worries about breathing... every day

[blondinou]

Anyone else get breathing worries?

I have successfully stopped worrying about my heart (which I'm really pleased about) but now my anxiety seems to have moved on to breathing!

Most often I feel like I am not breathing enough, like underbreathing... Like I won't be able to take enough of a breath. Sometimes I am breathing too fast and this is horrible, but not that often, I don't tend to hyperventilate when I panic like I know a lot of people do. Also a lot of the time I feel a tightness in my throat like my airway is constricted. I have to 'test' I can still breathe by taking a deep breath in and seeing how good it is.

It's so annoying because it pops up several times a day and every single time I climb a staircase or a slight hill or walk along whilst talking to someone I worry about getting out of breath. I have this constant niggling doubt that there is something really wrong with me, a serious illness.

It's getting me down quite a lot recently. Just wondering if anyone else feels any of these things and what has helped you.

[eva82]

This is so common with us anxiety suffers! I also test myself to see if I can take a deep breath in, oh and god forbid it feels restricted in anyway..then I really get myself into quite an emotional state! This obviously creates a horrible cycle that is really tough to get out of. My therapist is working with me to re-learn how to breathe properly. Currently, I am doing one minute of slow deep breaths every hour. It's sometimes hard to remember, but I have an alarm go off on phone every hour and just take a minute to do my deep breathing excersises. It takes a lot of practice before our bodies just start naturally breathing in a relaxed way again. Sorry I couldn't be of more help, but I am also trying to find a solution to this problem also...it will be interesting to read what other have to say! Xx

[blondinou]

Yeah I think I need to re-learn how to breathe properly!! I catch myself being so tense that chest is all tight and my breathing all shallow. I like the breathing deeply every hour thing, I might have to give it a go! Don't say sorry your answer did help :-)

Also trying to resist going to the doctor about my breathing... Wondering if it's ok to go just once to check everything is normal, or whether it would be pointless and just feed my worries. Also if I go to the doctor too much more they will start dismissing me as an anxiety case!!

[Fly away Katie]

I've had this worry since I was 13. (I'm 19 now)
Infact, I have it right now, which is why I was drawn to this thread.
I think we just have to realise that if anything bad was going to happen, it would of by now. Unfortunately it's hard to shift, but it IS just in the mind.
I've started going to the gym, and it's kind of proven to me that theres nothing PHYSICALLY wrong, its just MENTALLY there :(
Hope you feel more relaxed soon. I promise you its just silly anxiety xxx

[judipat]

Chronic hyperventilation syndrome

The biggest clue to Chronic Hyperventilation Syndrome is the presence of vague dizziness accompanied by a lot of other seemingly unrelated symptoms, which might include any of the following:


shortness of breath for no apparent reason
frequent sighing or yawning
chest pains
heart palpitations
sweating
syncope (fainting)
dizziness
trembling
slurred speech
cold, tingling, or numb lips or extremities
nausea or irritable bowel syndrome
aching muscles or joints, or tremors
tiredness, unsteadiness, or diffuse weakness
restless sleep, insomnia, or nightmares
sexual problems
anxiety or phobias
fear that perhaps you're a hypochondriac
dry mouth
pressure in throat or difficulty swallowing
bloating, belching, flatulence, or abdominal pain
impaired memory or concentration
confusion / disorientation
tinnitis (ringing in ears)
headaches
blurred vision, tunnel vision, double vision, or flashing lights
tachycardia (rapid pulse)
depression
erratic blood pressure

So many members have been posting recently about "difficulty breathing", or not being able to take a "deep breath" - together with all the other nasty symptoms they are experiencing.
There is a book by Dinah Shore which is half explanitory and half self help about the above syndrome. Dinah Shore is a physiotherapist from New Zealand who specialises in respitory physio. The book is excellent, easy to read and explains the condition in full and in simple language.

I have suffered with this for years and know how unpleasant and frightening it can be. It also know how it can excaserbate anxiety/panic and spiral into an uncontrollable cycle of misery.

Of course, you should get checked out medically - but if nothing else is found to be causing your breathing problems, please look into this.

I hope this helps.

Judi