In brief
The feeling that you cannot get enough air into your lungs. It has many causes, from being unfit to asthma, heart problems and infections, and some causes are emergencies.
- See your doctor if you are becoming short of breath with less effort than before.
- For asthma, take 4 puffs of your reliever and repeat every 4 minutes until help arrives.
- Sitting upright and using a small fan to blow cool air on your face can help.
When to get help
Get help now
- Call triple zero (000) for an ambulance if someone is short of breath and cannot speak, or can only say single words or short sentences, has pain in the chest, arm or jaw, has blue lips, is sweaty and pale, or is drowsy or confused.
See your doctor if
- You are short of breath with swollen feet or ankles, breathlessness when lying down, a fever with a cough, wheezing or coughing up blood. See your doctor straight away or go to an emergency department.
- You are becoming short of breath with less effort than before.
Things that can contribute
- Asthma
- COPD
- Heart failure
- Chest infections
- Anxiety or panic attacks
- Anaemia
- Being unfit or living with obesity
Questions you could ask your GP
- Do I need breathing tests, a chest x-ray or an ECG?
- Should my blood count and iron levels be checked?
- Which breathing techniques could help me?
Based on healthdirect Australia, Shortness of breath. You can also check your symptoms with the healthdirect Symptom Checker, or speak with a registered nurse on 1800 022 222.
How it works
Causes include lung problems such as asthma, COPD or lung cancer, heart problems such as a heart attack or heart failure, airway infections such as bronchitis, pneumonia, COVID-19, flu and colds, anxiety or panic attacks, allergic reactions, a blood clot in the lungs (pulmonary embolism) and anaemia. The less fit you are, the more breathless you feel when you exert yourself, and living with obesity, pregnancy and high altitude can also play a part.
A doctor may check your oxygen level with a finger clip and arrange a chest x-ray or CT scan, blood tests, breathing tests, an ECG or a heart ultrasound. Depending on the cause, breathing techniques, sitting upright, quitting smoking, losing weight if needed and using prescribed inhalers correctly can help.
Connections
7 connections on the map. Select a topic to read its page.
Shortness of breath can be caused by
Asthma symptoms include wheezing, shortness of breath, a tight chest and coughing.
Source: Better Health Channel (Victorian Government), Asthma
Feeling breathless is a main symptom of COPD.
Source: healthdirect Australia, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Shortness of breath, especially during physical activity, is a symptom of heart failure.
Anaemia is one of the causes of shortness of breath.
Anxiety or panic attacks can cause shortness of breath.
- Overweight and obesity Supported
Being unfit or living with obesity can make you breathless when you exert yourself.
Shortness of breath is linked with
Shortness of breath is when you feel you cannot get enough air into your lungs.
Sources
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Summarised from healthdirect. Sources read on 12 and 19 October 2026. General education only, not medical advice. Spotted a mistake? Please tell us through the HuBu-Intel contact page.