Are you suffering from shortness of breath and unsure if it is due to your allergies or some other serious complications?

Well, you are at the right place.

Karetrip is here to keep you informed about your own health and empower you to lead a happy life.

Symptoms of Shortness of breath

While you may be aware of the symptoms of shortness of breath if you experience it. Moreover, you must be aware of these symptoms to help out any near ones who need immediate medical attention.

• Sensation of tightness in your chest.
• Feeling that you need to breathe.
• More intensity of breath.
• Feeling of suffocating or going to collapse soon.

Causes of Shortness of Breath Apart from Allergies

When the allergy season hits, if you are prone to get triggered by the allergens, unfortunately you are at risk of shortness of breath. Moreover, you may be experiencing such symptoms due to some other causes that you are totally unaware of.

Here begins the trouble. The underlying disease gets enough time to disguise itself as allergies and cause severe damage to your health. We want you to be knowledgeable about the potential risks of some severe diseases expressed as shortness of breath.

There are several reasons for you being unable to breathe properly.

Let’s see what they are:

• Asthma
• COPD
• Pneumonia
• Carbon Monoxide poisoning
• Obesity
• Anxiety
• Airway obstruction
• Anaphylaxis shock
• Accident involving huge blood loss
• Choking on object
• Heart failure
• Lung congestion
• Tuberculosis
• Myasthenia gravis
• Guillain-Barré syndrome
• Pulmonary oedema
• Sarcoidosis
• Severe anemia
• COVID
• Lung cancer

Shortness of breath can also occur due to some other circumstances like:

• Climbing high altitudes.
• Poor air quality due to smog
• Extremes of temperature
• Any strenuous exercise for longer duration
• Such incidents of inability to breathe properly are generally harmless and get better with rest within a few minutes.

How to Know What’s Causing Your Shortness of Breath

Well, it is really tough to point out clearly that your shortness of breath is due to your allergies or some other problems.

This can be correctly advised by your physician. They will base their assumptions on these factors:

• Your medical history of allergies, heart issues, lung problems or overall general health.
• Your physician will run certain tests or advice some examinations to assure your health status - spirometry (to rule out asthma, COPD or any lung issues), chest x-ray (to rule out any lung infections compromising the lung capacity), blood test for allergies confirmation and ECG to rule out any heart impairment.
• Your physician may ask you to take exercise ECG to check for the physical condition of your heart chambers.

Can Shortness of Breath Other Than Allergies be Prevented?

Yes, definitely. Medical science says, if you can prevent a disease from occurring you have saved the person from that ailment. To keep yourself healthy and to prevent any sort of shortness of breath, you should follow these: BOX

• Exercise: Practice breathing exercises and cardio trainings under supervision.
• Get regular health check ups done to keep yourself updated about your own health.
• Stop smoking: Tobacco smoke is well proven to reduce the elasticity of lungs which hamper the oxygen exchange function. Besides, it is a carcinogenic agent.
• Restrain from inhaling chemical fumes and pollutants that may irritate your respiratory tract.
• Maintain proper weight and try to manage stress efficiently.

Treatment Options of Shortness of Breath Other Than Allergies

• Well, there are several simple yet effective procedures of curing shortness of breath. They are:
• Medications for weakened lungs due to asthma, COPD. Certain medications relieve pain and reduce anxiety related breathlessness.
• Exercise to strengthen lungs and your heart. Many breathing exercises are there which are beneficial to increase the efficiency of the lungs.
• Relaxation techniques can be practiced to relieve shortness of breath.
• Stay away from known allergens.
• Oxygen therapy by a trained professional. This is done in patients whose blood oxygen level is very low.

When To Rush To A Doctor

• Sudden difficulty in breathing
• Breathlessness even after 30 minutes of taking rest
• Skin, lips or nails turning blue (cyanosis)
• Heaviness or chest pain
• Irregular heartbeat (palpitations feeling)
• Sudden high fever
• Stridor (high-pitched sound) or wheezing (whistling sound) with every breath
• Sensation of losing consciousness
• Swollen ankles and feet
• Worsening of shortness of breath after using an inhaler
• Experience difficulty in breathing while lying flat on your back

You should not ignore any kind of shortness of breath thinking it to be just your allergies. Seeking medical attention at the earliest is very much essential to keep your life safe and healthy.

No one wants to think for the worst, but we all must be ready to take necessary action when we have a gut feeling of the seriousness of the health issue.