Suggest Treatment For Sleep Apnea And Shortness Of Breath

Posted on Fri, 10 Mar 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Fri, 10 Mar 2017 Answered on

Fri, 31 Mar 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : My 22 year old son thinks he has a breathing problem that contributes to sleep apnea and shortness of breath while exercising. I don't think he thinks of it as lung discomfort, but more like some sort of narrowness or obstruction in the air pathway. Frankly, I think he may be just out of shape. What type of doctor should he see to get a general idea of what possibly should be examined.

Answered by Dr. Ivo Ditah (29 minutes later)

Brief Answer:
Pulmonologist!

Detailed Answer:
Hi and thanks for this query.

I have reviewed your information fully. The main cause of sleep apnea is obstruction as you rightly stated. The best doctor to see for evaluation and proper management is a pulmonologist. This will allow for accurate assessment of respiration and design personalized and helpful solutions for her. If his weight is of concern, strongly consider seeing a weight management specialist as this makes a huge difference in the management of patients with sleep apnea.

If his problems get worse with exercising, it calls to question what we may referred as exercised induced dyspnoea. A pulmonologist remains the best person to consult.

I hope this helps. I wish you well. I wish your son well. Keep me updated as you see the doctors.

Kind regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar