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Suggest Treatment For Shortness Of Breath And Tightness In Chest

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Posted on Fri, 13 Feb 2015
Question: My question is about cold-weather and breathing. When I am in the cold I find I get out of breath / tight chest much easier than during normal weather.

I regularly do cardiovascular exercise and can bring my heart-rate easily to 165-170BPM with no shortness of breath of chest pain.

I have read that chest-tightness during cold air can be the result of cardiovascular disease. However I find it hard to to believe that I can do a big exercise bike ride with no problems but then a brisk walk in the cold causes this.

Should I be worried? and by cold I mean like -8'C Celsius.
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Answered by Dr. Chobufo Ditah (1 hour later)
Brief Answer:
This is ot uncommon and actually common in persons with cold induced asthma

Detailed Answer:
Hi and thank you so much for this query.

I am so sorry to hear about this breathing difficulty that you have reported. It is not uncommon to experience this in cold temperatures. There are persons with conditions called cold induced asthma. Maybe this is a similar but milder form that you are reporting.

This really has nothing to do with the heart. There is no reason to suspect a heart disease under this condition. What is happening is that the airways over react to cold temperatures by contracting. This causes laborious breathing which can explain most of your symptoms.

My advice is always to keep warm and stay away from very cold temperatures. There is no need for further medical attention at this time.

I hope this helps. I wish you well. Thanks for using our services and feel free to ask for more information and clarifications if need be.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
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Dr. Chobufo Ditah

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :2009

Answered : 6323 Questions

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Suggest Treatment For Shortness Of Breath And Tightness In Chest

Brief Answer: This is ot uncommon and actually common in persons with cold induced asthma Detailed Answer: Hi and thank you so much for this query. I am so sorry to hear about this breathing difficulty that you have reported. It is not uncommon to experience this in cold temperatures. There are persons with conditions called cold induced asthma. Maybe this is a similar but milder form that you are reporting. This really has nothing to do with the heart. There is no reason to suspect a heart disease under this condition. What is happening is that the airways over react to cold temperatures by contracting. This causes laborious breathing which can explain most of your symptoms. My advice is always to keep warm and stay away from very cold temperatures. There is no need for further medical attention at this time. I hope this helps. I wish you well. Thanks for using our services and feel free to ask for more information and clarifications if need be.