Things to Do When You're Having Trouble Breathing

If you have trouble breathing, you may feel as if you cannot get enough air into and out of your lungs, according to MedlinePlus 1. You could start to cough, wheeze, gasp for air or feel breathless as a result of breathing problems. People often have breathing problems because of a disease or illness, such as a sinus infection, asthma, lung disease, pneumonia, heart disease, allergies, a heart attack or another respiratory problem. Treatment for breathing problems is often dependent on the severity of your lung or heart problem.

At-Home Treatment

If you have a chronic problem that causes you to have breathing problems, you need to stop smoking, reduce stress in your life, maintain a healthy weight, exercise regularly, eat a well-balanced diet and/or limit your exposure to certain allergens to reduce your breathing problems.cause:

• If you have a chronic problem that causes you to have breathing problems
  
• you need to stop smoking
  
• reduce stress in your life
  
• maintain a healthy weight
  
• exercise regularly
  
• eat a well-balanced diet and/or limit your exposure to certain allergens to reduce your breathing problems

Medical Treatment

At your doctor’s office, you will need to undergo a physical examination, medical history and/ other tests. Your doctor may perform a chest x-ray to look at your lungs; an electrocardiogram (ECG), to measure electrical impulses traveling to and from your heart; a pulmonary function test to find out if you have a lung disease, such as asthma or bronchitis, or another test that measures your heart or lungs.

After you undergo diagnostic tests, you doctor will likely prescribe antibiotics or other medications, such as diuretics, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors or beta blockers, to reduce symptoms, such as shortness of breath, that you are experiencing because of your condition.