BODY SIGNAL ALERT SHORTNESS OF BREATH, ACUTE, UPON PHYSICAL ACTIVITY: DESCRIPTION AND POSSIBLE MEDICAL PROBLEMS
The body is a funny thing. It can accept a sedentary lifestyle for many years, usually with no ill effects. Then suddenly, as if to make up for decades of being taken for granted, it will rebel, almost as if to make you atone for the lack of attention you’ve paid it.
One of the signs it may send you is shortness of breath during activities that previously didn’t stress you at all. If you’re over 50 and suddenly have shortness of breath while climbing stairs or carrying packages, you’ll need to heed your body’s messages. Stop and rest! Especially if you begin to sweat heavily and experience chest pain during any physical activity and you’ve been ignoring these episodes for a while, you will need to see your doctor.
Along with the shortness of breath while exercising, if you’re a heavy smoker and you wheeze occasionally, you could be experiencing the early signs of emphysema. By itself, shortness of breath can also be the first sign of an imminent heart attack or even a manifestation of a heart attack itself in a person who is elderly or diabetic. Even if you don’t have the classic signs of a heart attack—chest pain, pallor, sweating, and pain that radiates to the shoulder and down the arm—you should still seek medical attention immediately. The cause may be heart disease or lung disease, or perhaps a combination of the two.
The shortness of breath might be caused not by a heart problem but by an underlying malignancy creating a buildup of fluid in one part of a lung. Again, a complete evaluation will be necessary.
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