Having overly large breasts can cause a number of symptoms—like back pain, bra straps digging into the shoulders, and rashes developing under the breasts. Another problem that many women have, often without even realizing it, is shortness of breath. The weight of excess breast tissue on the chest can actually require women to work harder to breath. This is because the breasts are constricting the natural movement of the diaphragm by weighing down the muscles and ribs. Some women may experience this as they go about their daily activities, noticing it’s difficult to take deep breaths (or even normal breaths in some cases). Others may realize their breathing capacity is limited as they try to sleep on their back, due to the entirety of their breast weight causing increased pressure on their chest.

Our Richmond breast reduction surgeon, Dr. Neil J. Zemmel, reveals that this common issue can often be improved, if not completely alleviated, through breast reduction surgery. By removing excess tissue, the breasts become lighter and don’t weigh down the chest like they once did. If you have trouble breathing, and think your enlarged breast size may be contributing to this problem, you may be a good candidate for breast reduction surgery. To schedule a consultation with Dr. Zemmel and discover your options, please contact Richmond Aesthetic Surgery.