Shortness of breath can occur with causes ranging from allergies to heart attacks. You may feel like you can’t get enough air into your lungs or like you need to inhale before you finish exhaling.
Shortness of breath, or feeling “winded,” can make it difficult to draw in a full breath. You might feel like you’ve just run a sprint, climbed several flights of stairs, or taken an aerobics class.
These sensations may be familiar if you exercise regularly — but outside the context of exercise, they can be alarming.
Shortness of breath can be a symptom of a variety of medical conditions, including various heart and lung conditions. Read on to learn more about what shortness of breath feels like and what causes it.