Shortness of Breath - Bad or Good or Both?
What a scary thing...shortness of breath. It's something that most of us avoid but it's also something that most of us don't understand well. So, I ask "Is shortness of breath good or bad? Or both?" The answer is both and I hope you can understand it much better after reading.
If you have shortness of breath that persists when you are resting, it may be a concern. Sometimes it can be caused by chronic respiratory issues such as COPD or emphysema but if it's new, it certainly is a concern.
The second way that shortness of breath can be concerning is if it comes along with other types of symptoms. You might end up having a cluster of symptoms that together are often the body's response and the body's way of telling you that you probably need some attention.
If you get short of breath and that shortness of breath does not go away with rest and you also have something like sweating or dizziness or nausea or pain or more profound weakness, or vision changes, if any of those symptoms kind of come along together with your shortness of breath and they stick with you, I would probably encourage you to think about contacting your doctor or 911 if you feel that those situations are severe. In that circumstance, these are concerns for your health at that particular moment. That's the bad. But, there is a good side that we like to use to make people better.
Shortness of breath during exercise that goes away after you rest for several minutes is actually what we want to see you experience. Whatever it might be that is physical activity, if that physical activity brings along shortness of breath, don't be afraid of it if it comes along by itself and it's not met with those other types of symptoms.
If the shortness of breath is alone by itself, you can use that to work your muscles to become more efficient, and your life will start to improve. As you do that on a regular basis, you will move better, you will move easier, and you'll actually become less short of breath over time with the same amount of activity because your muscles are learning how to efficiently use that oxygen. They are adapting and that's how exercise works...your system adapts so you can move better, feel better, live better.
A marathon trainer does not roll out of bed on day one and run 26 miles. They might start with a mile, then build to two, three, five, seven, ten, thirteen, and so on. Along that path, their muscles are relearning to use oxygen much more efficiently.
In the same way, we encourage you to be more active to the point of shortness of breath that you can still have a conversation through. What I mean by that is that you exercise to increase your heart rate and your breath rate but you are still able to talk with a friend who is with you or you can exercise and talk on the phone without much of a challenge. That's a good way to measure if you are doing worthwhile exercise as an older adult and something to embrace and not fear.
Do that regularly every day, maybe a couple of times per day, and you will see your ability to tolerate it for a longer period of time. You will be able to walk further, get up and down the stairs easier, get out of a chair easier, and enjoy time with your family and friends much easier. Your shortness of breath will actually be less.
A complicated topic hopefully made easier to understand. Don't fear shortness of breath...embrace it to make yourself better. Hard things make you better!
My company is here to help guide you if that makes you nervous...our guided program in your home is led by a licensed physical therapist. We all have decades of experience with older adults and making them move as well as they have in many years and in the end, moving better is a key to happiness.
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