Have you ever found yourself short of breath when you’re trying to exercise, or even when you’re just going about your everyday business? If you’ve ended up breathing hard from trying to climb the stairs or running for the bus, don’t just ignore it. Finding it hard to breathe could indicate a problem with your health, ranging from asthma to simply being unfit. Instead of simply putting up with it, you can make some changes in your life to start breathing better. You can make healthy decisions that help you to improve your lifestyle and your health.
Stop Smoking
If you smoke, you probably already know that it’s not good for your lungs. However, do you know how quickly you could improve your health if you stop? Just 12 hours after you have your last cigarette, the carbon monoxide levels in your body return to normal and oxygen levels increase. Your lung function can begin to improve in as little as one month, and you can start to notice less coughing and loss shortness of breath. After nine months, your lungs will have healed significantly and will be better able to fight infections. After 10 years, your chances of developing lung cancer are roughly cut in half.
See a Doctor
When you’re having trouble with shortness of breath, seeing a doctor is a good idea. This is especially necessary if you experience shortness of breath when you’re not exercising or if you have other symptoms, such as chest pains. Seeing your doctor can help you get a diagnosis if you have a health problem, such as asthma. Your doctor can prescribe treatment too. Take a look at the information on prednisone treatment Inspire provides to see just one treatment example for asthma. Your doctor can also help you work out if there might be an environmental factor causing your shortness of breath, such as something causing an allergic reaction.
Get Fit
When you find yourself struggling to breathe as you exercise, the problem could simply be that you’re not as fit as you could be. If you don’t do much physical activity, you can find yourself getting tired and out of breath without much effort. You’ll find that as work on your fitness, it gets easier to breathe. However, it’s important not to push yourself too hard when you’re trying to get fit. It’s also important to note that shortness of breath while exercising can be due to other health issues, especially if it’s a problem you haven’t experienced before.
Check Your Home
In some cases, feeling short of breath or coughing a lot could be caused by environmental factors. There could be an issue in your home that’s causing you problems, especially if you already have a condition like asthma. Some things that could cause you issues include damp and mould, pet dander, dust mites and other allergens that can irritate your nose, throat and lungs.
There are several reasons you might find yourself short of breath, but finding out why it might be happening will help you find the right solution.
