1. Initiation of Exercise:
- When you first start exercising, you will notice a rapid increase in the frequency of your breaths - the sudden increase in breathing results from neural changes that send excitatory impulses to the dorsal respiratory group (DRG) of the medullary respiratory center (in the medulla).
2. Moderate Exercise
- During moderate exercise, the muscles need to work harder. Thus, the produced oxygen and carbon dioxide will have more cycles. As a result, the depth and rate of breathing increase to meet the body's needs.
3. Asthma Attack
- After exposure to a particular trigger, the airways become obstructed during an asthma attack - which makes breathing more difficult because the air gets trapped in the lungs, making breathing more difficult.
4. Abrupt Ascent into High Altitudes
- At greater heights, the atmosphere has a lower temperature, a lower density, and a lower concentration of oxygen molecules. Consequently, breathing becomes more complex, requiring more breaths to obtain the same amount of oxygen as you would at lower altitudes.
5. Pneumonia
- Pneumonia can be caused by an acute infection or inflammation, which results in the alveoli becoming inflamed and subsequently filled with fluid or pus. Infected individuals have a more difficult time breathing because it disrupts ventilation and gas exchange and makes breathing more difficult.
6. Paralysis of Phrenic Nerve
- Paralysis of the phrenic nerve, the only nerve in the nervous system that provides motor (movement) function to your diaphragm, can lead to a paralysis of the diaphragm, which in turn results in reduced breathing capacity.
7. Severe Tuberculosis with Resulting Lung Scar Tissue
- In severe cases, tuberculosis can result in scarring of the lung tissue, inflammation in the lungs, and obstruction of the airways. Tuberculosis is an infectious disease caused by a bacterium that can be spread from person to person. Because of the scarring, the lungs become more rigid, which impedes the efficient movement of oxygen from inside the lungs' minute air sacs into the bloodstream.
8. Severe Anemia
- Because their bodies work so hard to bring their oxygen levels back to normal, people with relatively severe anemia often experience symptoms such as rapid heartbeats and hyperventilation.
9. Advanced COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease)
- As a result of COPD, the airways in your lungs become inflamed, and the tissue responsible for exchanging oxygen is destroyed. When this occurs, the amount of oxygen that can reach the tissues of your body decreases, and it becomes harder to eliminate the waste gas carbon dioxide.
10. Advanced Pregnancy
- Because of the enlargement of the uterus and the rise in progesterone levels, breathing may become more difficult because of the increased pressure exerted on the diaphragm.
REFERENCES:
Tortora, G. J., & Derrickson, B. (2014). Principles of Anatomy and Physiology (14th ed.). Wiley.
Jovinally, J. (2018). Preparing for high altitude travel with COPD. Healthline. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://www.healthline.com/health/copd/high-altitude
Ben-Joseph, E. P. (Ed.). (2016, October). Why do some pregnant women have trouble breathing? (for parents) - nemours kidshealth. KidsHealth. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://kidshealth.org/en/parents/breathing.html
Oliver, K. (2022). Phrenic nerve: Anatomy & Function. Cleveland Clinic. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22270-phrenic-nerve