Sudden loss of breath for a second

If you or someone else is having severe difficulty breathing or is turning blue, call triple zero (000) for an ambulance.

Breathing problems are one of the symptoms of COVID-19. Even if your symptoms are mild, get tested for COVID-19 immediately — use the breathing problems Symptom Checker if you're not sure what to do.

What are breathing problems?

Breathing problems are when you feel you can’t get enough air, your chest feels very tight, you are breathless or you feel like you’re being suffocated.

You might feel short of breath if you are obese or if you have just done some strenuous exercise. It can also happen in extreme temperatures or if you are at high altitude.

If you have breathing problems for any other reason, it is probably the sign of a medical problem.

When should I call an ambulance or go to the emergency department?

You should call triple zero (000) for an ambulance if:

• you are so short of breath you can’t speak in sentences
• you also have pains in your chest, arm or jaw
• you feel faint or sick

Make an appointment to see your doctor or consider going to an emergency department if, as well as being out of breath, you:

• have swollen feet or ankles
• feel more short of breath when you lie down
• have fever, chills and a cough
• have blue lips or fingertips
• make noises when you breathe
• have to put a lot of effort into breathing
• are getting worse

What should I do while waiting for an ambulance?

While you are waiting, try to stay calm. Sit upright and make sure you have someone with you if possible.

If you have asthma, take 4 puffs of your blue or grey reliever puffer. Take 4 more puffs every 4 minutes until help arrives.

What causes breathing problems?

Common causes of feeling short of breath are:

Other causes of suddenly feeling short of breath are:

Some people feel short of breath long term. This can be caused by:

What other symptoms might I have?

If your breathing problems are caused by a cold or chest infection, you might also have a cough, fever, sore throat, sneezing, blocked or runny nose and general congestion.

If the problem is to do with your heart, you might also have chest pain, feel light-headed and nauseous. If you have been diagnosed with angina, take your medication as directed. Wait 5 minutes and take another dose.

If the problem is asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), you might also have a lot of mucous, a wheezing sound when you breathe, and your symptoms might get worse with exercise or during the night.

If the problem is a panic attack, you might also have a fast heartbeat, sweating and shaking, nausea, dizziness and a sense of impending doom or danger.

CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS — Use the breathing problems Symptom Checker and find out if you need to seek medical help.

How are breathing problems treated?

The type of treatment you need depends on how unwell you feel, how suddenly it has come on and what other conditions you might have.

If you see a doctor, the tests you might have include:

Treatments include:

Can breathing problems be prevented?

If you have any breathing problems, and you smoke you should quit. Call 13 78 48 or go to the Quitline website.

If you have any medication for breathing problems, such as puffers, use them as directed by your pharmacist or doctor. You can also:

Instead of allowing this to scare the pants off of you, see a doctor to get to the bottom of this frightening symptom.

My mother was having sporadic incidents in which she’d report, “I can’t breathe.”

Of course, she was able to breathe but said it was difficult. She was not panting, winded or out of breath as one might be after running up a few flights of stairs.

The trouble breathing would last, as my mother said, “seconds,” and had no apparent trigger, frequently occurring when she was seated, or standing passively. Exertion did not bring it on.

If all your tests “come back normal,” it’s likely that the reason you have very brief episodes of difficulty breathing is anxiety related or a panic attack, even though right before the brief episode of breathing trouble, you weren’t thinking of anything worrisome.

Breathing Problems from a Panic Attack

“Panic attacks can cause a change in one’s ability to breathe,” says Walter Gaman, MD, FABFM, board certified in family medicine and the author of several award-winning books including “Age to Perfection: How to Thrive to 100, Happy, Healthy, and Wise.”

“Holding breath or gulping for air can be a sign of other conditions, but when all other medical tests are within normal limits, a panic attack should be considered,” continues Dr. Gaman.

“Stress and anxiety are real and panic is caused by an over-stimulation of the fight or flight response within the body.”

My mother has congestive heart failure and an ejection fraction of 25 percent, but her cardiac nurse was more interested in the idea that fluid buildup (from the CHF) was causing the episodes of I can’t breathe.

“An older patient who has a known heart failure may experience an inability to breathe,” says Dr. Gaman.

“If the chest X-ray is normal, showing no fluid or enlargement of the heart, the shortness of breath could be caused by an SVT, supraventricular tachycardia.

“This is when the heart speeds up due to a problem with the electrical signals within the heart.”

My mother’s chest X ray was normal.

There was no weight gain and no edema.

Her other cardiac tests were normal: EKG, echocardiogram (though it did show weak left ventricle—the reason for the 25 EF), blood pressure, pulse, pulse-ox, chemical stress test.

Several years ago she had coronary bypass surgery.

If episodes of SVT had been occurring only while she was at home, making her suddenly “unable to breathe” for a few seconds, these transient events would not have been picked up at the ER.

She saw a pulmonologist who ruled out COPD. The pulmonologist did not believe that the very brief episodes of difficulty breathing were caused by a lung disease or even a heart problem.

When lung disease does cause problems breathing, the episode would not just suddenly come and go and last so briefly without any exertion or pattern; it would be more of a persisting situation.

Furthermore, my mother has no other symptoms that the doctor asked about, such as dizziness, fever, lightheadedness, tingling, numbness, nausea, visual problems or rashes.

The only symptom is the periodic sensation of “I can’t breathe.”

The pulmonologist said it’s probably either anxiety related or a vocal cord dysfunction.

And remember, a panic attack can occur in the absence of precipitating worrisome thoughts.

The “program” for panic attack often runs in the background—like a computer program running in the background—not readily apparent, but there.

“Anyone [young or older] experiencing a sudden lack of breath should seek medical attention,” says Dr. Gaman.

If you’re having episodes where you have trouble breathing, and it’s not related to exertion and seems to come on for no reason at all, and are brief (lasting only seconds), get your heart and lungs checked, but it’s probably panic attacks.

Why do I lose breath for a second?

What is it called when you can't breathe for a few seconds?

How do I know if my shortness of breath is heart related?

What if shortness of breath comes and goes?