Thursday, March 28, 2024

Shortness Of Breath Weakness Fatigue

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I Have Muscle Weakness

Nightwatch: EMTs Treat Covid Positive Patient With Weakness, Shortness Of Breath | A& E

If you have muscle weakness and visit your doctor, they will first need to know the following:

  • How it began and how long you have had it for.
  • Whether it is getting worse, getting better or staying the same.
  • Whether you are otherwise well, are losing weight or have travelled abroad recently.
  • What medicines or other drugs you have been taking and whether there are any muscle problems in your family.

Your doctor will need to examine you to see which muscles are affected and whether you have true or perceived muscle weakness. They will check to see whether your muscles are tender to touch or unusually fatigable. They may want to watch you walk.

They will then need to test your nerves to see whether the muscles are getting the right signals to act. Your doctor may need to test your central nervous system, including your balance and co-ordination. They may need to perform blood tests to look for abnormalities of hormones, salts and blood cells.

Depending on the results of these tests your doctor may also order the following:

  • Nerve studies to make sure the nerves are conducting properly.
  • A muscle biopsy to see whether the muscles themselves show signs of inflammation or damage. A biopsy is a procedure where a small sample is taken to look at under the microscope.
  • Body scans such as CT or MRI to look for conditions elsewhere in the body which may affect muscle power and function.

How Is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Diagnosed

Right now, theres no test to tell if someone has chronic fatigue syndrome. Doctors ask a lot of questions . They also will do a thorough physical exam.

Doctors also usually order blood, urine , or other tests to check for conditions that cause similar symptoms. They may send a person to see other specialists to help with the diagnosis.

A doctor may suggest meeting with a psychologist or a therapist who can see whether mental health disorders might contribute to or mask CFS.

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What Is The Most Common Cause Of Shortness Of Breath

Shortness of breath, a symptom known medically as dyspnea, is not a disease or disorder in itself, but can be due to many different causes. That is why it is important to observe when it appears and what symptoms are related to be able to determine more precisely what it is due to.

Do you wonder why I feel like I am short of breath ? In the following FastlyHealarticle we are going to explain the causes that can cause it, likewise, we will also differentiate shortness of breath depending on the related symptoms that you may have.

  • Pericarditis
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    How Can Shortness Of Breath And Nausea Be Treated

    1. Gastritis

    In cases when gastritis is the cause, its treatment depends on the underlying cause of gastritis. In cases of acute gastritis caused by alcohol abuse or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, stopping alcohol abuse or the use of these drugs will relieve the symptoms.

    Certain over-the-counter medications as well as prescribed medications can help relieve gastritis, such as:

    • Antacids
    • PPIs
    • Antibiotics in cases of an infection with Helicobacter pylori

    The most important thing when it comes to the treatment of gastritis is a lifestyle change. Follow these tips in your daily life.

    • Eat more frequently and in smaller portions.
    • Avoid certain types of food which will irritate your stomach, such as spicy foods, fatty foods, fried foods, and acidic foods.
    • Dont drink alcohol as it irritates the lining of your stomach.
    • Avoid stress as it is known that the symptoms of gastritis just get worse due to stress. Yoga, massage, tai chi, meditation, swimming, walking, etc., can help you reduce stress as much as possible.
    • Choose safe pain relievers such as acetaminophen which tend to have a smaller effect on your gastritis.

    2. Panic Attack

    What if the shortness of breath and nausea are caused by panic attack? Certain medications and psychotherapy can help treat panic attacks, based on the severity of your panic attacks, your medical and family history, etc. With proper treatment, the frequency and intensity of your panic attacks can be reduced.

    3. Heart Attack

    What Tests And Procedures Diagnose Chronic Kidney Disease

    What are Common Causes of Weakness and Fatigue? (with pictures)

    Chronic kidney disease usually causes no symptoms in its early stages. Only lab tests can detect any developing problems. Anyone at increased risk for chronic kidney disease should be routinely tested for development of this disease.

