Types of breathing difficulties

Breathing difficulties include all difficulties that can occur when breathing. Those affected often describe a feeling of tightness in the chest, the feeling of not getting enough air or hearing unusual breathing noises. These problems can have a significant impact on everyday life, as breathing is essential for the body's oxygen supply.

Breathing difficulties can manifest themselves in different ways. Breathing difficulties include, among others

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• Cough
• Shortness of breath: The feeling of not being able to breathe deeply or quickly enough
• Breathlessness: The feeling of not getting enough air is also called dyspnoea. It can occur both at rest and during exertion.
• Heavy feeling in the chest: A feeling as if something is weighing down on the chest and making breathing difficult.
• Increased breathing rate: Rapid breathing, known as tachypnoea, often indicates breathing problems.

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Breathing noises as a side effect

Breathing is usually silent. If breathing noises occur, they may be the first sign of breathing problems. They can also be accompanied by breathing difficulties. Breathing noises are a symptom that may indicate that the airways are constricted, blocked or irritated.

Breathing noises can be rattling, whistling or humming.

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• Rales: Rales are an umbrella term for breath sounds. They occur when fluids or secretions in the lungs or bronchi move when breathing in and/or out. The practitioner distinguishes between wet and dry rales.
  ‍Wet breath sounds can have a ringing, non-sounding or metallic character.
  ‍Dry rales can be heard as whistling, giggling or humming.
  By listening with a stethoscope, practitioners can localise where the noise is. They can draw conclusions about the cause from the sound of the rattling noise.
• Whistling: A flow noise that can occur mainly when exhaling. It is caused by constriction or obstruction of the airways.
• Humming: A low-frequency, low-pitched breathing noise that can occur mainly when exhaling. It is often caused by accumulations of mucus in the large airways that vibrate in the respiratory flow.

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If breathing noises occur, these should be discussed with the treating doctor. They will be able to specify and categorise the breath sounds and initiate treatment if necessary.

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Causes of breathing difficulties

Breathing difficulties and associated breath sounds can have a variety of causes.

They include

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• Infections (e.g. common cold, Covid-19)
• Diseases of the respiratory tract (e.g. bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchial asthma, COPD)
• Cardiovascular diseases (e.g. coronary heart disease, cardiac arrhythmia)
• External factors (e.g. allergies, pollutants or foreign bodies in the airways)
• Psychological causes (e.g. panic attacks or anxiety can trigger hyperventilation and the feeling of breathlessness.
• Other diseases (e.g. diseases associated with anaemia).

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As there are many different causes of breathing difficulties, these should always be discussed with the doctor treating you. As part of a differential diagnosis, other symptoms are investigated to confirm a diagnosis and initiate treatment.