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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Mayo Clinic Housecall
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When to see a doctor
By Mayo Clinic staffCall 911 or get emergency medical help if you have:
- Severe shortness of breath that comes on suddenly and affects your ability to function
- Severe shortness of breath with headache, insomnia, fluid retention and cough at high elevations (above 8,000 feet or about 2,400 meters) — these are signs and symptoms of high-altitude pulmonary edema, which can be fatal without appropriate care
See your doctor as soon as possible if you have:
- Shortness of breath after slight exertion or when you're at rest
- Shortness of breath that gets worse when you exercise or are physically active
- Abrupt awakenings with shortness of breath or a feeling that you're choking — these may be symptoms of sleep apnea
Self-care
To cope with chronic shortness of breath try to:
- Stop smoking. If you've been diagnosed with COPD or other lung disease, the single most important thing you can do is to quit smoking.
- Avoid passive smoke. Avoid places where others smoke. Secondhand smoke can cause further lung damage.
- Get regular exercise. It may seem difficult to exercise when you have trouble breathing, but regular exercise can improve your overall strength and endurance.
References
- Valdez-Lowe C, et al. Pulse oximetry in adults. American Journal of Nursing. 2009;109:52.
- Wagner PD, et al. Ventilation, blood flow and gas exchange. In: Mason RJ, et al. Murray and Nadel's Textbook of Respiratory Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=aboutPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4710-0..C2009-0-37805-8--TOP&isbn=978-1-4160-4710-0&uniq=209587453#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-4710-0..C2009-0-37805-8--TOP%3Bfrom%3Dcontent%3Bisbn%3D978-1-4160-4710-0%3Btype%3DbookHome. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- Theodore AC. Oxygenation and mechanisms of hypoxemia. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 13, 2010.
- Treacher DF, et al. ABC of oxygen. BMJ. 1998;317:1302.
- Signs and symptoms of COPD. American Thoracic Society. http://patients.thoracic.org/information-series/en/resources/signs-and-symptoms-of-copd.pdf. Accessed July 14, 2010.
- Hackett PH, et al. High-altitude medicine. In: Auerbach PS. Wilderness Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/209731653-3/0/1483/0.html. Accessed July 14, 2010.
- Ghamande SA, et al. Sleep apnea. In: Bope ET, et al. Conn's Current Therapy 2010. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/book.do?method=display&type=bookPage&decorator=header&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6642-2..00004-1--sc0030&displayedEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6642-2..00004-1--s0535&uniq=209731653&isbn=978-1-4160-6642-2#lpState=open&lpTab=contentsTab&content=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6642-2..C2009-0-38983-7--TOP%3Bfrom%3Dcontent%3Bisbn%3D978-1-4160-6642-2%3Btype%3DbookHome. July 14, 2010.
- Wilkinson JM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 19, 2010.
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