Getting out of breath after walking up stairs or getting dressed is too often dismissed as nothing serious, health experts are warning.

As a new Public Health England campaign urges people who experience breathlessness during everyday activities to visit their GP, it is estimated that more than 122,000 people in the East of England may be living with undiagnosed heart or lung disease.

Being short of breath can be a symptom of serious conditions such as COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) - but results of a new survey have revealed that only one in three people in the East could not name health problems associated with breathlessness.

Norfolk GP Dr Daryl Freeman, an East of England Strategic Clinical Networks (SCN) clinical director, said: 'Many people put feeling short of breath down to getting older, being unfit or overweight and therefore stop doing the everyday activities when they find it most affects them.

'However, their breathlessness could be a sign of something more serious, such as a lung or heart condition that needs medical treatment, and would benefit from prompt correct diagnosis.

'It is really important that anyone suffering with breathlessness mentions this to his or her GP to prompt further investigation and prevent it getting worse.'

Results from the NHS survey reveal that nearly six in ten adults in the East of England (59 per cent) would put off going to their GP if they suffered from breathlessness, with almost one in four (24pc) expressing concern they would be wasting the doctor's time and 23pc saying they did not think breathlessness was a serious enough symptom to seek advice from a doctor.

Of the adults surveyed, over three quarters (77pc) associated breathlessness with asthma, 72pc associated it with being unfit and 70pc believed it was caused by smoking, amongst a number of other things.

Dr Linda Pearce, respiratory consultant nurse at West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust and clinical lead at Suffolk COPD Services, said: 'Struggling with everyday activities such as vacuuming or walking can be the first indicator that someone is living with breathlessness. Breathlessness doesn't just involve difficulty breathing, but can involve more rapid breathing, or feeling like you are not getting enough air. This can be uncomfortable and worrying. If this is something that affects you, or you notice it affecting a friend or family member, speak to your GP as breathlessness could be a sign of heart or lung disease, which left untreated could get much worse.'

In the East of England there are around 230,000 people diagnosed and living with heart disease, and a further 123,000 with COPD, a collection of lung diseases including chronic bronchitis, emphysema and chronic obstructive airways disease.

As well as heart and lung disease, breathlessness can also be associated with anaemia, obesity, anxiety and other mental health problems, all of which may benefit from advice and support from a GP.

The national breathlessness campaign launches today with a new TV advert, which shows a boy mimicking his grandfather mowing the lawn and, in doing so, imitating his shortness of breath – a pertinent reminder to loved ones to notice signs of breathlessness in family members who have become used to it themselves.

Do you have a health story? Email lauren.rogers@archant.co.uk.