When my asthma gets worse it affects my heartbeat, etc. Help!?

Oftentimes when my asthma starts to get worse, especially when it's really bad, I feel my heart skip beats/flutter quite a few times, and I get scared, because I don't want to think that I'm causing strain on my heart.

This happens even more so when I move, or go up/down stairs.


Why is this happening, and should I take this seriously?

It happens quite often!!

But I've had my heart checked out, and its fine so I don't know what to do lol.

Respiratory distress such as asthma, bronchitis and emphysema do raise the blood pressure and the lungs and heart are closely related. Doctors more than likely have mentioned CHF (Congestive Heart Failure) to you, as they have me. I have all three copd components mentioned above and am currently on Lasix as a diuretic and BP treatment because of the edema from taking maintenance Prednisone to control constant inflammation. Absolutely nothing wrong with my heart either, but take your asthma seriously and get it under control to prevent future bouts which will put you at risk for copd and other complications akin to mine. Don't panic, just learn to manage your disease.

Try to stay out of situations that will make your asthma worse.. I suppose?


I remember my cousin having asthma.. He ran everyday and did sports and his asthma kind of just went away.. however his was mild from the start.

I do believe that exercise is the best solution for better health.. especially for the overweight!

yep -your heart can stop when you cannot breathe OR your meds can cause an increased heart rate. this is all secondary to the fact that you need a pulmonologist to diagnose the cause of your asthma & treat you. call for an appointment.

Having had asthma all of my life, I've learned that doctors generally are very uninformed about the disease and treatment. They seem unfamiliar with medications that really are effective.

You may want to ask your doctor if you can try an Alupent inhaler, this works for me, and I don't have to use it frequently, at all, as it completely controls my particular asthma.

Remember, however, some medications work well for some, and not for others. I shall never allow doctors to treat my asthma with steroids, as they do not work for me at all, and one has to continue to take them constantly, and they can damage your immune system.

Of course your heartbeat increases when you're having an attack, as the lack of oxygen in your blood necessitates a stronger blood flow to provide the body with sufficient oxygen. Strong asthma attacks that occur with frequency do put some strain on the heart.

Alupent will also speed up the heart briefly, but in my case it relieves the attack immediately, so there is no long-term strain on the heart.

The thing to do is to get your asthma under control as quickly as possible when you experience an attack.

The best of luck to you.