## Why heavy breathing occurs Heavy breathing can be caused by inhalation and exhalation issues. __Inspiratory difficulties__ are related to inspiratory shortness of breath, which is often accompanied by headache, congestion in the ears, weakness, attacks of suffocation, and increased sweating. __Expiratory__ difficulties are characterized by difficulty in exhaling. There are chest pains, pale lips and skin, increased venous pressure, and general weakness. __Mixed__ difficulties could be linked to lung diseases such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, bronchial asthma, or emphysema. ## Nothing to be afraid of Frequent and sometimes labored breathing (difficulty breathing) after a run or exercise is normal. If breathing returns to normal within 1–3 minutes, everything is fine. Another common cause of difficulty breathing is stress. The heart begins to beat more actively, and the person has a feeling of lack of air. This is unpleasant, but ===does not require any treatment: as soon as the acute phase of stress subsides, you will begin to breathe normally. With constant stress, hyperventilation syndrome can develop as frequent inhalation and exhalation become a constant phenomenon. This condition does not create a direct threat to health, but since it reduces the quality of life it must be corrected following specialists’ advice. The third reason for shortness of breath is stuffiness in the room and, as a result, lack of air. Problems with breathing while inhaling can also occur while in the mountains, where the air supply is thinner than normal. ## Don’t ignore symptoms __Coronary artery disease__ is a disease where the heart muscle receives less oxygen than it needs due to damage to the coronary arteries (the vessels that feed the myocardium). Both inhalation and exhalation are difficult. __Arrhythmia__ is a violation of the heart rhythm. The blood moves through the body too slowly and does not have time to bring oxygen to the tissues. Breathing becomes shallow. __Defects and heart failure__ also lead to blood stagnation, insufficient circulation, and, as a result, shallow breathing. __Tumors and cysts__ of the airways or surrounding organs—the esophagus, trachea, thymus, bronchi, and lungs—can narrow the airways. Both inhalation and exhalation are difficult. __Bronchial asthma__ —when reacting to an allergen or stress, a spasm of the airways occurs. A distinctive feature is that it is more difficult to exhale than to inhale. __Respiratory diseases__ —even a banal ARVI can cause swelling of the respiratory tract. It becomes difficult to both inhale and exhale. __An acute attack of an allergic reaction__ in the form of bronchospasm or Quincke's edema. __Brain damage including trauma, neoplasm, stroke, encephalitis__ —breathing is controlled by the brain, and brain problems can lead to too frequent or rare breathing—and in severe cases, can stop it altogether. __Intercostal neuralgia__ causes severe pain, preventing deep breaths. __A curved spine__ can put pressure on nerves and blood vessels. This will cause spasms of the bronchi, narrowing of the lumen of the arteries, or pain when trying to take a deep breath. The symptoms described above cannot be ignored. Depending on the problem, you should get in touch with a neurologist, cardiologist, or pulmonologist.