump when we get nervous or anxious, but walking around town and feeling your heart pound and pump is not normal, Suzanne Steinbaum explained. Diagnosing ARVD's really hard to tell the difference between anxiety, stress and really a heart condition, if you have symptoms of shortness of breath, if you have palpitations, if you feel dizzy the first place you have to think is your heart. So what I tell everyone is don't diagnose yourself, just go to the doctor, she added. To help more women understand their risk of heart disease, the number one killer of women, Niki partnered with the American Heart Association and their Go Red for Women campaign. We just want people to go get an EKG( electrocardiogram), your doctor will be able to know if you have heart flutters or an irregular heartbeat like Krissy Taylor did, and it could save your life.


Translations for shortness of breath

From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary

Get even more translations for shortness of breath »

Translation

Find a translation for the shortness of breath definition in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Word of the Day

Would you like us to send you a FREE new word definition delivered to your inbox daily?

Please enter your email address:


Citation

Use the citation below to add this definition to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"shortness of breath." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 22 Feb. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/shortness+of+breath>.

Discuss these shortness of breath definitions with the community:

0 Comments

    Are we missing a good definition for shortness of breath? Don't keep it to yourself...

    Image or illustration of

    shortness of breath

    Credit »

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Chrome

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Free, no signup required:

    Add to Firefox

    Get instant definitions for any word that hits you anywhere on the web!

    Quiz

    Are you a words master?

    »
    not transmitting or reflecting light or radiant energy; impenetrable to sight
    A opaque
    B nasty
    C squashy
    D profound

    Nearby & related entries:

    Alternative searches for shortness of breath: