Shortness of breath with little effort can be improved by using bronchodilators, using diuretics, and surgical treatment. Common factors that cause shortness of breath with little effort include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), left heart failure, and lung cancer. 1. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD): Restricted airflow is one of the characteristics of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). The body’s oxygen demand increases when exerting oneself or doing work, so if you have COPD, you may experience shortness of breath when doing work with little effort. You can use bronchodilators, such as salbutamol, ipratropium bromide, aminophylline, etc. These drugs can relax the bronchial tubes, so that airflow limitation can be improved, thus relieving the symptoms. 2. Left heart failure: Exertion or work may cause the heart rate to increase and shorten the diastolic period. If you have left heart failure, the blood may be stagnant in the lungs, resulting in shortness of breath when you exert yourself to do some work. Diuretics such as furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide can be used to reduce the fluid load in the body and relieve the symptoms by improving the blood stasis in the lungs. 3. Lung cancer: As the cancerous tissue compresses the airways, shortness of breath may occur when doing some work with little effort. Depending on the stage of the tumor and the type of pathology, surgery such as segmental lung resection, bronchial sleeve lobectomy, or radiotherapy can be chosen to relieve the symptoms. When shortness of breath occurs when doing some work with some effort, one should consult a doctor in time and complete pulmonary function tests, echocardiography, CT and other tests under the doctor’s guidance to clarify the cause of the disease and treat it actively.