What is breathlessness?
What can you do?
Breathing is something that happens automatically.Many of us take it for granted. Being breathless is something we experience differently - when you are breathless, only you know how it feels for you. It is invisible to others. There can be many reasons for it, and so it can be difficult for GP’s to find the cause.
What is breathlessness?
Breathlessness can be caused by many different things. Here are just a few examples:
- Lack of physical fitness
- Being over weight
- Anaemia
- Thyroid problems
- Anxiety
- Some heart conditions
- Lung conditions that result in either: a narrowing of the tubes that carry air into and out of the lungs, or; damage to the lungs which leads to a problem with getting oxygen into the blood stream.
You often first notice breathlessness when you are trying to do everyday activities such as going upstairs, doing the shopping, walking up hills, etc. In more severe cases there are some people who are breathless when they are not doing anything.
When you are at rest, you normally take about 12-15 breaths a minute.This gives you around 10-12 litres of air to supply your body with the oxygen it needs. When you move around and do everyday activities your lungs have to respond to your body’s need for more oxygen. For you to be active, your muscles need to produce more energy, and to do this they need oxygen. Without oxygen, your muscles become tired quickly.This makes it harder to be active.
Feeling breathless can be unpleasant.It can make you anxious. If you have noticed that you get breathless, you might have begun to adapt your lifestyle to prevent it. But if you are less active, your muscles adapt and you will find it increasingly difficult to be active. This then often leads to a loss of confidence and more isolation.For example, you might not go shopping or go out socially. You may also become more dependent on other people to do the things that you used to do yourself.
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What can you do?
The most important thing you can do is go and speak with your GP. She/he will then be able to start investigating why you are breathless. The sooner you go to see your GP the better.A delay in diagnosis means a delay in treatment and that can lead to changes in your lungs that can’t be put right.
Your GP may conduct some simple breathing tests, do blood tests, or possibly send you for an x-ray. You won’t usually need to be referred to a hospital.
There are a range of medications, including inhalers, that your GP may be able to prescribe you to help with your breathlessness.
Exercise, and generally increasing your activity levels will improve your fitness and reduce your feelings of breathlessness. But you should always check with your GP before you start any course of exercise.
Worrying about your breathing can make it seem worse and also lead to it getting worse. Therefore trying to relax more or distract yourself, by watching TV, for example, can help to ease your breathing difficulty.
If you are a smoker, stopping smoking can also help reduce your breathlessness.
Because breathlessness can be linked to so many different conditions, you can’t tell what is causing it unless you go to your GP. Once you know the cause, you can start proper treatment.
For further information on any of the issues raised on this page please contact the British Lung Foundation Helpline on 08458 50 50 20 Monday to Friday 10-00 am to 6-00 pm.
Last medically reviewed: June 2007
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