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How do you find the cause of shortness of breath?

Posted by leelou03 @leelou03, Mar 3 1:04pm

I've had shortness of breath for several years but it's getting constant. I have a pulmonologist, I have a gastroenterologist, Bithe doctors says it's not from the lungs, or not from GERD
Well both conditions cause SOB. So I'm finding a new gastro doctor and a pulmonologist. I can find answers. I've had a stress test, all sorts of scans. I do have COPD, asthma, bronchitis, but this is on going. My daily activity is not good. All I have is inhalers.

Just wondering what others have found for their SOB
Thank you

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gloaming | @gloaming | Mar 6 1:54am

This may not be your lungs at all. It could be any of the following, but I'm just letting you know that there are other possibilities...NOT suggesting I know what you have going on!!! !!!

You could have a mitral valve prolapse severe enough that you're getting severe regurgitation. Normally this is suspected and it should have been ruled out.

Or, you have a damaged or partly occluded aortic valve. My own well-aged dad was having trouble walking and kept having to lean against a utility pole on his daily walks during increasingly frequent pauses. When they did an angiogram...POW!...they found that his aortic valve was almost 90% closed up with calcium deposits. It's a wonder he could stand up out of a chair!.. It was replaced in what is called the TAVI procedure, very common, only a day patient thing unless you're older or have other risks. He had to stay over night, being a spry 93 year-old fella.

Some people develop a hole in the septum between the two atria. It is a thinning at first, then age makes it worse and eventually the septum lets go and you get cross-wash between the two upper chambers during the beating process. If there's a heavy exchange between the two atria, it means oxygen-poor, CO2-rich blood from the right atrium might be being forced into the left atrium, although usually the problem is blood flowing in the other direction.

Once again, just using some anecdotal information of my own experience and from posting from other heart patients on other fora about what was the matter with them and what was done to improve them.

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1 reply
leelou03 | @leelou03 | Mar 6 2:09am
In reply to @gloaming "This may not be your lungs at all. It could be any of the following, but..." + (show)
@gloaming

This may not be your lungs at all. It could be any of the following, but I'm just letting you know that there are other possibilities...NOT suggesting I know what you have going on!!! !!!

You could have a mitral valve prolapse severe enough that you're getting severe regurgitation. Normally this is suspected and it should have been ruled out.

Or, you have a damaged or partly occluded aortic valve. My own well-aged dad was having trouble walking and kept having to lean against a utility pole on his daily walks during increasingly frequent pauses. When they did an angiogram...POW!...they found that his aortic valve was almost 90% closed up with calcium deposits. It's a wonder he could stand up out of a chair!.. It was replaced in what is called the TAVI procedure, very common, only a day patient thing unless you're older or have other risks. He had to stay over night, being a spry 93 year-old fella.

Some people develop a hole in the septum between the two atria. It is a thinning at first, then age makes it worse and eventually the septum lets go and you get cross-wash between the two upper chambers during the beating process. If there's a heavy exchange between the two atria, it means oxygen-poor, CO2-rich blood from the right atrium might be being forced into the left atrium, although usually the problem is blood flowing in the other direction.

Once again, just using some anecdotal information of my own experience and from posting from other heart patients on other fora about what was the matter with them and what was done to improve them.

Jump to this post

I just had a high contrast CT scan, my heart is ok, so far. Thank you for the information

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joaf37 | @joaf37 | Mar 6 7:49am

Thanks for letting me know that capability is within the Mayo system ... I assumed it was and would work through the medical team I'm seeing there now -- that's not cardio related,

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mannism | @mannism | Mar 18 7:35am

Look at your medications and their side effects.

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andytheman | @andytheman | Mar 19 9:12am

There are many causes for shortness of breath. One is a possible paralyzed vocal cord or both. The breathing goes through your voice box and if one or both cord(s) is not working like it should you can experience shortness of breath.

I was recently diagnosed with a paralyzed right vocal cord. Because it’s paralyzed it is not letting breathing through my voicebox letting me have only my left vocal cord. So if you breathe through one cord you can develop shortness of breath that might also make swallowing difficult. I’m just throwing it out there because many people, including myself suffer from having only one vocal cord. An ENT is the type of doctor you would need.

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crazykbl | @crazykbl | Mar 20 1:27am

You could have a dyautonmia that could couse you have shout of breath 🫁 low on ferritin is thing .🙏😇 hope you find you some answers prayers go to you

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