This can be a frightening and distressing symptom to live with and can have an effect on all areas of your life. Besides making it difficult to carry out your usual daily physical activities, it can also affect how you feel about yourself and the relationships you have with others. Difficulty in breathing can cause feelings of anxiety and panic that can be difficult to control and, in turn, can actually make your breathing worse.
Breathlessness may occur suddenly or may gradually develop over weeks or months and can often be a very difficult symptom to control. Basic daily activities such as washing and dressing, or types of emotional distress such as anger can trigger breathlessness. There are things that you can do to prevent or reduce breathlessness and these include coping strategies, relaxation and breathing techniques. These can all help to reduce the distress of breathlessness and make your breathing easier.
If breathlessness is stopping you from doing things that you want, St Margaret’s Breathlessness Management Service may be able to help.
The service is run by St Margaret’s experienced senior physiotherapists who can offer you support and help. They will look at how you breathe, what happens when you feel breathless, and offer you techniques on how to cope with everyday life. The treatment does not involve any medicines, complements your other treatments, and the staff work very closely with the doctors and nurses involved in your care. The service is available for our inpatients and outpatients at both hospices, and we can also arrange to see you in your own home or close to where you live - all parts of the service are entirely free.
If you feel that we may be able to help you, please contact your District Nurse, GP, Consultant, your St Margaret’s Nurse Specialist in the community or the hospital, and they will be able to refer on, if appropriate.
