Are the lungs or heart causing shortness of breath and no energy?

@mirsy That's an interesting question that I just faced as well. In my case, it was shortness of breath, fatigue and chest pressure with no previously diagnosed heart condition. I have Bronchiectasis but did not seem to have any infection, but the way I felt I was sure there was one lurking.
Then I got Covid and was sent to the ER because of the chest pain. There I was diagnosed with a heart blockage and angina. Medication has me feeling fine right now.

I am glad your husband's doctor is taking this seriously, because it could be either his CHF or an infection. Maybe his pulmonologistncan have the respiratory therapy staff help him get a good sample?

what I've read so far, it's the lung, not the heart, which causes shortness of breath

you can measure pulse-rate and breaths per minute ,
whether the quotient increases with physical activity

also measure FEV1, how much can be exhaled in 1s
there are such devices to measure it, cheapest I found was $30
or just exhale in a plastic bag and estimate the volume
then there are tables online what's the norm (age,height)

(and whether you can still exhale more after 5s waiting
and holding the breath

I just saw a Cardiologist the other day. I told her about my Bronchiectasis and chronic Pseudomonas infection and that it might be difficult figuring out lungs vs heart. For me the infection greatly affects my breathing but along with that is increased heart rate. She very much agreed that diagnosing a heart issue when someone has lung disease can be more difficult. She was not even able to listen to my heart. She said she could not hear it since my lungs were so loud! She has ordered an Eco. Anyway to your question about SOB and tiredness the answer is YES Pseudomonas will most definitely cause that as will Bronchiectasis in general. But of course so can CHF. Trying to sort out which is causing more issue may be difficult. Did you say if your husband is doing airway clearance with saline and a flutter device?

The heart can cause shortness of breath as well. For example, inefficient pumping (eg fluid in pericardium or damaged heart muscle) = not enough oxygen transport, and thus SOB.
In this instance, the person has both heart and lung issues - it is up to the doctors to determine which is causing the specific symptoms. It could be the congestive heart failure, or the bronchiectasis, or the infection, or a combination of all three.

Interesting discussion. When we have lung conditions, it is always murky whether the elevated heart rate and shortness of breath are caused by the heart or lungs. I would do all the necessary tests to make sure it is not a heart problem. I went through that too. A test I have not done yet is a CT scan of my heart to see if there is any blockage.
Wish you the best!
Ling

@irenea8@sueinmn and all who come to our Mayo Clinic Connect posts.
How I wish it weren't so for all of us.....how one thing can lead to another , how things can become more complicated, and then there is all we have to do, decide to do, such as managing to plug along and teach ourselves. push ourselves, to keep ourselves in a positive mindset and attitude.
Wishing easy/easier days for all ...as well as strength, courage and determination.
Barbara

Barbara and @irenea8 and @wangling and @mirsy

Yes, when multiple organs have issues, it becomes a 3-D jigsaw puzzle to put it all together! But most of the time, I choose to take my meds, do my exercises and as Barbara so aptly says "to plug along and teach ourselves. push ourselves, to keep ourselves in a positive mindset and attitude." That's one of the things we do best here at Connect - help one another roll with the punches.

Today I watched a livestream as my younger sister delivered the eulogy I prepared for my oldest cousin - I intended to do it myself, but a recent injury halted my plans to fly to Texas - it helped me put things in perspective. For the past 55 years, her life was beset by challenges, she faced health, economic and family issues, but maintained her faith and continued to serve others, all with a wickedly fun sense of humor and a smile. Here is the picture from her funeral program, and it perfectly depicts her joyous spirit.
As I face aging and an uncooperative body, she is one of my role models. So today, instead of feeling sorry for myself, I celebrate her life, and the fact that I have a wonderful family, great support community on Connect and an excellent medical team all watching out for me.

Dr Noah Greenspan is having a "Shortness of Breath" (what you can do about it) webinar on 10/23/24, 7 pm eastern.
Maybe you could get some ideas to help manage the symptoms.

Thanks for your reply and glad to hear you are feeling well now. He gave his 4th sample yesterday and hopefully it will yield results. His pul. also want him to have another CT scan.

Thanks for your reply. He will be having an echo again also. Yes, he does the saline nebulizer and aerobic. Between all the upcoming lung and heart tests hopefully they will figure out what is going on.