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What Causes Breathlessness While Exercising?
Question: I workout regularly 3 to 4 times weekly aerobically and weights. Recently I went to step class and 10 minutes I felt like I could not breath like I had 50 lbs of weight on my chest. I never had this happen before ever. I am 48 year old female don't smoke and consider myself healthy and eat a normal diet. I get am baffled as to what could be wrong since never happened before. I can breathe normally but any kind of exertion like going up steps I feel like I cant breathe.
Brief Answer:
List of most likely causes given for your reference ma'am
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. The fact that any physical exertion seems to be causing you to get breathless indicates towards either of the following:
+Cardiac issue: Usually related to heart failure, but will require elaborate evaluation
+Any respiratory abnormality, even a simple infection can cause you to get breathless easily, sometimes even at rest (i.e. without any physical exertion even)
+Some irregularities like lack of sleep, temporary poor diet, menstrual irregularities, exhaustion, higher than normal stress levels, etc; can also cause such a presentation but it will be temporary and should not last long. This point and all its causes are nothing to be worried about. But if the breathlessness lasts for long, then we most certainly need to investigate it
Thus I would recommend a detailed and most elaborate evaluation by your physician, and would urge you to do so at the earliest as you have always been a fairly healthy individual, you should not let anything come in the way of that, and so seek treatment for whatever it is that is causing this presentation.
I hope you find my response helpful and informative. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help.
Best wishes.
List of most likely causes given for your reference ma'am
Detailed Answer:
Hello ma'am and welcome.
Thank you for writing to us.
I have gone through your query with diligence and would like you to know that I am here to help. The fact that any physical exertion seems to be causing you to get breathless indicates towards either of the following:
+Cardiac issue: Usually related to heart failure, but will require elaborate evaluation
+Any respiratory abnormality, even a simple infection can cause you to get breathless easily, sometimes even at rest (i.e. without any physical exertion even)
+Some irregularities like lack of sleep, temporary poor diet, menstrual irregularities, exhaustion, higher than normal stress levels, etc; can also cause such a presentation but it will be temporary and should not last long. This point and all its causes are nothing to be worried about. But if the breathlessness lasts for long, then we most certainly need to investigate it
Thus I would recommend a detailed and most elaborate evaluation by your physician, and would urge you to do so at the earliest as you have always been a fairly healthy individual, you should not let anything come in the way of that, and so seek treatment for whatever it is that is causing this presentation.
I hope you find my response helpful and informative. Please feel free to write back to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you for your response. What time frame our you meaning when saying temporary and should not last long 1 week 2 weeks? I have been under stress with passing of my dad so I believe it to be that situation but wanting to know what time frame? Just because it has never happened while i exercised before. Thanks, XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Stress like what you have experienced may take 2 weeks or more
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.
The temporary factors should not last more than 2 weeks (about 15 days), if well controlled and managed.
Emotional stress/trauma such as what you have suffered can last longer, and until you cope with that, you may experience slight irregularities, but if at all this is the cause for your presentation, then it should gradually subside.
And if at all it is the stress, then the diagnosis would be either a panic attach or an anxiety attack, and nothing more.
I hope I have explained things in a manner best understood by you, please do not hesitate to write to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help.
Best wishes.
Stress like what you have experienced may take 2 weeks or more
Detailed Answer:
Hello once again ma'am.
The temporary factors should not last more than 2 weeks (about 15 days), if well controlled and managed.
Emotional stress/trauma such as what you have suffered can last longer, and until you cope with that, you may experience slight irregularities, but if at all this is the cause for your presentation, then it should gradually subside.
And if at all it is the stress, then the diagnosis would be either a panic attach or an anxiety attack, and nothing more.
I hope I have explained things in a manner best understood by you, please do not hesitate to write to me for any further clarifications, I am always here to help.
Best wishes.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Thank you I appreciate that response if I'm not better within two weeks I will make an appointment. Thanks XXXXXXX
Brief Answer:
Wishing you a rapid and complete recovery at the earliest
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Always here to help.
Best wishes.
Wishing you a rapid and complete recovery at the earliest
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXXXXX
Always here to help.
Best wishes.
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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