Breathing difficulty in adults can be caused by a wide variety of problems. When breathing difficulty is accompanied by other symptoms it can provide an important clue to the underlying cause.

Causes of breathing difficulty in adults by associated symptoms:

• Breathing difficulty with anxiety:
• Panic attack
• Hyperventilation
• Asthma
• Breathing difficulty when lying flat:
• Congestive heart failure
• Breathing difficulty while eating:
• Choking
• Aspiration pneumonia
• Breathing difficulty with chest pain:
• Pneumothorax
• Pneumonia
• Breathing difficulty with cough:
• Bronchitis
• Bronchiolitis
• Pneumonia
• Asthma
• Breathing difficulty with a croupy cough:
• Croup
• Epiglottitis
• Breathing difficulty with difficulty speaking:
• Allergic reaction
• Upper airway infection
• Breathing difficulty with difficulty swallowing:
• Allergic reaction
• Upper airway infection
• Breathing difficulty with exertion:
• Congestive heart failure, asthma
• Breathing difficulty with fainting:
• Allergic reaction
• Congenital heart disease
• Breathing difficulty with fever:
• Bronchitis
• Pneumonia
• Breathing difficulty with hives:
• Allergic reaction
• Breathing difficulty with nausea:
• Congenital heart disease
• Breathing difficulty with wheezing:
• Bronchitis
• Asthma
• Bronchiolitis
• Breathing difficulty upon waking:
• Congestive heart failure
• Asthma

For more information:

• Breathing difficulty in children underlying cause