Why do I feel chest tightness and shortness of breath? Be alert if you experience these symptoms!

When you experience chest tightness and shortness of breath, everyone will feel like they can't breathe. This condition is common among the elderly and these symptoms are caused by illness. So, what causes chest tightness and shortness of breath? What are the causes of chest tightness and shortness of breath?

1. Lung disease

People with lung diseases are most likely to experience varying degrees of chest tightness. Regardless of whether they are currently suffering from lung disease or have a history of lung disease, chest tightness will often occur in daily life. Although patients with a history of lung disease have now recovered, their lung function has been damaged and affected to a certain extent during the illness. Therefore, they will occasionally experience insufficient air intake and difficulty breathing after recovery. Some experts also pointed out that this is due to the weakening of lung tissue elasticity and the reduction of lung breathing area.

Therefore, patients who often experience symptoms such as chest tightness and shortness of breath should go to the hospital as soon as possible to check whether it is caused by damaged lung function. Once the symptoms are found, timely and effective treatment must be carried out.

2. Impaired heart function

Our body breathes every moment by inhaling oxygen through the lungs and then expelling carbon dioxide. This process is what we need every time we breathe. All of these processes require blood to be pumped from the heart to the lungs. However, if the heart function is damaged or imperfect at this time, it will lead to weak blood pumping, and the various organs of the human body will not get enough oxygen, resulting in chest tightness and difficulty breathing. Poor heart function and insufficient blood pumping can also cause shortness of breath.

These symptoms are generally aggravated during labor, but can be effectively relieved or even disappear after a period of rest. In addition, these symptoms will be aggravated when lying on your back and relieved when sitting.

3. Inspiratory Center

Under normal circumstances, our breathing process is very simple. It mainly completes the exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide through the even breathing in and out of the lungs, thus completing the smooth exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide. However, if carbon dioxide accumulates in the lungs at this time, it will stimulate the excitement of the inhalation center, resulting in intensified inhalation, and may even cause the patient to take a short deep breath followed by a long breath. Experts remind that these are normal phenomena.

However, this group of people should pay special attention in their daily lives. They should try to go to places with fresh air more often, and try to avoid places with a lot of dust in the air, so as to avoid the recurrence of inhibition of the respiratory center.

4. Bad mood

Our bodies will also experience chest tightness when we are in a bad mood, such as thinking too much, feeling depressed, etc. These bad emotions will inhibit the respiratory center. If the respiratory center returns to normal, you will take a deep breath unconsciously. Experts remind you that this is a compensation between excitement and inhibition in the brain, and is usually a normal physiological phenomenon.

There are many reasons for chest tightness, and many times chest tightness is caused by heart failure, such as insufficient blood supply to the myocardium, myocarditis, etc. These are the main causes of chest tightness and shortness of breath.