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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
@greff- Hello! Welcome to Mayo Connect. I am so glad that you decided to join us. Experiencing SOB is extremely upsetting and can really set you on a journey that seems to be going nowhere. And at other times can lead to finding problems that can be solved with changes in the way we live.
Yesterday I had an appointment with my Pulmonologist. I have lung cancer and my shortness of breath is due to loss of lung tissue.
After my exam and discussion of my most recent breathing test results, I asked him why there seem to be so many problems with SOB. He said that most people think that lung diseases and cancers or heart problems are the top causes of SOB but nowadays that's not true. It's obesity and lack of movement, being sedentary and eating more than you need. He said that Lifestyle changes are what's needed more than new meds. This, of course, is true if there aren't any real underlying physical causes.
I'm small, 5'1" and I weigh around 130 lbs. This for me is too much. My breathing is more labored and I don't feel up to par. I need to lose five pounds and workout more.
What lifestyle changes have you made to lessen the symptoms of SOB?
Replies to "@greff- Hello! Welcome to Mayo Connect. I am so glad that you decided to join us...."
Merry, I hope your appointment with your pulmonologist goes well. I will pray for you. God bless.
Has any provider mentioned IPF. I am an IPF patient. Basically, my lungs will become dysfunctional due to scar tissue forming for "unknown" reasons. My pulmonologist has put me on a KETO diet which is believed to be beneficial for te immune system. On a positive note, in addition, I was diagnosed as a pre-diabetic. Why is that a positive note? As it turns out, there is evidence that a very old and inexpensive medication used to treat diabetics, and pre diabetics, reversed tissue damage in IPF patients. So, my doctor has prescribed Metformin for my pre-diabetes with a hope that I too will see some positive improvements in blood sugar and breathing capacity. A diagnosis of IPF, is still considered a death sentence with a survival rate of 3 to 5 years. Maybe it is a path you can take as well.
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Nothing has worked for me concerning lessoning my breathing issues. I had cardio ablation in September of 2019 and it went good except that's when my breathing started getting significnatly worse. They did some scanning and an echocardiogram to ensure my breathing issues weren't heart related. Which I checked out fine cardio wise.
As far as my brwathing goes it is so labored that when I take a shower, it's like running a marathon. I can't do stairs or carry anything for much of a distance. My hope is that the gastro fellas will tell me they can fix the issue. If not, I will just have to adapt. God will see me through it. I am amazed about how the throat, stomach, and diaphragm all play a role in breathing, along with a host of other potential issues. I also have Celiacs which doesn't help the Barretts. Man, gluten free diet is a bugger to follow.😀