Shortness of breath when bending over: Doctor warns of potential risks

Shortness of breath when bending down to tie your shoelaces or losing your breath when picking up an item from the floor could be a sign of bendopnea - a common but often overlooked cardiovascular symptom.

According to Dr. Dmitry Yaranov, a cardiologist in the US, shortness of breath when bending over can be a very early sign of cardiovascular problems, even if you do not have typical symptoms such as chest pain or swelling. He said such vague signs should not be ignored, as they can be a warning for early detection and timely intervention before the disease progresses to heart failure.

Symptoms usually appear 8-30 seconds after bending and subside immediately upon standing up again.

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The disease easily progresses silently due to subjectivity.

Bendopnea is a condition in which you have difficulty breathing within a few seconds of bending, such as when tying your shoelaces, putting on socks, or picking up something. The symptoms usually appear 8-30 seconds after bending and subside immediately upon standing up, according to the Times of India .

Physiologically, bendopnea often occurs when the pressure in the heart increases due to weakened blood pumping function. When bending down, more blood from the abdomen and legs flows to the heart. If the heart is not strong enough to handle the sudden increase in blood volume, it will cause shortness of breath. The most worrying thing is that this uncomfortable feeling disappears as soon as you stand up straight, causing many people to be subjective and let the disease progress silently.

From there, Dr. Yaranov urged people not to take bendopnea lightly because it is “a message your heart is trying to send you,” and could even be an early sign of heart failure or fluid retention.

In a study published in the journal JACC: Heart Failure (Netherlands), among 102 patients with systolic heart failure, nearly 28% were noted to have bendopnea. This group often had higher pulmonary capillary pressure and right atrial pressure.

Other studies have also noted that among 179 outpatients with heart failure, about 18% had bendopnea, and this group was more likely to be hospitalized for heart failure within 3 months. Recently, scientists also looked at the drop in oxygen when bending (BOSI). They found that drop in oxygen when bending, even without feeling short of breath, was associated with a risk of worsening disease over 2 years.

In short, bendopnea—or even hypoxia when bending over—is not harmless, but a sign that the heart is overloaded or failing.

How to recognize signs of disease?

To know if you are at risk of bendopnea, people need to pay attention to their breathing when bending down to tie their shoes or pick up things. If they have difficulty breathing after just a few seconds of bending, they should see a doctor.

At the same time, it is necessary to carefully observe body signals and change habits:

• Avoid bending over quickly if you have difficulty breathing.
• Weight tracking.
• Limit salt and water intake.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/kho-tho-khi-cui-nguoi-bac-si-canh-bao-nguy-co-tiem-an-185251202155418637.htm