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Mysterious shortness of breath: What has helped you?
Lung Health | Last Active: Oct 23 10:20am | Replies (3405)Comment receiving replies
I have shortness of breath also, but I know the reason for mine--growing up in a smoking household, repeated bronchitis, and smoke inhalation four years ago. I have the same symptoms as you though. I never can get a full lung full of air. I have hiked up a steep hill for two days in a row now, and that helps for a little bit, but the next morning my SOB is back and I feel oxygen starved. The big deal for me though is that on 3/8 my heart went crazy, like it couldn't get enough oxygen, and called the paramedics and wound up in the ER where I was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation.
Also, you didn't mention if you coughed up phlegm. I cough up phlegm several times a day and sometimes it has tinges of blood in it.
Replies to "I have shortness of breath also, but I know the reason for mine--growing up in a..."
@catmom777- Good morning. I am very concerned that you are coughing up blood. I know that it's scary when you see this. I remember the first time that I saw this and thought- not good. Have you been tested for COPD? With your history it might be likely. There are several reasons why a person coughs up blood. Some are not life threatening at all. I just read that you will be calling your doctor tomorrow. It's good that you are on top of this. It's very important not to put off seeking help when your heath changes. Have you had a CT before? What did it show? When was this? Please let me know what you find out. I'm here for you.
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coughing-up-blood/
@catmom777 it sounds like you bounce in and out of rapid Afib. Your cardiologist should be able to help you titrate you medicine to help with theses spells. A lot of people live in Afib but not rapid afib and are put on blood thinners and the correct medicine and live normal lives. Afib alone can cause you to be short of breath and when its happening i bet you feel as though you have had a good cardio workout. It may help sometimes when you feel you are having AFib to bear down like you are having a bowel movement, this will sometimes convert you back to a sinus rhythm (maybe) . Maybe your doctor will suggest a heart monitor for you to wear so they can see exactly whats going on. Just stay positive and know its treatable and hopefully you will feel be
Better soon.
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@catmom777 Coughing up blood in your phlegm is a symptom of pneumonia which will also cause shortness of breath and a rapid heartbeat. I sent my dad to the emergency room when this happened many times and he would be treated with antibiotics. If this is happening to you, it would be best to have it checked out. Your doctor is the best resource on this, and coughing up blood is not normal, so you should consult your doctor. Allergies cause a lot of phlegm too, and I've had trouble with that, but I made changes with my air filter at home so it blows right on me at night and it helped a lot. This made a huge difference for me because my cats were triggering my asthma. We can coexist now, and I can breathe because of the precautions I'm taking. We are most vulnerable at night because it traps phlegm since we are not moving around. If you also have allergies, getting them under control will help your heart.