I too had shortness of breath for many years, it got worse each year but I did not find the cause until I had a bout of acute respiratory failure. I made it to emergency and passed out. I was also not myself due (i believe) to low brain oxygen. The hospital put me on oxygen (and a face mask) and I got the best sleep in many years that first night. A sleep study showed severe sleep apnea even though I thought my poor sleep was due to myprostate and bladder. It wasn't when I started to get sleep (with oxygen in the ventilator) I started to get better. I still have some shortness of breath but it is getting better each month.