Heart health: My symptoms came out of the blue — I needed surgery

Karen Berry put her breathlessness down to being in her mid-40s and needing to improve her fitness. However, after she fainted, tests revealed she needed to undergo urgent heart surgery

Karen Berry, pictured at her home in Cahergal, Tuam, who underwent heart surgery. Photo: Ray Ryan

Modern life can be relentlessly busy, and most of us know what it feels like to be tired, stressed, and even out of breath. 

So, when Karen Berry, a mother of two, began experiencing fatigue and breathlessness in her mid-40s, she assumed she just needed to improve her fitness.