CAUSES
Chronic shortness of breath can be caused heart or lung conditions or caused by de-conditioning resulting from inactivity. De-conditioning of individuals is a significant problem for seniors with movement limiting diseases and conditions. Your heart and lungs are involved in transporting oxygen to your tissues and removing carbon dioxide, and problems with either of these processes affect your breathing. Chronic shortness of breath results in a decrease in the amount of blood flowing through the heart and lungs thus decreasing the rate of exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Cases of shortness of breath that has lasted for weeks or longer (called chronic), is most often due to:
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
Deconditioning
Heart dysfunction
A number of other health conditions also can make it hard to get enough air. These include:
Lung problems
Croup (in young children)
Pleurisy (inflammation of the membrane lining the chest)
Pulmonary edema (excess fluid in the lungs)
Pulmonary fibrosis (scarred and damaged lungs)
Pulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure within the lungs' blood vessels)
Sarcoidosis (collections of inflammatory cells in the body)
Heart problems
Cardiomyopathy (problem with the heart muscle)
Heart arrhythmias (rhythm problems)
Pericarditis (swelling of the membrane surrounding the heart)