Breathing difficulty may indicate a problem with your heart or lungs

Experiencing lack of breath

You most likely won't be concerned when you feel a bit puffed out after running for a bus or pushing yourself in the gym. But if you begin to feel uncomfortable when, in theory, you should be breathing normally, you may begin to wonder what are you doing.

Common and benign causes of breathlessness feel anxious or nervous, being overweight or lacking fitness. However, difficulty breathing may in some cases indicate a problem with your heart or lungs, or lack of blood, amongst other things.

Acute, sudden difficulty breathing

If you are suddenly and acutely short of breath, and the following conditions affect you, see your doctor:

You've got a fever: A temperature of over 38 degrees Celsius (100.4 degrees Fahrenheit) suggests some form of chest infection, for example bronchitis or pneumonia . Coughing up green or yellow phlegm can also be highly likely if you have a chest infection.

If you're in illness or belong to an older age group, you're at greater risk of suffering complications from the chest infection, and so see your doctor for more assessment and treatment such as antibiotics. If your infection is severe, your doctor may in rare cases need to admit you to definitely hospital. The good thing is that - if you are normally healthy - you're likely to get better quickly.

You're pregnant: While you might find that making your way around is harder and you become more puffed out in the weeks prior to having a baby, you shouldn't really feel breathless in the earlier stages of being pregnant. See your doctor or midwife if you are pregnant and discover yourself becoming lacking breath.

You're under a lot of stress or feel anxious: Your difficulty breathing may be due to a panic attack. If you've never experienced this symptom before, contact your doctor for advice. If your breathing problems disappear quickly however, you still suffer from symptoms of anxiety, depression or stress, book a routine appointment to see your doctor - lots of treatment option is available.

If you suddenly feel breathless, unwell and notice any of the following symptoms, seek urgent advice from your doctor or call '999' in an urgent situation:

You think you might be experiencing an allergic reaction, for example to antibiotics or nuts, which could cause sudden noisy breathing.
You also have chest pain.
You are feeling faint or have collapsed.
You have been lacking breath for any while but suddenly get worse.
You're coughing up frothy phlegm (or sputum) and feel better only if you crunches, which may indicate issues with your heart.
You possess an unexplained swelling in your leg and suddenly become breathless. If you feel breathless, keep calm, remove any tight clothing and sit the wrong way round on a chair with your arms based on the rear rest instead of prone flat.

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