Breathlessness

[Seaguller]

I know this sounds stupid, but many articles talk about symptoms of breathlesness. What, in people's experience is that like? I sometimes wonder if I am but other times feel fine and think it may be psychosomatic or anxiety? Just curious to see what other people feel like?

[080311]

When I was waiting to have my Aortic valve replaced walking up the stairs was awful, couldn’t get air into my lungs. As well as walking any sort of distance.Used to get this feeling of ice cold at the back of my throat! My cardiologist said first time he had heard of that symptom!

If you are suffering from breathlessness you will certainly know it,

Hope you get the answers you are looking for.

Best wishes Pauline

[Seaguller in reply to 080311]

Thanks

[RufusScamp]

Not stupid. I have often wondered that myself. I was diagnosed with severe heart failure, and kept getting asked if I got breathless. To which the answer was "no". Muscular weakness stopped me exercising that hard. I look forward to reading the experiences of others.

[Seaguller in reply to RufusScamp]

I sometimes don't know if I am or not. Can it be that subtle?

[RufusScamp in reply to Seaguller]

I feel that may be the case. If I run for a bus, I have to take 3 or 4 quick breaths, but is that abnormal?

[Seaguller in reply to RufusScamp]

Sounds normal to me

[BobsBeat]

This is a good question. I've often pondered this myself since my bad week in AFib 13 months ago. I've passed my multiple stress tests and am able to be active and exercise without shortness of breath (I'm in NSR). I have what I can only describe as a restrictive breathing pattern (felt on inhale), especially noticeable at rest. I didn't have it before my week in AFib. Anxiety makes it worse

[ChoochSiesta]

I agree it's hard to tie down. My experience when I had 3 blocked arteries was breathing hard for no apparent reason.

[Blearyeyed]

It's hard to explain , and as you get more answers you might read that not all the feelings of breathlessness are quite the same. I have a rarer tachycardia syndrome and arrhythmia.I feel like I am breathing in as much as I can but that the air isn't reaching my lungs or my chest expanding.

It feels like the lack of breath you might have had if you ever tried to hold your breath as long as you can for me.

Sometimes , it happens on exercise but sometimes I can be sitting down or just dropping off to sleep and feel like I'm not breathing.

It usually takes big open mouthed gulps of air to feel like air is circulating again and inflating my chest.

My Mum on the other hand ( CAD , angina , murmur, stents and bypasses ) would also be gulping for breath but it would feel like it caught in her throat and her gulps were very short .

Both of us experienced dizziness , that cold water feeling in the throat already described , with it and an inability to breath through the nose as well.

[AnnD_]

The breathlessness I get with anxiety is different from the breathlessness I get from walking up an incline.With anxiety I get other symptoms, that wobbly, butterflyee , not sure that's a word, feeling. I know when I'm fretting over something.

On exertion it's having to take shorter breaths in more often and knowing I'm not anxious at that time.

It is difficult to explain.

If it's because a doctor or somebody is asking you if you get breathless than I would ask them to clarify in what situation.

If it's because you are concerned then see your GP.

[TanteMuh in reply to AnnD_]

I like your description "wobbly butterflyee feeling" ! I get that aswell when i am anxious esp at 4o'clock in the morning!

[Blearyeyed in reply to TanteMuh]

That butterflies in the chest feeling ,sometimes with a pounding feeling which brings on breathlessness is caused by your heart rate rising too quickly. It can happen from Anxiety , if it is caused by something in your environment, or it can be happening because of underlying health reasons.

It is what Tachycardia feels like ( Heart Rate of 100 beats a min or more). When you first experience it regularly it is hard to tell if it is your ' fight or flight ' response overreacting as it does in Anxiety or if it is a physical , heart or blood pressure symptom.

Tachycardia can be a condition on its own that can be controlled with Self Care not just a sign of a heart disease condition , but , if it keeps happening with no explanation , it can be a sign that you should get yourself assessed properly to prevent something serious in the future.

Getting used to looking around you and seeing if anything outside yourself has caused it (Mindfulness) is a good way to start finding out if you are having a Mental or Physical problem.

You will often get it if you are experiencing very low blood pressure ( hypotension) as your heart beats harder to try and increase your BP , or , if you are suffering from very high blood pressure (hypertension ) when your heart is working too hard to pump blood around your system.

At 4 am , or if you wake in the night feeling breathless with a pounding heart , you have often dipped into a quick period of low blood pressure. People with hypotension get it regularly , as those early morning hours in our sleep , are a point when your body clock is in conservation mode but starting to change natural chemistry to bring us out of sleep later on.

It is your autonomic nervous system in ' Rest or Digest' mode working slightly out of balance and if it causes similar problems regularly during the day or with no outside cause it is best to have a proper Medical check.

When it happens to me , I check it now with my BP cuff , more often I find my BP is very low and my heart rate has risen in a big swing to try to raise it ( I have a tachycardia syndrome). Sometimes I find my heart rate is so high that my blood pressure has raised to high as well.

One way to start understanding what is going on with your heart when you have these symptoms and don't suffer from Anxiety is to have a home Blood Pressure monitor , as long as you do not let yourself get over stressed by the results . The results can help you to work out if you need to use your deep breathing exercises to control your heart rate , or possibly do a little activity to bring your BP under control.

[Seaguller in reply to Blearyeyed]

Thanks. My recent BP readings have been very good. Both what I have taken at home and at the surgery by my warfarin nurse.

[tomcelic]

Yes, I have extreme breathlessness. Last week I had a NM Cardiac Stress Test. It appears my left Ventricle is pumping around 44% efficient. I take an ultra-sound on it Monday. As they say on the AM dial: the hits just keep on coming!

But this doesn't keep me from swimming every day... I have a strong back stroke...

