Are you feeling breathless even while doing simple things, such as climbing stairs or completing routine activities? You may initially blame it on poor stamina, especially if you have not exercised in a while. But could there be more to this seemingly simple explanation?
Shortness of breath may also be associated with several conditions, including asthma and anaemia. However, persistent or unexplained breathlessness may also indicate an underlying heart problem, even in young adults.
Dr Parin Sangoi, consultant interventional cardiologist at Wockhardt Hospitals, Mumbai Central, weighed in with his insights and told HT Lifestyle what persistent breathlessness may indicate and how the underlying condition can be managed. He urged people to seek medical attention if shortness of breath does not resolve or begins to interfere with daily life.
“Cardiologists are seeing younger patients who delay getting checked because the symptoms don’t immediately seem serious. In some cases, what appears to be poor stamina turns out to be an underlying heart condition that has been silently progressing for months,” he said.
So, young adults may not consider that breathlessness could be related to a heart problem, as such conditions are commonly associated with middle-aged or older adults. Instead, they may attribute it to poor stamina, which can delay diagnosis.
Why should you not dismiss the signs of breathlessness?
Breathlessness could also mean that your heart is working harder than it should. You may assume that most heart problems have obvious symptoms, such as severe chest pain, but the cardiologist cautioned that this is not always the case.
Dr Sangoi described a heart valve condition that can gradually reduce the heart’s efficiency by placing it under additional stress.
He elaborated,“Conditions which are affecting the heart valves can develop gradually and subtly. This causes the heart to work harder to pump blood efficiently. One such condition is called mitral valve regurgitation. In this condition, the valve does not close properly. This causes a backward blood leak with every heartbeat. Over time, this extra strain can reduce the heart’s efficiency and, if left untreated, increase the risk of heart failure.”
Case of breathlessness
We asked the cardiologist to simplify the condition. Then he shared a case with us where a 20-year-old mistook breathlessness for poor fitness, but it turned out to be a serious heart condition.
“A 20-year-old woman had been living and struggling with breathlessness, which was significantly worsening over time. Initially she thought that it was simply a sign of poor fitness. But, as routine activities became more difficult, suspicion occurred. Upon investigation and further evaluation, severe mitral valve regurgitation was revealed.”
Regarding her treatment, the cardiologist said that she underwent minimally invasive valve surgery, recovered quickly and gradually returned to her normal routine.
Based on her experience and similar cases commonly observed in clinical practice, he advised people not to wait until breathlessness becomes severe or attempt to diagnose its cause themselves.
About the expert
Dr Parin Sangoi has over 10 years of experience, and his areas of expertise include structural heart disease interventions, CTO Interventions, peripheral interventions, coronary angiograms, peripheral angiograms and cardiac catheterisation, angioplasties (including single, double and triple vessel procedures)
