Which term best describes difficulty in breathing?

The term that best describes difficulty in breathing is dyspnea. This condition is characterized by a feeling of shortness of breath or an uncomfortable sensation during respiration. It can occur due to a variety of underlying health issues, such as respiratory or cardiac problems, and can range from mild to severe in terms of impact on a person's ability to breathe comfortably.

Choosing this term is accurate because dyspnea specifically refers to the subjective experience of breathing difficulty, which can be assessed by the patient’s description of their symptoms. Other terms, while related to breathing issues, have more specific definitions. For instance, asthma is a chronic respiratory condition often characterized by episodes of difficulty breathing due to inflammation and constriction of the airways, rather than a general term for breathing difficulty itself. Orthopnea refers to difficulty breathing that occurs when lying flat, which is a specific situation rather than a general condition. Apnea describes a temporary stop in breathing, which is distinctly different from the experience of difficulty breathing.