Breathlessness Management Service

An introduction to the Breathlessness Management Service for people who experience, or have worries about, breathlessness.

Physiotherapist Emma Barclay clinical ward

Breathlessness can be a difficult symptom to live with, but there are ways you can reduce its impact on your life. Sometimes, the ways we try to cope can, unfortunately, worsen the feeling. An important first step is to understand how breathlessness develops. This understanding can then lead to you finding ways to help your breathing.

What is the Breathlessness Management Service?

There are many different reasons for feeling breathless, but it could be as a result of your diagnosis. If breathlessness, or the fear of breathlessness, is affecting your everyday life, our breathlessness management service may be able to help you.

The service is designed to help you manage the symptoms of breathlessness, through individual sessions with a member of the breathlessness team.

What happens in the sessions?

The sessions involve a one-to-one meeting to focus on improving your breathing, where we will look at how you breathe and what happens when you feel breathless. Together, we will look at managing your breathlessness through breathing exercises, anxiety management and relaxation techniques. These can ease your breathlessness symptoms, helping you to continue doing everyday activities.

How long does it last?

Each session lasts for around an hour; usually you will attend three or four sessions.

Making a referral

If you feel someone may benefit from the services provided by St Ann’s, this page will give you a quick guide to referring them to us.

Click here

Where next? Below is a list of potential places to go for further information, support and exercise groups.

If your breathing is getting worse or you are experiencing breathlessness as a new feeling, it is important to seek medical advice from your GP.