When to seek medical help? Or is this normal?

[CrackerIsland]

After 3 years it’s finally got me. Symptoms started 30th Dec - spent the whole of New Years sleeping. I can’t stay awake for more than a couple hours at a time. Now the past couple of days I’ve got worsening breathlessness. I can’t move at all, it’s too exhausting. Going to the toilet results in twenty minutes of coughing and gasping for breath. I’m feeling quite dizzy at times. Even talking leaves me trying to catch my breath. I did the online form on 111 and it suggested I call 999 but that felt a bit unnecessary, especially as if I don’t move I’m relatively fine. I really don’t want to be wasting NHS resources at this time but how do you know when you might actually need medical help? And is there even anything anyone can do? Will I just get better at home with self help?

Yes I would get checked over

Definitely need to get checked. Not normal.

over a week in and worsening to that extent - not a good sign and needs checking out. I would say you definitely need seeing

I think you should get checked too

Now, now is when you call for help.

A feature of Covid is people being very short of oxygen without realising it. Please get medical attention ASAP.

So sorry you've finally secummed to it. We were the same just before Christmas and my elderly father caught it too.

He had high fever and confusion so I called my GP, signed him on as a temporary resident, and got advice.

He told me to watch for breathlessness. And to use a finger oxymeter to check his oxygen levels and if the were.low or dropping. Do you have one of these meters? Breathlessness sounds like you should be calling for advice.

The GP also told me to look for signs of him being quiet and unresponsive.

For the fever he recommended checking his temperature and giving him paracetamol and plenty to drink, especially water. And rest.

I’m currently six weeks in and I’ve been struggling with this so much. I’ve got asthma and I’m susceptible to chest infections after respiratory infections - which I now have. Went through a week of feeling better over Christmas and then went back downhill. I’ve got an oximeter, inhalers, antibiotics and steroids and have strategies to try to help control my breathing but I still ended up in hospital on Thursday - I just couldn’t get a breath in, scary and difficult not to panic. I’ve been in hospital on oxygen a few times in the past because of asthma so I know when I need to give in go get help. I’d say the difficulty in breathing is serious and you need to get seen, it can get worse very suddenly.

Do you have an oximeter?

Oh dear. My Dad is gonna bring an oximeter over. My Apple Watch has one but I’m not sure how accurate it is as it keeps saying unable to obtain measurement when I try. Todays average is 91.5-96.5%.

Below 95% for a normally healthy person is bad. Go to A+E now.

One tip, take a reading whilst at rest then a reading after walking to the toilet and back/or climb a flight of stairs.

Oxygen levels of 92% or less are considered abnormally low for a normally healthy person (ie not someone with COPD or similar). You should seek medical attention if your levels are regularly dropping that low (or have dropped 5% compared to your usual saturation if you know it).

To try to calm your breathing try breathing in slowly through your nose and exhale slowly through pursed lips

I felt similar, like I was going to faint and really breathless. My sats were 97-98 so fine but my chest felt tight (am still testing positive)

Apple watch seems to be fairly accurate as a sats probe, 91% I'm worried about but anything about 94% wouldn't concern me. Apparently it can struggle to get a good sats trace if your heart rate is very high, is it high?

If I was struggling to complete a sentence without getting breathless as it sounds like you are I'd be getting down to ED for a check up tonight. There may be a wait for you to be seen but this is a sign that your body is working very hard to breathe...that is a medical emergency. You are not wasting anyones time.

I had similar symptoms about 10 years ago. Only time I've ever gone to A&E! I had a fever, very tight chest and shortness of breath. I couldn't keep Paracetamol down though. Husband drove me to a walk in centre, dragged myself in, could barely speak a few words at a time without having to take a breath, but because I mentioned pain in my chest they said they couldn't see me and I had to go to A&E.

I was getting pins and needles in my fingers on the drive there.

They gave me an ECG straight away, then when that was fine, I waited to see a doctor who prescribed antibiotics. Started to feel slightly better after another 2 days in bed.

CrackerIsland how are you doing today x

I’m doing better. My O2 SATS were too low 92%-95% (Apple Watch was more accurate than I thought) but they are now back up to 97%-99% now and I’m managing much better. I didn’t have to go into hospital fortunately. Mostly I’m just exhausted, I’m only able to stay awake a few hours at time.