What is Breathlessness?

Whether it’s after climbing up 10 flights of stairs or a particularly rough workout, all of us have experienced breathlessness at some point. It’s the uncomfortable feeling you get when you find it difficult to breathe. It’s perfectly normal to feel breathless if you have over-exerted yourself. You end up breathing faster during these times, to provide your body with more oxygen. However, if you find yourself feeling breathless while doing perfectly normal activities, then it is time to visit a doctor.

Breathlessness may be a symptom of a deeper problem, such as asthma, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), anaemia and anxiety, among others. With an accurate diagnosis and proper treatment, however, all these problems can be easily controlled and managed.

What to do if you suddenly feel very breathless

• Try not to panic, as this will just make the breathlessness worse.

• Call the doctor or go to the hospital if there is no obvious cause for breathlessness.

• If you are a known asthmatic, use your Reliever inhaler as explained by your doctor.