Breathlessness, also called shortness of breath or dyspnoea, is when a person temporarily or permanently feels that they cannot get enough air when breathing. In severe breathlessness, people have a sensation of tightness or are even afraid of suffocating. Breathing is labored and it is difficult to breathe deeply. Breathlessness occurs in lung diseases like asthma or pneumonia, but also during a heart attack or in extreme obesity.
