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Medicine vocabulary · Symptoms and Signs

Shortness of breath

Meaning in medicine, with examples

nounCore term

In medicine, shortness of breath means: A feeling that you cannot get enough air or have to work hard to breathe; the medical word is dyspnea (UK: dyspnoea).

In Turkish: nefes darlığı, dispne

How it is used

A very common presenting complaint in emergency and respiratory medicine. Written SOB or SOBOE (shortness of breath on exertion) in notes. Patients say they are 'short of breath' or 'breathless'.

Example sentences

  1. How far can you walk before the shortness of breath stops you?

  2. He was admitted with worsening shortness of breath and swollen ankles.

Common collocations

  • shortness of breath on exertion
  • sudden shortness of breath
  • worsening shortness of breath
  • short of breath
  • oxygen saturationThe percentage of hemoglobin in the blood that is carrying oxygen, usually measured with a clip on the finger; in healthy adults it is usually 95% or higher.
  • asthmaA long-term lung condition in which the airways become narrow and inflamed, causing wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath that can come and go.
  • COPDShort for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a long-term lung disease, usually caused by smoking, in which damaged airways make it hard to breathe out.
  • heart failureA long-term condition in which the heart cannot pump blood around the body as well as it should, often causing breathlessness, tiredness and swollen ankles.
  • pneumoniaAn infection of the lungs in which the small air sacs fill with fluid or pus, causing cough, fever and difficulty breathing.

More terms: Symptoms and Signs

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not medical advice.