4. Shortness of Breath
Pneumonia, which affects the lungs, is a leading cause of sepsis. The lungs are affected in other ways as the result of septic shock. As your pulse quickens, your body will try to get more oxygen to flood the affected area with oxygenated blood in an effort to heal itself.
This will cause you to experience shortness of breath even if you are engaged in mild activity but especially if you try to climb a flight of stairs. This increase in breath rate may continue at such an intense pace that you may not be able to breathe on your own and have to be hooked up to a respirator.
The need to breath faster may be further complicated by the fact of an existing lung infection, which may be the underlying cause of sepsis or pneumonia. The panic that is caused by sepsis may also further speed up breathing.