The symptom checker reviewed by doctors

Choose a symptom and answer simple questions using our physician-reviewed
symptom checker to find more information on your health issue.

  • Symptom
  • Assessment
  • Results

Is the person an infant (under one year) or a child?

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Possible Diagnosis

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Possible Related Symptoms

Shortness of Breath in Infants and Children

Do you have a fever and shortness of breath?

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Do you have sudden, severe shortness of breath and chest pain or tightness?

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Possible Diagnosis

You may be having a HEART ATTACK, or you may have a PNEUMOTHORAX, a condition in which air gets between the lungs and the chest wall, or a PULMONARY EMBOLISM, in which a blood clot may have moved from a leg to the lungs.

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Do you often have episodes of shortness of breath along with wheezing and/or coughing?

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Possible Diagnosis

You may have ASTHMA or an INFECTION that causes narrowing of the lung airways.

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Have you been exposed to years of fumes, dust, or cigarette smoke and has the shortness of breath been slowly getting worse?

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Possible Diagnosis

You may have CHRONIC OBSTRUCTIVE PULMONARY DISEASE (COPD), a lung disease that includes two types: CHRONIC BRONCHITIS and EMPHYSEMA.

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Have you worked in or around asbestos, wood dust, industrial fumes or in a coal mine?

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Possible Diagnosis

You may have OCCUPATIONAL RESPIRATORY DISEASE.

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Are your feet and ankles swollen, and is it harder to breathe when you lie down flat? Do you feel that you have had to increase the number of pillows you sleep on at night?

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Possible Diagnosis

You may have CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, which can cause fluid to build up in the lungs and feet and/or legs.

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Are you tired all the time and do you have a dry cough, possibly with chest pain, and does your shortness of breath get worse when you exercise or do other physical activity?

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Possible Diagnosis

You may have INTERSTITIAL LUNG DISEASE or SARCOIDOSIS, both of which can cause scarring of the lungs, or PULMONARY HYPERTENSION, narrowing of the arteries that carry blood to the lungs, or ATYPICAL or WALKING PNEUMONIA.

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Are you also tired all the time, and do you look pale? Have you noticed that your mucous membranes (the inside of your mouth, inside your eyelids and nose) or fingernails are pale/white?

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Possible Diagnosis

You may have ANEMIA, a condition in which the body doesn’t get enough oxygen due to too few red blood cells.

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Are you breathing rapidly, feeling dizzy, or having numbness or tingling in your hands or around your mouth?

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Possible Diagnosis

These are symptoms of HYPERVENTILATION, an episode of overbreathing usually caused by exercise or emotional distress.

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Do you have a fever and a painful cough with blood in the mucus?

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Possible Diagnosis

You may have an INFECTION, such as PNEUMONIA or a more serious problem, such as LUNG CANCER or PULMONARY EMBOLISM.

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Do you have a fever with flu or cold symptoms and a cough that produces mucus?

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Possible Diagnosis

You may have BRONCHITIS, an infection of the bronchial tree in the lungs, or PNEUMONIA, a serious lung infection.

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Do you have a fever, dry cough and chest pain and are you losing weight?

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Possible Diagnosis

You may have HISTOPLASMOSIS, an INFECTION caused by a FUNGUS.

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Do you have a high fever, chest pain, chills, and a cough that produces a pus-like (white and foul-smelling) material?

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Possible Diagnosis

You may have a LUNG ABSCESS caused by an INFECTION.

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Self Care

EMERGENCY
Have someone take you to the closest emergency room or call an ambulance right away.

Self Care

URGENT
If symptoms are severe, see your doctor or go to the emergency room right away. If you have been diagnosed with ASTHMA, use a quick-relief inhaler (e.g., albuterol) and keep taking your prescribed controller medicine. Treat infections with over-the-counter cold medicines such as a decongestant. If symptoms get worse or don’t get better, for either of these conditions, see your doctor as soon as possible. If you are a smoker, stop smoking.

Self Care

See your doctor as soon as possible. If you are a smoker, stop smoking.

Self Care

Stop smoking if you smoke (it will only make your problem worse). Talk to your employer, if possible, and see your doctor right away.

Self Care

See your doctor right away.

Self Care

See your doctor right away.

Self Care

Anemia can often be treated by including more iron in your diet, but see your doctor for diagnosis and a treatment plan. If you start taking an over-the-counter iron supplement, be sure to drink plenty of water, and take a vitamin C supplement or tablet at the same time to increase the absorption of the iron.

Self Care

Breathe through pursed lips (as if you are blowing out a candle) or cover your mouth and one nostril, and breathe through the other nostril. If you don’t get better after several minutes or you are in pain, go to the emergency room right away.

Self Care

If you cough up blood at any time, see your doctor right away.

Self Care

If you have a high fever, are having a lot of trouble breathing, or if your lips or fingernails are bluish or gray, call your doctor right away. For less severe symptoms, use over-the-counter cough, cold and flu medicines. See your doctor if the symptoms get worse or if you don’t get better.

Self Care

See your doctor.

Self Care

URGENT
See your doctor right away.

For more information, please talk to your doctor. If you think the problem is serious, call your doctor right away.

DISCLAIMER

Symptom Checker content is provided for informational purposes only. This tool may leverage certain generative artificial intelligence tools to generate results, but you should not rely on this tool as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about your health or the information provided when you use this tool, you should always consult with a physician or other healthcare professional. Do not disregard, avoid, or delay obtaining medical or health related advice from your healthcare professional because of something you may have read using this tool or on the FamilyDoctor.org website. Use this content solely at your own risk. If you think you may have a medical emergency, dial 911.