Is it normal to be out of breath or should I worry?

[Increds]

I am 68 years old and was diagnosed with mild DCM in 2010. The only noticeable symptom I have is that I get very out of breath quite suddenly at times after some exercise, even fairly short walks. When this happens I feel very anxious and this makes matters worse. I am fine in my home, which is on the second floor so stairs every day and I don't always get out of breath when I walk, just sometimes. Is this normal?

[BeKind28-]

Hello

Sometimes people get out of breath and everything is fine but if this is worrying you as you say it is making you anxious I would speak with my Doctor and see what they say

Let us know how you get on x

[Hidden]

Hello

I guess the question is, is it normal for you? If it’s not then perhaps just even to settle your mind worth seeing your doctor? And you’ve described it as noticeable so again maybe worth getting checked out.

I have to live with my symptoms including breathlessness and just consider what I can and can’t do.

Have you had the symptom since 2010? Or has this come on recently?

[Increds in reply to Hidden]

I have had the symptom since 2010, although I find I get tired more quickly now, maybe something to do with being 13 years older!

[Hidden in reply to Increds]

there may be something in that regards age, maybe if you feel it’s changing / your feeling different than before then worth a quick check with GP.

13 years is a long time to cope with that symptom❤️

[Yumz199725]

I understand why you would worry, I had a similar issue and I went to the GP because it was getting so ridiculous to the point I was getting out of breathe talking and it turned out it was a viteman deficiency b12 defincey to be exact, so I would definitely advice going to GP and contacting your specialst because of when your getting out of breathe. Hope you can get to the bottom of what's making you feel like this 😉.

[Yumz199725]

Just looked up your condition and maybe this could be a cause. I know it's Google so it's probably not the best source of information but maybe worth looking into?

List of symptoms for dialted cardiomyopathy

[Silvasava]

I have DCM and get breathless. It's because the heart struggles to pump oxygenated blood on exertion. Like you its usually when I exert myself more than usual. I stop and breathe deeply through my nose for a few minutes until I feel OK. I do try to walk as much as I can , OK on the level but slopes and stairs can be difficult at times. HTH

[Lowerfield_no_more]

There are many different causes for feeling breathless from medication to asthma so you need to speak with a GP to identify what is wrong.

[fishonabike]

getting short of breath during and after activity is a classic symptom in cardiomyopathy you heart muscle is having trouble pumping efficiently - it works as a team with your lungs: the lungs are where your blood gets oxygen to help fuel your body, while your heart pumps the blood with oxygen round your body - so your heart is the engine powering your body's transport and delivery system - if your heart is not pumping well deliveries slow down so your body gets short of oxygen and you feel short of breath

in extreme temperatures your heart has to work harder because your blood is also an important part of your cooling and central heating system

so you might need to adjust your activity to a pace you can maintain without geting out of breath - also your medication might need adjusting

or you might have a new breathing problem - i developed asthma due to the poor air quality in my 60s, this is becoming more common

it would be a good idea to see your GP for a review if it's been a while since your last one and maybe ask for a lung function test too - they can do an initial one on the spot

[Auiron]

How is dilated cardiomyopathy treated? There is no cure for DCM but most of the symptoms can be controlled by medication and other treatments to help you live your normal life. The type of medication or treatment you might have will depend on: your symptoms.

bhf.org.uk/informationsuppo...

[Smitty1956]

Hi, Increds,

Like you, I am in my later 60s—67 to be exact. I had a NSTEMI HA in March 2022. After several months, I had started to feel stronger, but for a few months now, I have been struggling with breathing.

In April 2023, I had a follow-up CT scan to check a nodule that had been noticed on my right upper lung during a first CT scan the night of my HA. It turned out that the nodule was most likely benign as it had not changed in over one year. A couple of other things were noticed—my heart appeared to be slightly enlarged and the diameter of my pulmonary artery appeared to be somewhat enlarged. I was then referred for an echocardiogram. I had that test on August 17th. I got the printed results of my test that day, but I am not seeing the cardiologist until November 3rd.

The echocardiogram results do say that I have borderline LVH, borderline normal geometry, abnormal diastolic function, and elevated filing pressure. By myself, I have some suspicions, but I can’t put a diagnosis into proper perspective. I need to actually speak with the cardiologist. I suspect that my breathing difficulties lie within these results.

I am so sorry that you are having breathing difficulties. I can completely understand how you feel scared, maybe even panicked, when you can’t breathe. It sounds like the DCM might be causing/contributing to your breathing problem, but I agree with others on this site that you should talk with your doctor about these symptoms and perhaps have additional testing done. Not being able to breathe normally does cause panic, and that is a horrible place to be. I hope that you can get some answers and help soon! ❤️