Differential Diagnosis for Shortness of Breath
The differential diagnosis for shortness of breath is extensive and can be categorized based on the likelihood and potential impact of missing a diagnosis.
Single Most Likely Diagnosis
- Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): This is a common condition, especially in smokers, characterized by airflow limitation. Symptoms include progressive shortness of breath, cough, and sputum production.
- Asthma: A chronic inflammatory disease of the airways that causes recurring episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and coughing, particularly at night or early in the morning.
Other Likely Diagnoses
- Heart Failure: A condition where the heart is unable to pump enough blood to meet the body's needs, leading to fluid buildup in the lungs (pulmonary edema) and shortness of breath.
- Pneumonia: An infection of the lungs that can cause cough, fever, chills, and shortness of breath.
- Pulmonary Embolism: A blockage of an artery in the lungs that can cause sudden and severe shortness of breath, chest pain, and cough.
- Anemia: A condition characterized by a lack of enough healthy red blood cells to carry adequate oxygen to the body's tissues, leading to shortness of breath.
Do Not Miss Diagnoses
- Cardiac Tamponade: A serious medical condition where fluid accumulates in the sac around the heart, compressing it and impeding its ability to pump blood effectively, leading to severe shortness of breath and potentially death if not promptly treated.
- Tension Pneumothorax: A life-threatening condition where air enters the space between the lungs and chest wall, causing the lung to collapse completely, which requires immediate medical intervention.
- Acute Coronary Syndrome (ACS): Includes conditions such as myocardial infarction (heart attack) where the blood flow to the heart is suddenly blocked, leading to chest pain and shortness of breath.
- Severe Hypertension: Extremely high blood pressure that can lead to heart failure, stroke, or other cardiovascular emergencies, presenting with shortness of breath among other symptoms.
Rare Diagnoses
- Lymphangitic Carcinomatosis: A rare condition where cancer spreads to the lymphatic vessels in the lungs, causing shortness of breath.
- Eosinophilic Pneumonia: A rare category of diseases characterized by an accumulation of eosinophils in the lungs, leading to inflammation and symptoms including shortness of breath.
- Sarcoidosis: An inflammatory disease that affects multiple organs in the body, but most commonly the lungs and lymph glands, causing shortness of breath among other symptoms.
- Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF): A chronic and ultimately fatal disease characterized by a progressive decline in lung function, with symptoms including shortness of breath and cough.