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 112 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

Do not drive to A&E. Ask someone to drive you or call 112 and ask for an ambulance.

Bring any medicines you take with you.

Call 112 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

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:

• asthma
• a chest infection
• being overweight
• smoking
• a panic attack

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.