Breathlessness
Breathlessness affects the daily lives of one in ten adults, and a quarter of those aged over 70. The number of people experiencing breathlessness is growing worldwide, with increasing long-term health conditions like heart or lung disease. COVID-19 is adding to the problem, as breathlessness can continue long after initial infection.
Being short of breath is disabling and frightening. Breathless people frequently contact their doctors’ surgery or call an ambulance. However, doctors and nurses often feel they cannot help, as breathlessness continues despite treating the underlying health condition.
A small number of specialist teams have developed effective ways to support patients to improve their own breathing, without taking additional drugs. However, these teams are usually part of palliative care services and they tend to help people with severe disease, often cancer, nearing the end of life.
This type of care now needs to be adapted so that it can be accessed by many more people, with any disease at any stage, and through their regular healthcare teams.