    • Urine, blood, and imaging tests are used to detect kidney disease, as well as to follow its progress.
    • All of these tests have limitations. They are often used together to develop a picture of the nature and extent of the kidney disease.
    • In general, this testing can be performed on an outpatient basis.

    Urine tests

    Urinalysis: Analysis of the urine affords enormous insight into the function of the kidneys. The first step in urinalysis is doing a dipstick test. The dipstick has reagents that check the urine for the presence of various normal and abnormal constituents including protein. Then, the urine is examined under a microscope to look for red and white blood cells, and the presence of casts and crystals .

    Only minimal quantities of albumin are present in urine normally. A positive result on a dipstick test for protein is abnormal. More sensitive than a dipstick test for protein is a laboratory estimation of the urine albumin and creatinine in the urine. The ratio of albumin and creatinine in the urine provides a good estimate of albumin excretion per day.

    Blood tests

    Other tests

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    What Is Microvascular Angina

    Angina is any chest pain that occurs when your heart muscle doesnt get enough blood to meet its work demand, a condition called ischemia.

    The most common source of angina is obstructive coronary disease, which happens when one of the hearts arteries is blocked. People with this type of angina might feel chest pain during exercise or exertion if not enough blood is supplied to the working heart muscle.

    But according to the American Heart Association, up to 50 percent of women with angina symptoms dont have a blocked artery. In fact, they may not even have chest pain, though they may have other symptoms.

    They may feel severely short of breath. They might feel extreme fatigue, which rest doesnt make better. They may have pain with exertion in their back, jaw or arm with no chest pain. They might have nausea and indigestion, says Michos.

    These women should be evaluated for microvascular angina. Microvascular angina can occur when the hearts tiniest arteries are not able to supply enough oxygen-rich blood due to spasm or cellular dysfunction.

    It can be difficult to diagnose microvascular angina because an angiogram a specialized X-ray of the heart wont show obstruction or blockages in these tiny arteries, and symptoms like nausea and indigestion mimic other illnesses. Often, your doctor will perform a stress test to monitor the hearts function during exercise to make a diagnosis.

    I: Trigger Pointsthe Effects Of Muscle Knots On Breathing

    Trigger points better known as muscle knots can cause shortness of breath. They are small patches of sensitive muscle tissue, maybe caused by a micro cramp, or possibly neurological hypersensitivity. Trigger points are a big, tricky topic.

    Trigger points may form in the muscles we use to breathe, making it difficult or even painful to move the ribs and expand the chest. Even the diaphragm itself might develop trigger points that make it feel weak and tired, and limit its range of contraction.8

    Quick muscle knot orientation: So-called muscle knots AKA trigger points are small unexplained sore spots in muscle tissue associated with stiffness and soreness. No one doubts that they are there, but they are unexplained and controversial. They can be surprisingly intense, cause pain in confusing patterns, and they grow like weeds around other painful problems and injuries, but most healthcare professionals know little about them, so misdiagnosis is epidemic. For more information about how trigger points might be involved in your own medical history, see PainScience.coms popular e-book: The Complete Guide to Trigger Points & Myofascial Pain: An extremely detailed guide to the unfinished science of muscle pain, with reviews of every theory and treatment option.

    Trigger points in the muscles of the throat, neck, chest, and back may also interfere with the nervous systems control of respiration.9

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    Microvascular Angina: Why Women Shouldnt Ignore Chest Pain And Fatigue

    A sharp twinge, a sense of heaviness weve all felt chest pain from time to time. Sometimes its indigestion or a panic attack. But other times, its more serious.

    Microvascular angina is an especially worrisome source of cardiac chest pain, and its often misdiagnosed because it doesnt show up as a blockage in the larger heart arteries during testing. This fact can cause doctors to miss the underlying cause.

