没有什么感觉比得不到足够空气更令人恐惧。经常将气短（医学上称作呼吸困难）描述为胸部强烈收紧、渴望空气、呼吸困难、气喘吁吁或窒息感。
非常剧烈的运动、极端温度、肥胖症和较高海拔都可能引起健康人气短。除却这些例子外，气短才可能是健康问题的迹象。
如果您的气短原因不详，尤其气短骤至且重度，请尽快就医。
大多数的气短病例由心脏或肺部状况所致。您的心脏和肺参与输送氧至组织并移除二氧化碳的过程，这两个过程中任何一个出问题都会影响您的呼吸。
寻求急救医疗护理
如果出现骤发且影响自身日常料理能力的重度气短，请拨打 911 或本地急救电话，或让人开车送您去急诊室。如果气短伴随胸部疼痛、昏厥、恶心、嘴唇或指甲略微发蓝或者精神警觉性改变，请寻求急救医疗护理，原因是这些可能是心脏病发作或肺栓塞的体征。
与医生约诊
如果气短并伴随下列症状，请与医生约诊：
- 腿部和踝部位肿胀
- 平躺时呼吸困难
- 高热、寒战和咳嗽
- 哮鸣
- 既存气短加重
自我护理
以下措施有助于防止慢性气短加重：
- 戒烟。烟民请戒烟；非烟民请勿开始吸烟。吸烟是慢阻肺 (COPD) 的主导原因。如果您身患 COPD，戒烟可以延缓疾病进展以及预防并发症。
- 避免接触污染物。尽可能避免吸入过敏原和环境毒素，例如化学烟雾或二手烟。
- 避开极端温度。极热、极湿或极冷条件下活动可能加重由慢性肺部疾病引起的呼吸困难。
- 制定行动计划。如果您有导致气短的医疗状况，请与医生商量当症状加重时需要做些什么。
- 慎重登高。在前往海拔较高地区时，要花时间适应，避免适应之前劳累。
- 定期锻炼。锻炼可帮助您改善体质，提高活动耐受能力。锻炼身体（如果您体重过高，还需要减重）可能有助于减少体能失调所导致的气短。启动一个锻炼项目之前请咨询医生。
- 服用药物。漏服用于慢性心、肺状况的药物可能导致对呼吸困难控制更差。
- 定期检查设备。如果您依赖于补氧，请确定您的供氧量充足且设备运转正常。
显示参考文献
- AskMayoExpert. Dyspnea (adult). Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2017.
- AskMayoExpert. Dyspnea (pediatric). Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2018.
- Mahler DA, et al. Recent advances in dyspnea. Chest. 2015;147:232.
- Walls RM, et al., eds. Dyspnea. In: Rosen's Emergency Medicine: Concepts and Clinical Practice. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Elsevier; 2018. https://www.clinicalkey.com. Accessed March 15, 2019.
- Dyspnea. Merck Manual Professional Version. https://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/pulmonary-disorders/symptoms-of-pulmonary-disorders/dyspnea?query=Shortness of Breath. Accessed March 15, 2019.
- Shortness of breath. American Cancer Society. https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/physical-side-effects/shortness-of-breath.html. Accessed March 15, 2019.
- Mahler DA. Evaluation of dyspnea in the elderly. Clinics in Geriatric Medicine. 2017;33:503.
- Davis C, et al. Advances in the prevention and treatment of high altitude illness. Emergency Medicine Clinics of North America. 2017;35:241.
- Warning signs of heart failure. American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-failure/warning-signs-of-heart-failure. Accessed March 18, 2019.
- COPD. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/copd. Accessed March 18, 2019.
- Warning signs of a heart attack. American Heart Association. https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/heart-attack/warning-signs-of-a-heart-attack. Accessed March 18, 2019.
- Venous thromboembolism. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/venous-thromboembolism. Accessed March 18, 2019.
- AskMayoExpert. Cardiac sarcoidosis. Rochester, Minn.: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research; 2019.
- Pajdzinski M, et al. Kyphoscoliosis — What can we do for respiration besides NIV? Advances in Respiratory Medicine. 2017;85:352.
- Olson EJ (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 19, 2019.
- Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html. Accessed June 11, 2020.
Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/zh-hans/symptoms/shortness-of-breath/basics/causes/sym-20050890