Shortness of breath (SOB) is heart-related if it occurs with exertion, wakes you at night, worsens when lying flat (requiring pillows), and is accompanied by chest pain, palpitations, leg swelling (edema), fatigue, dizziness, nausea, or a cough producing pink/white mucus. While lung issues cause SOB, heart-related SOB often comes with these distinct accompanying symptoms, signalling fluid backup or reduced heart function, so see a doctor, especially if severe or sudden.
You might describe it as not being able to get enough air (“air hunger”), chest tightness or working harder to breathe. Shortness of breath is often a symptom of heart and lung problems. But it can also be a sign of other conditions like asthma, allergies or anxiety.
Three early warning signs of heart failure include persistent fatigue/weakness, shortness of breath (especially with activity or lying down), and swelling (edema) in your legs, ankles, and feet, often accompanied by rapid weight gain from fluid buildup, all signaling your heart isn't pumping efficiently enough. Other key indicators are a chronic cough (sometimes with pink mucus) and heart palpitations.
Health problems that can cause shortness of breath include: lung problems, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or lung cancer. heart problems, such as a heart attack or heart failure. infections of your airways, such as croup, bronchitis, pneumonia, COVID-19, flu or even a cold.
Make an appointment with your healthcare professional if your shortness of breath happens along with: Swelling in your feet and ankles. Trouble breathing when you lie flat. High fever, chills and cough.
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.
Many conditions can cause chronic shortness of breath including:
Silent heart attacks (called Silent Myocardial Infarction or SMI) often lack the classic severe chest pain, instead presenting as mild discomfort, fatigue, heartburn, or a flu-like illness that may be ignored.
If you need one or more lung function tests, your provider may also order a blood oxygen level test called an arterial blood gas (ABG) test. This blood test measures the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide in your blood.
The symptoms of an artery blockage include chest pain and tightness, and shortness of breath. Imagine driving through a tunnel. On Monday, you encounter a pile of rubble. There is a narrow gap, big enough to drive through.
Main symptoms
fatigue – you may feel tired most of the time and find exercise exhausting. swollen ankles and legs – this is caused by a build-up of fluid (oedema); it may be better in the morning and get worse later in the day. feeling lightheaded and fainting.
When your heart can't pump effectively, less blood flows to your lungs and your muscles. Shortness of breath and fatigue when doing everyday activities, such as climbing stairs or walking across a parking lot, is a red flag.
You can monitor aspects of heart health at home.
Checking blood pressure, heart rate, and overall fitness (such as stair climbing or walk/run endurance) can provide useful clues, though home devices cannot diagnose heart attacks or blocked arteries.
Here are five signs of heart trouble you need to get checked out:
When the heart's not pumping properly, fluid can build up in the lungs, which can cause a cough and sometimes shortness of breath. A cough from heart failure tends to be persistent and you might produce phlegm, which can be white, pink or blood-tinged.
Electrocardiogram. An electrocardiogram (ECG) is a test that records the electrical activity of the heart. The ECG reflects what's happening in different areas of the heart and helps identify any problems with the rhythm or rate of your heart. The ECG is painless and takes around 5-10 minutes to perform.
Red flags include: Symptoms and signs including chest pain, haemoptysis, cyanosis, unable to speak in sentences, confusion, agitation, unilateral leg swelling, inspiratory and expiratory stridor.
The symptoms of breathlessness can include:
Many people who have heart conditions experience shortness of breath every day. Heart conditions such as angina, heart attacks, heart failure and some abnormal heart rhythms like atrial fibrillation can all cause shortness of breath.
Other signs and symptoms may include:
Different Types of Anxiety Disorder
Panic disorder – can be associated with cardiac disease or mistaken for heart attack. Feelings of extreme agitation and terror are often accompanied by dizziness, chest pains, stomach discomfort, shortness of breath, and rapid heart rate.
High cholesterol is often silent, but warning signs appear as plaque builds up, including chest pain (angina), shortness of breath, fatigue, numbness/coldness in limbs, dizziness, yellow fatty deposits (xanthomas), difficulty breathing, slurred speech, swelling in legs, or jaw/back pain (especially in women), often indicating a serious complication like a heart attack or stroke. A blood test (lipid profile) is the only way to know your levels.
Many conditions can make you feel short of breath: Lung conditions such as asthma, emphysema, or pneumonia. Problems with your trachea or bronchi, which are part of your airway system. Heart disease can make you feel breathless if your heart cannot pump enough blood to supply oxygen to your body.
If this is something that's come on suddenly, you're having trouble getting deep breaths in, you feel shorter breath, your lungs feel tight, your throat feels tight, those are absolutely reasons not only to go to the ER but you may even consider calling 911.
Shortness of breath, or dyspnea, is a common and sometimes alarming symptom that can come from different causes. The most frequent are asthma, allergies, and heart (cardiac) problems. Because these conditions can overlap in symptoms, proper testing is essential for an accurate diagnosis.