Breathlessness

Breathlessness is an unpleasant sensation of uncomfortable, rapid or difficult breathing. People say they feel puffed, short of breath or winded. The medical term is dyspnoea. Your chest may feel tight and breathing may hurt. Everyone can experience breathlessness if they run for a bus or exert themself to an unusual extent. But it is important to seek medical attention if you experience breathlessness, as it may be due to a serious underlying problem. The most common causes are mentioned below.

What is breathlessness?

If you have breathlessness, you experience shortness of breath and difficulty breathing. The medical term is dyspnoea. It may come on suddenly (acute) or gradually over a period of time (chronic). The reason for breathlessness is that the body needs more oxygen than it is getting. So you breathe faster to try to increase the flow of oxygen-rich air into the lungs. From the lungs, oxygen gets into the bloodstream and is pumped round the body by the heart.

Who is affected by breathlessness?

Sudden severe breathlessness is one of the most common reasons that people call an ambulance or go to accident and emergency departments.

Breathlessness affects all of us when we exercise, especially if we are overweight or not very fit. But unpleasant breathlessness that comes on suddenly or unexpectedly can be due to a serious underlying medical condition. Pneumonia can affect the very young and the very old, asthma tends to affect young children, smokers are at greater risk of lung and heart disease and the elderly may develop heart failure. However, all these conditions can affect any age group and severe breathlessness always needs medical attention.

How do you measure breathlessness?

Breathlessness can be measured using a score system devised by the Medical Research Council.

• No breathlessness.
• Breathless on vigorous exertion - for example, running.
• Breathless walking up slopes.
• Breathless walking at normal pace on the flat; having to stop from time to time.
• Stopping for breath after a few minutes on the level.
• Too breathless to leave the house.