How to Tell if Shortness of Breath is From Heart of Lungs
How Can You Tell if Shortness of Breath Is From Heart or Lungs?
Shortness of breath can be unsettling no matter if you're climbing up a set of stairs, carrying groceries from your car into your house, or just lying in bed. Your heart and lungs work together to move oxygen through your body. Trouble with either one can make breathing harder. But maybe you're wondering how you can tell if your shortness of breath is an issue with your heart or with your lungs. There are clues that point one way or the other. Only your physician can say for sure.
Clues That Point to Your Lungs
If your lungs are the cause of your shortness of breath, there are some signs. A few common clues that point to your lungs:
- Wheezing
- Noisy breathing
- Coughing
Coughing up mucus or chest tightness is an even clearer clue. If your symptoms happen with triggers, this is another clue. Triggers can be allergens, smoke, cold air or exercise. If you have a history of lung conditions like COPD, your lungs are more likely behind your symptoms. A history of smoking can also play a big role. Common culprits can be asthma, pneumonia or pulmonary fibrosis.
Clues That Point to Your Heart
Other clues can point to your heart as the potential reason for your shortness of breath.
- Here are some of those clues:
- Swollen ankles
- Swollen feet
- Swollen legs
- Chest pressure
- Irregular heartbeat
- Fast heartbeat
- Unusual tiredness
Another sign is if your breathing gets worse when you lie down. Or you wake up at night not gasping for air. Health issues that can trigger in shortness of breath are heart failure and abnormal heart rhythms.
Why It's Hard to Tell
You shouldn't try to diagnose yourself. Instead, reach out to your Baptist Health pulmonologist for an official examination. Diagnosis is difficult because symptoms often overlap. When your heart struggles, fluid can back up into your lungs. Heart trouble can often feel like lung trouble. On top of that, heart and lung problems often happen together. This is even more true of people who smoke. Conditions like anemia, anxiety and just being out of shape physically can mimic both heart and lung issues.
| More Often a Lung Clue | More Often a Heart Clue |
| Wheezing or noisy breathing | Swollen ankles, feet, or legs |
| Cough or mucus | Worse when lying flat |
| Flares with triggers (smoke, cold air, allergens) | Waking at night short of breath |
| History of asthma, COPD, or smoking | Chest pressure or irregular heartbeat |
A respiratory care team will usually perform an exam, review your health history and check your oxygen levels. They might do a chest X-ray, an EKG or a heart ultrasound. They might also do breathing tests and blood tests.
When to Get Help Immediately
If you have any of these serious symptoms, call 911 and get help immediately:
- You suddenly can not breathe well.
- You feel pain or heaviness in your chest.
- Your lips, skin or nails turn blue or gray.
- You feel dizzy or like you might faint.
If you experience breathlessness that doesn't go away when you rest, that's another signal to get help right away. For nonemergency situations, reach out to your Baptist Health pulmonologist. If you don't have a Baptist Health physician, you can find one by visiting our provider directory.