[Blearyeyed in reply to tomcelic]

When I'm able to get to a pool , I find swimming within my comfort zone actually helps improve my breathing technique and reduces the times I have breathlessness outside the pool too. I couldn't manage a back stroke anymore though , it's the gentle breast stroke for me these days.

[sickandsore]

Hi I get breathless when I’m climbing stairs but usually it would be more than one flight, or if I’m walking quickly and trying to talk at the same time! I’m generally ok walking on the flat and can walk for hours without issue. Hay fever has not affected my breathing mostly just my eyes are stinging more at the mo and sneezing more. However my son has been badly affected this year and needs an inhaler! I think use GTN and rest for 10 is sound advice. Do you take an antihistamine during the summer? Would be worth trying one if your symptoms are really bad the GP can prescribe a stronger antihistamine like fexafenadine.

Hope you find something that helps🙂

[HeartyJames]

Good question. I think you can put it on a scale from slight to severe

When I do not have breathless episodes I can walk around the house and up stairs normally and breathe through nose. When breatlessness I walk up stairs and then I cannot get my breath. I have to breathe fully in and out for sometimes over an hour or hours in bed before it is restored to normal breathing when I can breathe again through nose. Breathing so hard it makes your lungs ache. Sometimes when breathless it can occur just by walking across the room, other times do a one mile walk. Ok one way but coming back breathing full throttle in and out and have to stop. . So it varies. I call this breathlessness as was never like this before heart attack.

I am sure there is an even worse level were you cannot get enough oxygen and you just cannot breathe enough to get what is needed. Not had that yet. So there will be slight to severe.

I think that breathlessness with heart failure maybe full breaths in and out and with anxiety faster and shorter. Maybe wrong as not really had panic ones and not really read experiences of others with failure

Just my opinion...

[Oaks6]

I’m sure I have times of panic and feel Breathless. I had a moment in hospital like that and they gave me an ecg and told me my oxygen saturation was fine. It’s harder when you’re at home and cant get that reassurance!

[Seaguller in reply to Oaks6]

Absolutely! I do a lot of checking these days!

[Geejay1709]

Morning! I have myocarditis and same as some others I have good and bad days. Having a shower can make me breathless - hard to describe but feeling that your lungs aren't filling like they should. Stairs and hills are the worse for me.I have asthma too and struggling to breath when i have an 'attack' is very different to myocarditis breathlessness.

[Fullofheart]

I experience 2 different types. A generalised breathlessness that comes from exertion or fatigue. Like you have to rest when doing things that normally you would manage quite easily. This happens when my heart is running too fast. If I stop and check, it might be 120 to 140.I also experience shortness of breath sometimes. This was more prominent following ablation, when my heart was also very fast and refusing to come down. This was/ is more like i couldn't get a full breath, like it stops short. This I find more disconcerting. Its quite uncomfortable, especially at night.

Hope that helps in some way.

[Suzyh]

I had a stent fitted 3years ago after a heart attack still felt breathless was told it could be my meds after 6 months still felt breathless so they stopped of my meds. It seem to get alot better. This last 6 months iv become really breathless have an inhaler saw my cardiologist and he's arranging for me to have an other angiagram as have started getting pain in my chest. If your breathless its awful so think you would know but a lot of medication can cause it

[Charlesthru]

I had a stent fitted last September after my MI which left me with 32% EF and went from being someone who walk miles without getting even slightly out of breath to not being able to climb a flight of stairs without gasping for air and I was told by my Doctor that that was normal because my lungs wasn't now getting the blood they required.

[RailRover]

The take away from this seems to be that it means different things to different people depending upon what your breathing was like before. I know people who by my own standards always appear to be panting for breath in the sense that their breathing is heavy and audible although they themselves appear not to notice and it is perfectly normal for them. I never had any issues with breathing before or after heart attack, but in the aftermath of undergoing triple bypass last year, I suffered quite a severe pulmonary effusion, and that really did introduce me to the world of breathlessness. Half a lung full of fluid certainly concentrates the mind while walking uphill. So to me, breathlessness seems to come in as many flavours as there are patients, and it boils down to "not breathing as well as you normally do".

[BlueBearBob]

I was just about to post almost exactly the same question! I was recently diagnosed with SVT and severe mitral regurgitation. I find that I feel like I can’t get a complete inhalation a lot if the time. It made me think “is that breathlessness?” I’m really not sure.

Bob

[valeriep]

The breathlessness that led me to go the doctor (and eventually end up with 3 stents) mostly came on after I'd had a meal, eg going to a restaurant and then walking down the street afterwards. The same going up hills and stairs, lifting heavy objects and sometimes if I went out when it was very cold. I would have to stop frequently, because I felt so out of breath, and if I tried to force myself to go on, I'd feel dizzy and lightheaded. BTW, when I was asked if I experienced chest pain, I always replied 'no', but when I told one doctor it was more like I had a heavy stone lying on my chest, which was stopping me from breathing, he replied wearily, "Yeah - that's what we call chest pain"!

[LesleyJ59]

Interesting question. My Mum had lung problems all her life, I'd try to chivvy her up when walking and she'd say 'It's not my heart/legs/energy level - it's the breath.' and she'd have to stop and get her breath back. I've done Yoga, Tai Chi, Qigong and meditation so am familiar with all sorts of different breathing techniques. I certainly used to get breathless when climbing a steep slope - breathing hard, heart pounding, tightness in chest. I had a mild HA five years ago and haven't really suffered from breathlessness since, but I pace myself and am more cautious. I haven't had a tight chest since I went on meds. But occasionally I get the sensation that I 'need' to take a deep breath, or suddenly spontaneously breathe in sharply, but that is very rare.