Drowning—Breathing Problems

When you’re short of breath, it’s hard or uncomfortable for you to take in the oxygen your body needs. You may feel as if you’re not getting enough air. Sometimes you can have mild breathing problems because of a stuffy nose or intense exercise. But shortness of breath can also be a sign of a serious disease.

Many conditions can make you feel short of breath:

• Lung conditions such as asthma, emphysema, or pneumonia
• Problems with your trachea or bronchi, which are part of your airway system
• Heart disease can make you feel breathless if your heart cannot pump enough blood to supply oxygen to your body
• Anxiety and panic attacks
• Allergies

If you often have trouble breathing, it is important to find out the cause.

• Blood gases (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Breath sounds (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Breathing difficulty (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Breathing difficulty – lying down (Medical Encyclopedia)
• How to breathe when you are short of breath (Medical Encyclopedia)
• How to Properly Put On, Take Off a Disposable Respirator (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) – PDF
• Pulmonary function tests (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Rapid shallow breathing (Medical Encyclopedia)
• Wheezing (Medical Encyclopedia)

People drown when they get too much water in their lungs. You can drown in as little as an inch or two of water. Babies can drown in a sink or bathtub. Preschoolers are most likely to drown in a swimming pool. People who have seizure disorders are also at risk in the water. Drowning can happen quickly and silently.

Drowning precautions should include

• Fences around pools
• Supervising children near any body of water, including tubs
• Not swimming or boating when under the influence of alcohol or sedatives
• Wearing life jackets when boating
• Learning CPR

• Near drowning (Medical Encyclopedia)