When should you worry? (Part 1)

The questions to ask your doctor
Got a nagging problem, but don’t think it’s worth the flight it sometimes takes these days to get a doctor’s appointment?

1. Recently I’ve found it difficult to keep up with friends while walking and I even get out of breath climbing stairs. Should I be worried?

   Breathlessness is an important concern and people usually seek advice if it comes on suddenly. As a symptom, however, it is often overlooked if it has a slower build-up. Common lifestyle causes include taking too little daily exercise, increased weight and smoking. The odd feature of smokers’ breathlessness is that they don’t initially notice – it may take 20 years before it is severe enough to become a nuisance.


   Your doctor will want to rule out lung disease, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema; the chronic morning cough, wheeze and breathlessness now known as COPD, as well as acute chest infections. Your lung capacity will be tested and a chest X-ray may be taken.

   Heart problems may also cause breathlessness. So, as well as listening to your heart, your doctor is likely to carry out electrocardiograph (ECG) and will probably arrange for an electrocardiograph, which shows how well your heart’s working.

   Asthma, which can initially appear in mid-life, may also produce breathlessness. This can be the result of anaemia or, more rarely, the complications of other more generalised diseases like kidney failure or diabetes. Your doctor will also feel your tummy for abdominal swelligs that could restrict the movement of the lungs. Although breathlessness requires investigation, in nine out ten cases the causes are straightforward and of no great concern.