Breathlessness

• You suddenly become breathless
• Your breathing gets worse
• Your breathing is painful

If you can't speak to someone quickly, call 999 or go to your local Emergency Department (ED). You may need urgent treatment.

Shortness of breath can be a symptom of a cancer, or a side effect of cancer treatment. There are some approaches to manage breathlessness without the use of medications.

Fan therapy — research has shown the use of a handheld fan creating airflow across the face can trigger beneficial symptom relief. Similar to opening a window for a breeze to help with the sensation of catching your breath, you can achieve a similar feeling from using a handheld fan. Cooling your cheeks with a wet flannel (or a mist spray of water) may increase this sensation.

Controlled breathing — relaxed tummy breathing is sometimes known as breathing control. The aim is to move from fast, upper chest breathing to relaxed, slow tummy breathing. This breathing technique helps to make your breathing as efficient as possible by focusing on breathing from your diaphragm, with the upper chest relaxed.

Place one hand on your tummy. Feel the tummy rise and expand as you breathe in and relax down as you breathe out. Breathe gently when practising; there should only be a slight movement of your tummy at rest.

Follow the sides of the rectangle with your eyes as you tummy breathe - breathing in on the shorter sides, and breathing out on the longer sides. Gradually slow the speed at which your eyes move around the edge of the shape to slow your breathing.

Positioning — when completing controlled breathing, there are different positions which could benefit this technique better. Macmillan has photos on their symptom information page which demonstrate some good positions to try.

More information on managing and supporting breathlessness can be found on:

• Macmillan
• Cancer Research UK