Shortness Of Breath

Shortness of breath might not be anything to worry about, but sometimes it can be serious and you'll need to get medical help.

Call 999 or go to A&E immediately if:

you have severe difficulty breathing - you're gasping, choking or not able to get words out
your chest feels tight or heavy
you have pain that spreads to your arms, back, neck and jaw
your lips or skin are turning very pale, blue or grey - on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands
you feel suddenly confused

Find your nearest A&E

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 999 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring any medicines you take with you.

Call 999 or go to A&E immediately if your child:

has difficulty breathing - they may make grunting noises or suck their stomach in under their ribcage
has lips or skin that are turning very pale, blue or grey - on brown or black skin, this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands
is suddenly confused (agitated, behaving oddly or crying constantly)
is limp, floppy or not responding like they normally do - their head may fall to the side, backwards or forwards, or they may find it difficult to lift their head or focus on your face

Find your nearest A&E

Contact NHS 111 if:

you have difficulty breathing - you may be more short of breath than usual
you feel sick or are being sick
you're coughing up blood
you have pain or swelling in 1 of your legs
you have heart palpitations - this may feel like your heart is racing, going too slowly or skipping a beat or like a fluttering feeling in your chest

You can call 111 or get&t=/">get help from 111 online

See a GP if:

your shortness of breath gets worse when you've been doing your normal activities, or when you lie down
you feel short of breath and have swollen ankles
you've been coughing for 3 weeks or more

It's important to get medical advice to make sure it's nothing serious. You're not wasting anyone's time by getting it checked out.

Causes of shortness of breath

Shortness of breath has lots of different causes.

Common causes include:

But sometimes shortness of breath could be a sign of something more serious, such as:

a lung condition called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
scarring of the lungs known as idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis
heart failure
lung cancer

Any treatment you may need depends on what's causing your symptoms.

Do not try to self-diagnose the cause of shortness of breath - always see a GP.

Coping with shortness of breath

If you know what's causing your shortness of breath, you can get advice about things you and other people can do to help.

Sexual Health Advice

Throughout this series we have help and advice on staying healthy, dealing with Sexually Transmitted Infections, the risks of each type of the most popular gay sex and what to do if the sex you have is not consentual. The topics covered in this series include:

	This item was in brought to you association with NHS website. Follow the links above for more information and don't forget to check out OutUK's A to Z of Gay Health which features items on everything from relationships, sexual health, mental and physical conditions and how to stay fit. This week our topic is: L - Lung Cancer.
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