When being short of breath becomes an emergency

CAMILLA FOSTER LOOKS AT THE WARNING SIGNS AND WHEN YOU SHOULD SEEK MEDICAL HELP

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IT’S common to feel a sensation of breathlessness or difficulty “catching your breath” in cold weather, but it's important to know when this escalates into something more serious.

Over the past two years alone, there has been a 23% increase in emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to Asthma and Lung UK.

Between April 2024 and March 2025 there were 2,268,865 emergency hospital admissions for respiratory conditions in England, compared to 1,841,010 between April 2022 and March 2023, a rise of 427,855. And last winter COPD hospital admissions in Wales were 50% higher compared to summer COPD hospital admissions.

These figures stress the importance of being clued up about the warning signs of a respiratory emergency, so we spoke to Dr Andy Whittamore, GP and clinical lead at Asthma + Lung UK, to find out what red flags to look out for...

Here are key signs that might indicate your breathing requires immediate medical attention:

SEVERE BREATHLESSNESS

“If you are severely breathless, or if it’s come on very, very quickly so you can’t complete full sentences, that can be a particular sign you are having more of a life-threatening attack on your breathing,” highlights Dr Whittamore.

TIGHT OR PAINFUL CHEST

“If you either get a very tight or painful chest, that sort of discomfort could be a sign of an asthma attack, or an infection like pneumonia, or even a heart problem,” notes Dr Whittamore.

BLUE LIPS, TONGUE OR FINGERTIPS