What is breathlessness or shortness of breath?

Breathlessness is the sensation of a tight chest, difficulty catching your breath and feeling you’re not getting enough air. Trying to breathe can also feel uncomfortable.

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What are the types of breathlessness?

Breathlessness can be categorised into three types:

  • Acute – develops suddenly or in a matter of minutes
  • Subacute – develops over hours or days
  • Chronic – develops over weeks or months

It is normal to get out of breath when overexerting yourself through heavy physical activity. However, if you feel out of breath from sitting still or doing light physical activity, such as walking around the house, it is not normal. This could be a sign of a medical issue that needs addressing.

Emergency care

Breathlessness could be a sign of a serious health concern. Please seek emergency medical attention if you experience breathlessness with these other symptoms:

  • Severe breathlessness – you are choking, gasping or unable to get words out
  • Nausea or vomiting
  • Your chest is tight or heavy
  • Pain spreading to your arms, back, neck and jaw
  • Pain or swelling in one leg
  • Your skin or lips become pale, blue, or grey
  • Coughing up blood
  • Sudden confusion

Causes

There are many causes of breathlessness. Many people who have heart conditions often experience breathlessness. This may be due to your heart not pumping enough oxygen-containing blood through the body, causing the body to respond by breathing faster to take in more oxygen. If your heart isn’t pumping correctly, it can also cause a build-up of fluid in the lungs, making breathing difficult.

Some heart conditions/issues that commonly cause breathlessness include:

Short-term (acute/subacute) breathlessness

  • Heart medication – Beta blockers can cause breathlessness. Speak to your doctor if this is a symptom
  • you are concerned about whilst taking this medication.
  • Recovery after heart surgery – shortness of breath is common after heart surgery, as your heart
  • needs time to recover normally
  • A flair-up from heart disease
  • Coronary artery disease
  • Heart attack

Long term (chronic) breathlessness

Diagnosis

In your initial consultation, our specialists will conduct a physical examination. They will also ask about your medical and family history to better understand why you may be experiencing breathlessness. This is so we can rule out any other conditions that may be causing your symptoms.

Depending on our evaluation, we may suggest an electrocardiogram (ECG) for your initial test. We can assess the strength and speed of your heart to understand whether there is anything to be concerned about.

Further tests may be needed to help determine the right treatment plan for your needs based on our diagnosis of your condition.

Treatment

We will determine the right treatment for you based on your needs and the results of your tests.

A combination of lifestyle changes, medication, and/or surgery may be recommended to help your heart beat regularly and relieve your breathlessness.

Some tips for managing chronic breathlessness caused by a heart condition include:

  • Utilise breathing control techniques
  • Using different seating or standing positions
  • Having fresh air circulating in the room
  • Quitting smoking
  • Managing your body weight
  • Staying healthy through diet, exercise, and getting enough sleep

Occasionally, some heart attacks have mild symptoms typically not associated with the condition. These are called ‘silent’ heart attacks. Unexplained breathlessness can be a symptom of a ‘silent’ heart attack. If you believe your breathlessness is connected to having a ‘silent’ heart attack, seek medical help immediately. If we agree, we will give you an aspirin and admit you to the hospital straight away.

Book an appointment

Breathlessness can feel uncomfortable and unsettling, but we’re here to help put you at ease.

Our specialist will discuss your treatment in depth so you understand its purpose and how it will work. We are happy to answer any questions to ensure you feel comfortable with our treatment plan.

Call London Heart Clinic on 0203 303 0325 to book an appointment.

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After suffering from a heart condition for a number of years I was very happy to meet Dr Ahsan, from the first consultation where he believed there was a solution I have now completed the surgery and had my final consultation with him today…

I am very grateful to have Dr Syed Ahsan as my consultant. Dr Ahsan always greets you warmly on each visit despite his busy workload. Dr Ahsan explains everything clearly and helps you to understand even the most complex medical terms…

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