Prairie Doc Perspective: Feeling winded?

“Well, doc,” the patient was telling me, “I get winded so easily now. I can hardly go to the mailbox without stopping to catch my breath. It did not used to be that way. Do you think something is wrong?”
Many of us have experienced shortness of breath. After a period of inactivity, such as winter or a busy month, when we decide to exercise again, it may be easier to feel winded. That experience can be due to deconditioning, feeling out of shape. A good remedy for that is a gradual increase in exercise, helping us to regain our strength and endurance.
Sometimes we get short of breath for other reasons. A recent infection can be a common cause, giving us a bad cough and leaving us winded for a while. There are several other lung causes like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis, which can leave us short of breath.