Short of Breath? Don’t Blame Age Yet GET TESTED

Transcript

Shortness of breath can be easy to explain away. Maybe you are just getting older. Maybe you are out of shape. Maybe stairs are harder now because life has changed.

But what if your breathing is starting to change the way you live?

In this episode of The Daily Brief, Dr. Albert Takem speaks with Dr. Khan about when shortness of breath, fatigue, and trouble with stairs may be more than normal aging. They discuss how patients often adapt without realizing it — parking closer, avoiding stairs, skipping activities, or changing routines — and why that can be an important sign to get checked.

We discuss:

• When shortness of breath may need medical evaluation
• Why some patients blame breathing problems on age or being out of shape
• A patient who avoided stairs and was later diagnosed with COPD
• Why COPD can happen even in people who never smoked
• What pulmonary function tests, or PFTs, can show
• How breathing symptoms may come from the lungs, heart, sleep apnea, weight, or fitness level
• Why worsening symptoms or lifestyle changes should not be ignored

The key takeaway: if shortness of breath is getting worse, lasting a long time, or causing you to avoid normal activities, do not simply blame age. Talk with your doctor and get tested.

Questions for Dr. Takem and the team

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