D ifficulty in breathing (also known as shortness of breath, breathless-ness, or dyspnea) is caused by various mechanisms related to different problems in the body. In one's lifetime, one may experience rare episodes of shortness of breath as part of high levels of activity such as exhaustive exertion or during environmental conditions such as high altitude or very warm or cold temperatures. Ot...

A 50 year old man presented with a one week history of general malaise, worsening shortness of breath, and a cough productive of green sputum. He had also noticed an itchy rash on his trunk and face. There was no relevant medical history and he took no regular medications. He was a nonsmoker. On examination the patient had a widespread symmetrical rash over his face, trunk, and proximal limbs; ...