Bad condition or lung disease?
Suddenly out of breath after a bike ride or climbing a flight of stairs? Shortness of breath can be the result of a bad condition or problems with the lungs. What can be done about it?
How often does it occur?
That’s hard to say, because one shortness of breath is not like the other. Shortness of breath can be the result of poor fitness or being overweight. But it can also be a sign of serious lung problems, such as asthma. 500,000 people suffer from this in the Netherlands.
Furthermore, it may be a result of COPD (chronic bronchitis and emphysema), which affects 350,000 people. In addition, there are another 300,000 people who are at high risk of COPD, but who do not know it themselves. Shortness of breath can also be a result of heart failure, a condition that affects an estimated 160,000 people.
What are the complaints?
Shortness of breath is not always noticeable to the person who suffers from it. The condition often gradually deteriorates, until you ‘suddenly’ notice that you can no longer climb the stairs without taking a break in between. Or, for example, that you are completely out of breath after a bike ride.
Does it come with getting older?
A decline of the condition yes, but with training you can keep up with this reasonably well. COPD mainly affects people over the age of 55 and is usually caused by smoking. Asthma usually starts in childhood, but it can also develop later in life. Heart failure is rare under the age of 65.
What if you don’t do anything about it?
The general condition always deteriorates with age, but by exercising you can maintain your stamina. Both heart failure and lung diseases can get worse without treatment. The shortness of breath can then become so severe that even activities such as shopping, cleaning, cooking and showering become quite an undertaking.
What can the doctor do?
If the cause is a bad condition or overweight, then there is something to do about the shortness of breath. The GP will then give general advice: weight loss, smoking cessation and exercise tips. Lung and heart disease can be treated with drugs and/or exercise programs, and sometimes even surgery. But of the over 60s who are treated for asthma or COPD, more than 80 percent still suffer from shortness of breath.
Sources):
- Plus Magazine
