YOUR HEALTH with Dr . Thakkar
YOUR HEALTH with Dr . Thakkar
IN ’ S AND OUT ’ S OF BREATHLESSNESS
Patients often accept breathlessness as a sign of aging or lack of fitness . To a large extent , this is true . There are , however , important causes of breathlessness that doctors like to consider which , without treatment , can have serious consequences .
So what causes breathlessness ? Doctors like to be systematic in order not to miss an important diagnosis . As such , the causes of breathlessness can be split into various categories .
Lack of fitness is clearly one of the causes . In this scenario , the heart , lungs and muscles just aren ’ t used to exercise and this lack of conditioning will mean the body can ’ t cope well with exertion . Furthermore , obesity will compound the problem because the body needs to work harder to move the extra weight and a large abdomen stops the lungs from expanding easily .
Heart conditions that can cause breathlessness include heart failure which is diagnosed when the pump isn ’ t as strong as it should be , stiffness of the heart , abnormal heart rhythms , valve diseases and coronary heart disease .
Any lung problem can cause breathlessness given the lungs get rid of carbon dioxide and take in oxygen from the air . Problems may be acute , which means rapid onset , such as a clot in the lung , a sudden leak in the lung called a pneumothorax , or infection . Long term or “ chronic ” conditions include asthma , COPD , allergic and scarring diseases of the lung to mention a few . Lung cancers can also present with breathlessness .
Anaemia is another cause of breathlessness as the blood can ’ t adequately carry oxygen around the body . There are many types of anaemia , the most common caused by iron deficiency . In turn , iron deficiency can be caused by poor diet , poor absorption for example due to coeliac disease , too much loss for example through the bowel which is why it ’ s important to take part in the bowel cancer screening programme , or too much use such as in some cancers .
For most people , breathlessness is due to lack of fitness . Lifestyle changes such as stopping smoking , exercise and weight control are essential . There may , however , be other factors at play , hence it ’ s important not only to improve your lifestyle if required , but to seek medical advice if concerned . Your GP will then take a medical history , examine you and perhaps arrange relevant tests to understand if there is an underlying disease that needs treatment .
The key message here is manage your lifestyle risk factors and if you ’ re concerned about your breathing , consider seeing your doctor .
Dr . Thakkar is a Buckinghamshire based GP
Chiltern Clinical Commissioning Group
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