    Its concerning because the problem can be missed. It doesnt show up on a traditional angiogram, which can lead to delayed diagnosis if physicians dismiss the chest pain as nothing, says Erin Michos, M.D., associate director of preventive cardiology at the Ciccarone Center for the Prevention of Heart Disease.

    This chest pain in one of the hearts arteries is more common in women than in men, says Michos.

    Chest Pain Pressure And Discomfort

    2 Techniques to Relieve Shortness of Breath | CanHOPE

    Most people with heart attacks experience some sort of chest pain or discomfort. But its important to understand that chest pains dont occur in every heart attack.

    Chest pain is a common sign of a heart attack. People have described this sensation as feeling like an elephant is standing on their chest.

    Some people dont describe chest pain as pain at all. Instead, they may say they felt chest tightness or squeezing. Sometimes this discomfort can seem bad for a few minutes and then go away. Sometimes the discomfort comes back hours or even a day later. These could all be signs your heart muscle isnt getting enough oxygen.

    If you experience chest pains or tightness, you or someone around you should call 911 immediately.

    Pain and tightness can also radiate in other areas of the body. Most people associate a heart attack with pain working its way down the left arm. That can happen, but pain can also appear in other locations, including:

    • upper abdomen

    American Heart Association , some women may even think their heart attack symptoms are flu-like symptoms.

    A heart attack can cause exhaustion due to the extra stress on your heart to try to pump while an area of blood flow is blocked. If you often feel tired or exhausted for no reason, it could be a sign that something is wrong.

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    Safety First A Checklist Of Warning Signs Of More Serious Breathing Problems

    Its nice that some people may be able to find an easy solution to their shortness of breath, or at least be reassured that its mostly harmless. Unfortunately, more ominous causes of dyspnea are also common, so please always alert your doctor about any difficult breathing. If your doctor cannot find any explanation, and you have none of these red flags, then you can pursue the possibility of muscle knots and weak breathing muscles. Safety first! And second.

    • Have you developed other unusual and/or persistent symptoms?
    • Do you have a chronic wheeze or cough?
    • Are you tired all the time? Do you look pale? These two together are a red flag.
    • Do you have a dry, painful cough and your shortness of breath gets worse when you exercise?
    • Are your feet and ankles swollen, and is it harder to breathe when you lie down flat?
    • Have you worked in or around asbestos, wood dust, industrial fumes or in a coal mine? If so, you probably already understand why youre having trouble!

    Any of these factors could be associated with a slow, sneaky onset of a serious condition.

    Diffuse Interstitial Lung Disease

    This is a group of disorders affecting the lungs, characterized by inflammation in the deep tissues of the lungs. The primary symptom is shortness of breath. Other symptoms may include dry cough, fatigue, muscle pain, fingernail clubbing, joint pain and bluish lips, nails and skin, according to MedlinePlus. There is no specific treatment, but immunosuppressant drugs and anti-inflammatory drugs may be prescribed.

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    Up To One In Five Patients Who Recover From Covid

    Patients who have unexplained dyspnea months after recovering from COVID-19 often have objective signs of breathing problems on cardiopulmonary exercise testing and meet criteria for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome , a small, single-center study suggests.

    Overall, 88% of the patients had abnormalities consistent with dysfunctional breathing, resting hypocapnia, and/or an excessive ventilatory response to exercise, while 58% had evidence of circulatory impairment, according to researchers led by Donna Mancini, MD .

    Moreover, nearly half met criteria for ME/CFS, they report in a study published in the December 2021 issue of JACC: Heart Failure.

    In patients who have persistent dyspnea and theres no clear etiology, they all should have a cardiopulmonary exercise test, Mancini told TCTMD, noting that patients who have dysfunctional breathing can undergo breathing retraining and perform certain exercises to decrease their hyperventilation and to relieve their symptoms.

