Shortness of Breath & Slight Headache while jogging

[inarayan]

I am 31 years old male, 5'9" & 194 lbs. Have been a smoker for last 12 years & have recently quit smoking since last 6 months. Recently about a month back, I was diagnosed with HIGH BP & my BP was around 152/100. The doctor has advised to start medication and reduce weight. Currently I am on Homeopathic Treatment and am going for morning Brisk Walks & slight jog for 30 minutes since last 3 weeks.

I am experiencing severe shortness of breath and a very slight headache / dizziness immediately after i start running. Only after 25 meters of slight jogging I am experiencing shortness of breath. Could someone tell me how to cure this (whether thru YOGA or medications) and is there anything to worry about this condition? It would be a great help.

Regards

[David Tinkelman, M.D.]

Congratulations on quitting smoking.  That will prove to be a life preserving decision, in a good way, for the rest of your life.  Not only will you be protecting your lung function by quitting,  but by quitting you will also significantly reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure and a number of different types of cancers.  

You are justified in being concerned about shortness of breath with exertion, especially of a “severe” degree.  What you describe is consistent with the diagnosis of asthma, (encompassing exercise induced asthma) possibly with an element of bronchitis as a persistent effect of cigarette smoking and maybe not yet in the best physical condition..It is also possible that you are experiencing an adverse effect of your BP medication.  That could include a worsening of the asthma.

I strongly suggest that you contact your doctor without delay, to inform him/her of your symptoms and seek his/her advice.  This appears to me to be a very treatable condition, so it would be best to address it now.

Good luck

[ChrisBSRRT]

Hello, this sounds like a common case of unexplain dyspnea on exertion. There are several tests to be done to determine the cause of your difficulty breathing during exercise. I proctor several tests on patients with this very issue. The evaluation would start by testing the various symptoms involved in exercise.....I.E. lungs and heart.

Firstly one would want to examine your lung health by obtaining pulmonary function tests to see if your lungs have any "performance" issues, or deficiencies. Secondly a chest x-ray or chest CT to better visualize any abnormalities in the chest cavity. Thirdly cardiac tests that will determine pulmonary artery pressures or other heart issues, this can be done via an Echo, simple ECG stress test. By ruling out a certain system with these tests one can better focus on the culprit of your dyspnea. There are more advanced tests that can be done to monitor your heart and lung performance during exercise in a hospital lab, but first one would want individual organ system tests to make a more accurate interpretation.


You should consult a cardiologist or pulmonologist to better diagnose the culprit of your shortness of breath. From there, if an issue is found, a particular treatment can be carried out.