what does shortness of breath mean
Shortness of Breath: A Common Asthma Symptom. Asthma. Shortness of breath is one of the classic asthma symptoms people experience before being diagnosed with asthma or when their asthma is poorly controlled. Shortness of breath refers to feeling breathless or having difficulty breathing. Your doctor may refer to shortness of breath using the medical term dyspnea. There is no strict medical definition for shortness of breath. Patients will often describe this trouble breathing differently. You may hear shortness of breath described as: Being air hungry.