Why would I keep going breathless?
Question:
Serious answers only please.
Answers:
Breathlessness may not necessarily be connected to your heart. As the emergency doc said though, the monitor you were on is likely only to be doing a basic check of your heart. so no, it would not not necessarily have shown up. You said you did and ECG, and this was fine, so it looks as though your heart is ok. When do you get breathless? If it's when doing exercise or exerting yourself then it could be heart related (your ecg would need to be taken when walking on a treadmill to test this instance). it could also be related to your smoking. Were you a long term and/or heavy smoker? Do you have a active lifestyle? Your lungs may be showing signs of damage if you have smoked a long time or been a heavy smoker. Take the above advice, get a lung function test or ask your Doc to test your Peak Flow (its a test asthmatics use). If your breathlessness comes on with no apparent pattern, then it could be panic attacks and your worrying about it being serious and heart related will only make matters worse.
Try more exercise and this seems way out there, but there are things you can buy to train your lungs to be fitter. A lot of sports shops sell them - its a device you blow into. Or take up playing a wind instrument like trumpet, saxophone or bagpipes!!
All the best. ;-)
There is a possibility that is could be mind panic attack. Some people will get tight chested and short of breath when doing things that they don't feel comfortable with, even if you dont have that anxious (spelling sorry!) feeling. Alternatively, giving up smoking since last summer could possibly have brought on some symptoms of a asthma or hay fever, both of which could leave you slightly breathless. I would consider seeing your quack on this one, something worth checking out, if u have any more specific questions then just drop me a line.
it could have been a panic attack as if anyhting wrong would show up on equipment
Do you have any risk factors for haert disease?(family history, high blood pressure, diabetes, high cholesterol) If not and you are in good health the chances of this being heart related are small. To answer your first question depending on the type of monitor used it may or may not have showed a problem. If this condition persists or worsens ask your doctor to order a stress test and if its normal don't worry.
You can ask your doctor about pulmonary function test...just to make sure that you have no lung problem
I can see serious professional answers to this - only wanted to add you can try pretending to blow into a paper bag (if you don't already know this 'trick'?) Just make a fist of one hand as though you were going to blow up a paper bag (even better to use a real paper bag but not always availabile) and blow into it HARD several times. Helps ease the breathing. If you already knew this - apologies but I find it very helpful.
What type of operation did you have? Does lying flat on your back provoke this shortness of breath or when you are just sitting on your chair? Being overweight(having the big belly) can cause your diaphram to push up against your lungs and not allowing your lungs to expand as well as they should. Smoking cause various types of problems such as Emphisema, Chronic Obstructive Pulminary Disease (COPD). The cardiac monitor will only pick up abnormalities if you have any heart problems. If there was any significant change in the ECG, your doctor would have run any further tests to confirm a cardiac problem. My advise to you is moderate exercise, drop the fast food, and drink water instead of the sodas to decrease the weight. If you continue with this problem, continue seeing your doctor. Best wishes to you.
I agree with tanked it could be due to panic attacks brought on by stress. I have suffered shortness of breath and a racing heartbeat due to anxiety and I've had many tests including ECG's and nothing has shown up, the reading has been normal, my consultant put it down to stress and anxiety. It can be very frightening but in my case apparently it's nothing to worry about. If you are already taking medication for this I would go back to your GP and ask if you might need to change your tablets, as sometimes you have to try different ones before you get one that really works for you. I was put on beta-blockers once and they made the condition much worse and I had to stop them.
Taking your age into consideration you should really try to lose a bit of weight although if you have given up smoking recently (well done) it probably would have been difficult to do both. I would give it a go now though as even if you don't have a heart problem it will stand you in good stead for the future. If you are still worried about it or it gets worse ask to see someone again, but if the tests and monitoring were fine then I don't think there's a major problem. If you are suffering from stress at all, cut down or out any caffeine or alcohol as this can really help. As I've said if you are really worried speak to your GP again and mention your medication, maybe he can put your mind at rest and worrying will only increase your anxiety. I know this isn't pleasnt for you so I really hope you're feeling better soon! Take Care!
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