1. Initiation of exercise
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During the initiation of exercise, our bodies respond to the changes by increasing activity in the cardio-respiratory systems and decreasing activity in the digestive system. Heart rate also increases in order to increase the blood supply in the brain (“A Timeline of How Your Body Reacts to Exercise”, n.d.)
2. Moderate exercise
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During moderate exercise, our bodies tend to use up more oxygen and energy, consequently causing an increase in the production of carbon dioxide. To cope with this extra demand, your breathing has to increase from about 15 times a minute (12 litres of air) when you are resting, up to about 40–60 times a minute (100 litres of air) during exercise (“Your lungs and exercise”, 2016).
3. Asthma attack
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During an asthma attack, also called an asthma exacerbation, the airways become swollen and inflamed. The muscles around the airways contract and the airways produce extra mucus, causing the breathing (bronchial) tubes to narrow (“Asthma attack”, n.d.).
4. Abrupt ascent into high altitudes
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Decreased air pressure means that less oxygen is available for breathing. One normal effect of altitude is shortness of breath, since the lungs have to work harder to deliver oxygen to the bloodstream (“Altitude”, n.d.)
5. Pneumonia
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The infection causes the lungs' air sacs (alveoli) to become inflamed and fill up with fluid or pus. That can make it hard for the oxygen you breathe in to get into your bloodstream (“Learn About Pneumonia”, n.d.)
6. Paralysis of phrenic nerve
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Damage to a phrenic nerve can lead to diaphragm weakness or paralysis. A paralyzed diaphragm affects your lungs' ability to exchange air (“Phrenic Nerve”, n.d.).
7. Severe tuberculosis with resulting lung scar tissue
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Pulmonary fibrosis is a lung disease that occurs when lung tissue becomes damaged and scarred. This thickened, stiff tissue makes it more difficult for your lungs to work properly, consequently leading to shortness of breath (“Pulmonary fibrosis”, n.d.)
8. Severe anemia
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With anemia, the lungs overcompensate in order to bring in more oxygen, causing breathing difficulties (“10 Symptoms of Anemia You Shouldn’t Ignore”, 2020)
9. advanced COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease)
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A frequent symptom of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is rapid respiratory rate, more formally referred to as tachypnea, caused by deviations from the regular levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the blood and/or lungs. The body may force the lungs to breathe rapidly in order to acquire oxygen and eliminate excess carbon dioxide (Leader, 2020).
10. Advanced pregnancy
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One reason is that the uterus is expanding and pushing up into the abdomen, causing the lungs to squeeze, reducing the space they have for oxygen exchange. Additionally, an even bigger cause for shortness of breath is progesterone, a hormone that increases during pregnancy (“Shortness of Breath in Pregnancy”, n.d.).
10 Symptoms of Anemia You Shouldn’t Ignore. (2020, July 24). Texas Medical Institute.https://www.texasmedicalinstitute.com/10-symptoms-of-anemia-you-shouldnt-ignore/#:~:text=With%20anemia%2C%20the%20lungs%20overcompensate
A Timeline of How Your Body Reacts to Exercise. (2016, November 28). Exercise Right.https://exerciseright.com.au/body-reacts-to-exercise/
altitude | National Geographic Society. (n.d.).Education.nationalgeographic.org.https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/altitude
Asthma attack - Symptoms and causes. (n.d.). Mayo Clinic. Retrieved November 2, 2022, fromhttps://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/asthma-attack/symptoms-causes/syc-20354268#:~:text=Seek%20medical%20attention%20right%20away
Leader, D. (2020, December 7). When Tachypnea Occurs in COPD. Verywell Health.https://www.verywellhealth.com/tachypnea-function-and-treatment-914914
Learn About Pneumonia. (n.d.).Www.lung.org.https://www.lung.org/lung-health-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/pneumonia/learn-about-pneumonia#:~:text=The%20infection%20causes%20the%20lungs
Phrenic Nerve: Anatomy & Function. (n.d.). Cleveland Clinic.https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/22270-phrenic-nerve#:~:text=Damage%20to%20a%20phrenic%20nerve
Pulmonary fibrosis - Symptoms and causes. (n.d.). Mayo Clinic.https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pulmonary-fibrosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20353690#:~:text=Pulmonary%20fibrosis%20is%20a%20lung
Sheff, B. (2016). Your lungs and exercise. Breathe, 12(1), 97–100.https://doi.org/10.1183/20734735.elf121
Shortness of Breath In Pregnancy. (n.d.). Harvard Health. Retrieved November 2, 2022, fromhttps://www.health.harvard.edu/decision_guide/shortness-of-breath-in-pregnancy#:~:text=One%20reason%20is%20that%20the