We called upon the old movie title, “Sleepless in Seattle” to name this blog, because we want to make sure we caught the eye of even the most casual blog visitor.
Shortness of Breath can feel like drowning under water.
Just as the people in the movie were not really completely sleepless, many patients who experience shortness of breath are not really “breathless.”
Many times they experience shortness of breath but never tell their doctor about it. They shake it off as their imagination and deny its importance as a health symptom.
Chronic Shortness of Breath
However, patients experiencing shortness of breath or “dyspnea,” as it is medically termed, might feel like they are almost without the ability to breath.
Do you ever feel like there is an elephant sitting on your chest? Do you feel like a drawing breath deeply is taking all your effort?
Do you feel like you are starved for air?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you are definitely experiencing medical shortness of breath. Since it might lead to a number of diagnoses, which might or might not be serious, let’s examine this uncomfortable system.
Shortness of Breath Can Mean Something Serious!
Likewise, you might need to investigate the cause of this symptom with your doctor. This is especially true if you have been experiencing it for several weeks, which is what “chronic” means.
When is Shortness of Breath Acceptable?
Experts tell us, “In a healthy person, very strenuous exercise, extreme temperatures, bad air quality, obesity and high altitude can all cause shortness of breath.”
However, when none of these conditions exist, and suddenly you are short of breath, you might be manifesting a symptom of an underlying medical problem.
Are you worried about your shortness of breath? Is it chronic?
Questions to Ask yourself:
1. Did the shortness of breath begin suddenly?
2. Is the shortness of breath severe—so severe it makes it impossible to continue a normal activity such as dusting a table or combing your hair or walking a few steps from front door to mailbox in front of your residence?
3. Is the shortness of breath accompanied with chest pain, pressure, fainting or nausea? If these symptoms come with the shortness of breath, then your body might be signaling a serious medical condition. Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists implore you, “Please go to your primary care physician and discuss such incidents. ”
Likewise, the Chest Foundation gives us the list we quote below, packed with corresponding symptoms that might indicate serious underlying conditions, especially when accompanied by shortness of breath:
Swelling in your feet and ankles,
Trouble breathing when you lie flat,
High fever, chills, and cough,
Lips or fingertips turning blue.
Share These Symptoms, Signs or Difficulties With Your Doctor!
Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists are not writing this article for you to indulge in self-diagnosis, but to alert you to conditions justifying a trip to your doctor. None of our blogs or articles are intended for diagnosis. Simply use them as a basis for information to discuss with your doctor.
Along with shortness of breath, be alert for these unusual breathing noises:
1. Stridor – a hurting, almost animalistic high pitched noise that occurs with breathing
With control of chronic shortness of breath, the quality of life is elevated.
2. Wheezing – abnormal, whine or whistling when you inhale or exhale.
3. If you have been pre-diagnosed with a condition and use your inhalers, but the shortness of breath just intensifies, call your physician.
4. Also, call your doctor or arrange a visit to an urgent care clinic if you experience breathlessness that does not diminish after mindfully resting without stress for half an hour.
In Part Two of our coverage of “shortness of breath,” we will be examining the very recent, December, 2016 research from the University of Gothenbur’s Sahjlgrenska Academy in Gothenburg, Sweden.
They have recently completed a 1000 patient study of the relationship between chronic shortness of breath and serious medical conditions like heart failure or COPD.
Shortness of Breath: Not Just Getting Older!
They have stated, “The fact that people do not seek medical advice for their breathlessness is often due to people associating their symptoms with the natural process of aging. But if you notice that you experience increased shortness of breath during exertion, you should seek medical attention.”
Your Take Away for Today
So remember, the take-away here is that shortness of breath is not part of “just getting older.”
Next week we will be examining more of the the issues researched by the University of Gothenburg’s Sahlgrenska Academy. Meanwhile, please take a good in depth look at dypsnea in the research paper on shortness of breath, written by our very own Dr. Fortune Alabi, here in Orlando, at the Florida Lung, Asthma and Sleep Specialists.
It has often been discovered that simply alerting your doctor to this symptom can prevent later problems, pain, and even hospital trips.