Symptoms

Breathlessness is a common symptom and can feel different for everyone. It may come on suddenly or develop gradually over time. In many cases, it is due to a treatable condition, and understanding the cause is the key to improving symptoms.

Common causes include conditions affecting the airways (such as asthma and COPD), the lungs (including infections or scarring), the heart (such as heart failure), and the blood or circulation (including anaemia or blood clots). Breathlessness can also be related to reduced fitness, anxiety, or recovery after a viral illness. Because there are several possible causes, symptoms should not be assumed to be due to one condition without proper assessment.

You should seek medical advice if breathlessness is limiting your daily activities, worsening over time, or associated with symptoms such as chest pain, palpitations, fainting, or coughing up blood. Urgent assessment is needed if symptoms are sudden and severe. A specialist review focuses on identifying the underlying cause using appropriate tests, allowing a clear and personalised treatment plan to be put in place.

Cough is very common and is usually caused by a simple infection that settles within a few weeks. However, if your cough lasts longer than 8 weeks, it is considered persistent (or chronic) and may need further assessment. The good news is that most long-term coughs have an identifiable and treatable cause.

Common causes include asthma, reflux (acid coming up from the stomach), post-nasal drip (mucus from the nose or sinuses), and irritation from smoking. Less commonly, a persistent cough can be linked to more serious conditions such as lung scarring (pulmonary fibrosis) or, rarely, lung cancer. Sometimes the cough reflex itself becomes oversensitive.

You should seek medical advice if your cough is ongoing, affecting your sleep, or associated with symptoms such as breathlessness, weight loss, repeated chest infections, or coughing up blood. A specialist review focuses on understanding the cause of your cough, often using breathing tests and imaging where needed, so that treatment can be tailored to you and provide lasting relief.

Most people experience the occasional chest infection, particularly during the winter months. However, if infections keep coming back or take longer than expected to clear, it may suggest an underlying issue. In many cases, there is a clear and treatable cause.

Common reasons include asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchiectasis, smoking-related airway damage, and reflux (where stomach contents irritate the lungs). In some cases, problems with the immune system or previous viral infections can also make you more prone to repeated infections.

You should seek medical advice if you need antibiotics several times a year, do not fully recover between infections, or develop symptoms such as breathlessness or coughing up blood. A specialist review focuses on identifying any underlying cause, using tests such as breathing assessments, scans, and blood tests where appropriate. Once the cause is understood, treatment can often reduce the frequency and severity of infections.

Wheeze is a high-pitched, whistling sound when breathing, usually heard on breathing out. It happens when the airways become narrowed or inflamed. While asthma is a common cause, there are also other causes, and it is important to understand the underlying reason. In many cases, the cause is straightforward and treatable once properly identified.

Common causes include asthma, viral infections, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), allergies, and irritation from smoking or reflux. Less commonly, wheeze may be related to conditions such as vocal cord dysfunction or structural airway problems. Because symptoms can overlap, it is important not to assume a diagnosis without proper assessment.

You should seek medical advice if wheeze is persistent, keeps returning, or affects your sleep or daily activities. Urgent attention is needed if it is associated with severe breathlessness or difficulty speaking. A specialist review focuses on confirming the cause, often using breathing tests and other targeted investigations where needed, so that treatment can be tailored and symptoms brought under control.

Coughing up blood, even in small amounts, can be worrying. It may appear as streaks in sputum or, less commonly, as larger volumes of fresh blood. While the cause is often not serious, it should always be assessed to ensure nothing important is missed.

Common causes include chest infections, bronchitis, bronchiectasis, and flare-ups of conditions such as asthma or COPD. Less commonly, it can be related to a blood clot on the lung (pulmonary embolism) or, more rarely, lung cancer. In many cases, particularly in younger non-smokers, the cause is benign and treatable.

You should seek urgent medical attention if you cough up large amounts of blood, feel very breathless, have chest pain, or feel acutely unwell. A specialist review focuses on identifying the source of bleeding, usually with imaging such as a chest X-ray or CT scan, along with other targeted tests if needed. This helps ensure serious causes are excluded and appropriate treatment is provided.