Sign-in to Ask A Doctor - 24x7
OR
Sign in with Google
Suggest Remedy For Fatigue And Shortness Of Breath In An Elderly Person
Question: I am 70 yrs of age. Still working. however get very tired and short of breath after walking any distance or climbing stairs. Both knee joints now ache. My blood pressure indicates mild hypetension. trouble concentrating and can be lathargic
Brief Answer:
investigation required
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
getting very tired and short of breath after physical activity may be the result of various conditions. I'll mention some of the most common ones:
- anemia: a low hematocrit for any reason, reduces the amount of oxygen to tissues and causes the symptoms. A complete blood count is enough to find out.
- COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affects the smokers mostly but anybody can be affected and causes shortness of breath and perhaps also cough with sputum and wheezing. Clinical examination and spirometry would be required for the diagnosis.
- heart failure: it can be caused by various disorders but the result is the same. Whenever the heart load increases, the heart can't cope with it and shortness of breath ensues. A heart echo will reveal the diagnosis.
- thyroid disease: hypothyroidism causes a multitude of symptoms. Tiredness is one of the most prominent ones. Measuring your serum TSH is enough to find out.
The list is by no means exhaustive. This is just a start. If none of them applies to you then other less common causes would have to be considered.
I hope you find my answer helpful!
You can contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information.
Kind Regards!
investigation required
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
getting very tired and short of breath after physical activity may be the result of various conditions. I'll mention some of the most common ones:
- anemia: a low hematocrit for any reason, reduces the amount of oxygen to tissues and causes the symptoms. A complete blood count is enough to find out.
- COPD: chronic obstructive pulmonary disease affects the smokers mostly but anybody can be affected and causes shortness of breath and perhaps also cough with sputum and wheezing. Clinical examination and spirometry would be required for the diagnosis.
- heart failure: it can be caused by various disorders but the result is the same. Whenever the heart load increases, the heart can't cope with it and shortness of breath ensues. A heart echo will reveal the diagnosis.
- thyroid disease: hypothyroidism causes a multitude of symptoms. Tiredness is one of the most prominent ones. Measuring your serum TSH is enough to find out.
The list is by no means exhaustive. This is just a start. If none of them applies to you then other less common causes would have to be considered.
I hope you find my answer helpful!
You can contact me again, if you'd like any clarification or further information.
Kind Regards!
Note: For further follow up on related General & Family Physician Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
Get personalised answers from verified doctor in minutes across 80+ specialties
