What does shortness of breath feel like

Shortness of breath means you're consciously thinking about breathing, even while you're at rest. If you can't breathe properly while sitting or lying down, call immediately. Normally, breathing is something we do without thinking. Without any conscious thought, breathing keeps us alive. We naturally breathe slower when we're asleep and faster when we're exercising. So if you're panting after an uphill bike ride or walking up some stairs, that's normal.

If you're breathing harder after intense physical activity and you are able to catch your breath afterwards , a doctor wouldn't consider that "shortness of breath" medically significant. Some people don't have issues breathing, while others do. So it's important to get help quickly if you relate to any of these:. These red flags require immediate medical care. Call immediately if you have shortness of breath associated with:.

When you're healthy, you have little construction cells that make a helpful coating for your lung cells. The helpful coating helps your lung cells give you oxygen. Without the coating, your lungs have to work much harder than normal to keep you alive. The coronavirus kills the little construction cells that make the coating.

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Coronary artery spasm: Cause for concern? However, as the situation surrounding COVID continues to evolve, it's possible that some data have changed since publication. While Health is trying to keep our stories as up-to-date as possible, we also encourage readers to stay informed on news and recommendations for their own communities by using the CDC , WHO , and their local public health department as resources. To get our top stories delivered to your inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter.

Doctors Explain This Coronavirus Symptom. By Leah Groth Updated March 24, Save Pin FB More. Something went wrong. An error has occurred and your entry was not submitted. Please try again. All rights reserved.