Shortness of breath while climbing stairs or walking quickly can result from age, excess weight or limited exercise. Doctors say symptoms that begin suddenly during previously easy activities or worsen over time should be taken seriously.
Breathlessness during exertion can be a sign of heart disease, lung disease, anemia, a thyroid disorder or another medical condition, according to doctors. In women, older people and people with diabetes, it can sometimes be an early sign of heart disease even before chest pain begins.
Experts advised people with diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol or obesity, as well as people who smoke, to be especially cautious. Shortness of breath accompanied by chest pressure, dizziness, an irregular heartbeat, excessive sweating or swollen legs requires prompt medical attention, they said.
How doctors identify the cause
Doctors cannot determine the cause from symptoms alone. They assess a patient’s medical history and use tests to identify the underlying condition.
Initial checks may include blood pressure, an electrocardiogram, a chest X-ray and blood tests. The blood work can assess hemoglobin, blood sugar, thyroid function, kidney function and liver function.
If heart disease is suspected, doctors may order an echocardiogram, treadmill stress test or CT coronary angiogram. Lung-function testing may also be needed.
Why early diagnosis matters
Doctors described breathlessness that does not improve with rest or begins suddenly and severely as a serious warning sign. Timely diagnosis can allow earlier treatment for conditions including heart failure, coronary artery disease, chronic lung disease, blood clots and anemia, reducing the risk of major complications and repeated hospitalization.
What specialists advise
Dr. Ajay Shah, managing director of Neuberg Ajay Shah Laboratory in Mumbai, said the pattern, duration and severity of symptoms, along with a patient’s lifestyle and medical history, were important to diagnosis. Appropriate tests can then identify the cause, he said.
Dr. Abhijit Joshi, a cardiologist at Manipal Hospital in Pune, said shortness of breath could be the first warning of heart disease before chest pain, particularly in women, older people and people with diabetes.
Dr. Rahul Gupta, a cardiologist at Gleneagles Hospital in Mumbai, said diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol were major heart-disease risk factors. People who become breathless or unusually tired while doing activities that were previously easy should seek medical advice promptly, he said.
Do not dismiss new symptoms
Some decline in physical capacity is normal with age, experts said. But new or persistent shortness of breath should not be dismissed as the result of age or weakness alone.
A smartwatch or personal observation cannot replace a medical evaluation, they said. People whose shortness of breath begins or worsens should seek medical advice and appropriate tests and should not take medication or make major lifestyle changes without professional guidance.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report