Shortness of breath can stem directly and indirectly from many sources. Present time problems such as Heart attacks, lung disease, asthma, and suffocation are comparatively easy to observe. Leading edge health practitioners realize there may be many aspects to shortness of breath that may not be considered by much of Western Medical Science. SOB is largely a matter of degree and individual susceptibility. The most important aspects from a health standpoint are the chronic types of shortness of breath that reduce lung volume, increase breath rate, hinder breathing coordination and invite unneeded effort to breathe.
Shortness of breath is much like soil erosion.
It creeps up on us. But unlike erosion, SOB is largely unnoticed, because we do not know what to look for. There must be many tiny and incremental steps or events that lead to a larger sum total equaling what we call shortness of breath . Anything that habitually and repeatedly reduces a natural breathing volume, strength and coordination is setting the stage for appearances of varying forms of shortness of breath. For example someone could develop asthma just by slouching for months in a poorly ventilated environment or by engaging in repeated competitive sports like track and football SOB appears stronger and happens faster or slower depending upon several and varying conditions.