A doctor has highlighted the danger of ignoring “the most common symptom” people suffer from yet choose to avoid.
Dr Robert Kelly said while you’d be forgiven for thinking that ailment is chest pain, it’s actually shortness of breath. “If you’re getting short of breath going up hills, talking or from any little bit of effort whatsoever, then you need to reach out and see and see a cardiologist,” he explained in a TikTok video.
Indeed, the NHS points out that shortness of breath has lots of different causes, with common including asthma, a chest infection, being overweight, smoking and a panic attack.
However, it could be a warning sign of something much more sinister. “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 and lung cancer,” the NHS advises online.
Of course, as with any health problem, the symptom could have one of many causes, varying in range of severity. As such the NHS suggests: “Do not try to self-diagnose the cause of shortness of breath – always see a GP. Any treatment you may need depends on what’s causing your symptoms.”
The NHS goes on to stress the importance of seeing 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,” it adds. “You’re not wasting anyone’s time by getting it checked out.”
Meanwhile, you should contact 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
Writing in response to Dr Kelly, one TikTok user shared their story. “Totally agree, I’m what I thought was fit but started getting out of breath doing tasks lifting etc. Next thing I know it’s a quadruple bypass.”
Similarly, a second person revealed: “I was getting short of breath under strain, got checked, two weeks later triple bypass passed, doing well now.”
“So glad to hear you’re doing well now – that’s exactly why sharing these stories matters,” Dr Kelly noted. “Recovery doesn’t stop after surgery, it’s about protecting your heart long-term.”
While a third reported: “I can’t walk up a flight of steps without being out of breath. Stress test came back normal. However, Im also overweight and very sedentary job.”
To this, Dr Kelly advised: “Thanks for sharing this – and it’s good your stress test came back normal. Still, breathlessness is always worth discussing with your own GP or cardiologist, especially if it’s limiting day-to-day life.”
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
