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
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Original article: https://www.mayoclinic.org/zh-hans/symptoms/shortness-of-breath/basics/when-to-see-doctor/sym-20050890