    CPET in Long COVID

    The findings provide insights into the issues faced by patients with postacute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection , who are often called long-haulers. Roughly 15% to 20% of people who recover from COVID-19 have lingering symptoms months later, and dyspnea is observed in about half of this group, often accompanied by normal results on pulmonary and cardiovascular tests, Mancini said.

    Welcome Data

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    Follow Your Treatment Plan

    Shortness of breath and fatigue at rest: what solution?

    Do not stop taking your prescribed iron supplements without first talking to your doctor. Talk to your doctor if you are experiencing side effects such as a bad metallic taste, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, or upset stomach. Your doctor may be able to recommend options such as taking your supplement with food, lowering the dose, trying a different type of iron supplement, or receiving intravenous iron.

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    Why Am I Short Of Breath

    On this page, we explain the different causes that can make you feel breathless.

    Breathlessness is a symptom. There are many possible underlying causes. But the main causes are:

    There are other reasons too.

    If you get breathless on a regular basis, you might have been diagnosed with one of these causes. Often theres more than one. And others can develop over time. If you notice changes in your breathing, tell your doctor. Conditions that cause long-term breathlessness can often be treated to some extent, but some cannot be fully reversed. Its important to learn how to manage long-term breathlessness, so that you can live as well as possible with it.

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    Shortness Of Breath And Fatigue Are Symptoms Of

    Asthma: Asthma is inflammation and constriction of the bronchial tubes. Attacks can be triggered by airborne allergens, stress, cold air, air pollutants, acid reflux, and more. Shortness of breath, wheezing, and chest tightness are common symptoms. The restriction of air flow can lead to fatigue.

    Obesity: Obesity is a condition in which you have accumulated enough excess body fat to cause health problems. Shortness of breath and fatigue are common symptoms of obesity and the condition can lead to other life threatening health problems such as sleep apnea, heart problems, and stroke.

    Weight Gain / Lack of Exercise: Sometimes the simplest explanation is the correct explanation. You dont have to be obese to feel the effects of weight gain and general lack of exercise.

    Asbestos-Related Diseases:Asbestos exposure can affect the entire body but most often causes conditions that affect the lungs. Among these are asbestosis which is scaring of the lungs, and mesothelioma which is cancer of the lining of the lungs. Both can take decades to manifest symptoms. Symptoms include shortness of breath, fatigue, and pain.

    Generalized Anxiety Disorder:Generalized anxiety disorder is a mental health disorder that involves chronic anxiety and excessive worrying for no known reason. GAD can cause shortness of breath, fatigue, muscle tension, irritability, difficulty swallowing, hot flashes, trembling and more.

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    Dr Berngard: ‘breathless Tired Dizzy It Could Be Pulmonary Hypertension’

    • Boulder Community Health

    Pulmonary hypertension occurs when the pressure in the blood vessels leading from the heart to the lungs is abnormally high. When PH strikes, it forces the heart to work harder. If left untreated, PH can lead to heart failure.

    PH is not curable and was once considered rapidly fatal. But today, many patients enjoy longer, healthier lives thanks to the availability of medical therapies,S. Clark Berngard, MD, of Boulder Valley Pulmonology told a crowd of more than 100 people during a free health lecture held in Lafayette, CO.

    However, proper treatment is essential and early, accurate diagnosis is key.

    Signs Can Be Mistaken for Asthma, COPD or a Heart ConditionAccording to Dr. Berngard, early in the disease the symptoms are subtle. Many people have PH for a long time before they realize something is wrong, he said.

    But once symptoms of PH develop, they can look like other conditions, causing them to be confused with other conditions such as asthma, COPD or a heart problem.

    Dr. Berngard said the signs and symptoms of PH include:

    • Shortness of breath
    • Low oxygen levels

    Determining the Exact Cause is KeyThere are numerous causes for PH, which can be familial or acquired as a result of other medical conditions such as heart disease, lung disease or connective tissue disease. In many cases of PH, the cause is unknown, Dr. Berngard said. Pinpointing the underlying cause of PH is essential for the best treatment and prognosis.

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