BREATHLESSNESS
The term breathlessness is also known as dyspnoea. This is the medical term for breathlessness. People can describe breathlessness as a difficult or uncomfortable awareness of needing to breathe. It can affect you physically, psychologically and emotionally.
There are many reasons for breathlessness and medical opinion must be sought, to establish the cause and confirm the correct and best treatment.
Once the cause has been established, and medically managed you may still feel breathless. This breathlessness can have an impact upon activities of daily life.
There are some practical suggestions which aim to make the most of your lungs and help cope with breathlessness. Learning how to control your breathing, feeling less anxious and feeling more comfortable are all ways of managing breathlessness.
Ensuring that you are breathing efficiently is important, and a physiotherapist can offer help and advice with this. If you are breathless at rest you may find some positions more comfortable than others.
Using a fan directed at the face can help relieve the sensation of breathlessness.Breathlessness can feel distressing and frightening at times.
Sometimes, feeling anxious can make breathlessness seem worse.
Learning ways to remain calm can be helpful. Relaxation techniques may be helpful. Being able to talk to someone who understands can also help.Activities which require effort, such as climbing stairs, showering or housework can bring on breathlessness. There are strategies that may help.
Prioritise Activities
Spend some time to consider which activities are important to you. It may be helpful to cut down on heavier jobs or spread some tasks over a few days.
Plan Ahead
Forward planning may help you achieve the things that you would like to do without becoming too breathless
Pace Yourself
You may find that having a rest during an activity avoids becoming too breathless.
A referral to a Physiotherapist who has knowledge and skills in breathing control may be appropriate. Specialist Breathlessness Management Clinics have developed in some areas. Trained professionals can offer help around breathlessness management. They may be run by Physiotherapists or Nurses or sometimes both.
It may be appropriate to discuss referrals to these services with your GP, Consultant or Specialist Nurse.
There are publications available which offer advice on breathlessness management. These may be accessed via Cancer Information Services
FATIGUE
Fatigue can be described as feeling excessively tired or exhausted all or most of the time. This tiredness is not relieved by rest and can affect you physically, psychologically and emotionally.
There are many reasons for fatigue and medical opinion must be sought, to establish the cause and confirm the correct and best treatment.
Once the cause has been established, and medically managed you may still feel fatigued. This fatigue can have an impact upon activities of daily life. Some people find that it can significantly disrupt their life.
There are some practical suggestions which aim to make the most of your energy and help cope with fatigue.
Planning
It is important to do the things that are important to you when you feel least tired
Making changes to the way that you do things or finding easier ways of doing activities may help conserve energy levels.
Doing things for you are important, but sometimes accepting help from others or using aids can help with everyday activities.
Specialist equipment such as stair lifts or bath seats can help reduce the effort required for an activity.
Pacing
Resting between activities or throughout the activity may help.
A referral to an Occupational Therapist who has knowledge and skills in fatigue management may be appropriate. The Occupational Therapist is skilled in assessing and offering the best ways of coping with fatigue.
Other professionals such as Dieticians and Physiotherapists may also be able to offer advice on fatigue management.
It would be appropriate to discuss referrals to these services with your GP, Consultant or Specialist Nurse.
There are publications available which offer advice on fatigue.
These may be accessed via Cancer Information Services
