Really worried over constant breathing problems

[JonnyUK]

Has anyone else had 24/7 breathing issues due to GAD and anxiety ? My house was covered in paint dust last week and instantly my concern was about my lungs. Then 2 days later I developed a strange breathing problem, I feel short of breath and just walking causes me to be really out of breath. This has been happening for 5 days now, long after the paint dust has been cleared up. I am thinking though that I may be causing it, I am always breathing through my mouth now when I am sure I normally used to breathe through my nose. I just feel winded in the chest, riding in cars or showers make the breathing much worse.

Can this be due to anxiety ? Even if 24/7 ?

[Oosh]

Yeh definitely. I went to the doctors years ago over breathing issues. I couldn't seem to takes deep full breathes. I don't know why it went. I think you breathe better when you're relaxed and forget about it and I think after a break from exercise and just relaxing more I eventually forgot about it.

Maybe you've just started monitoring your breathing because you thought about it. When you're conscious of it you tend not to do it automatically.

It's hard to think about breathing as well as something else so throw yourself into things and try and forget about it.

Light cardio maybe and show yourself that you're able to take refreshing breathes and that everything is working ok. Wait until your chest is asking for the breathe then give it just enough to feel refreshed instead of being conscious of it and trying too hard.

I started drinking coffee some months ago and started becoming conscious of my breathe/worrying about it. Stopped coffee and it's gone. Breathing is best forgotten about.

[Gary A]

Could certainly be related to anxiety. You may be over breathing, which, believe it or not, actually makes you feel like you're struggling for breath. This is hyperventilation, but not how you may have heard it described. There are two types of hyperventilation, acute, and chronic.

Acute hyperventilation is the whole gasping rapid breaths, mostly felt during a panic attack. Chronic hyperventilation, however, is far far more subtle. You may have developed an improper breathing pattern, which will lead to prolonged hyperventilation. You wouldn't even notice it happening.

Do you often have pins and needles in your hands or occasionally feel light headed and or giddy?

[PlantsForHire]

When I'm nervous I feel like I'm not breathing enough and hold my breath so it doesn't look like I'm gasping for air in front of people. This leads to hyperventilation when I'm in private because I find myself gasping for too much air.

Also when I stand up from sitting down for a while I notice that I tend to not breathe for whatever reason and it's been worrying me for a while now. But really I know in the back of my mind that it is nothing to worry about.

Anxiety causes a lot of strange discomforts to arise and it's all because it makes us conscious of our body. What I find helpful is to distract myself by just keeping my mind occupied on something at all times whether it be watching tv, exercising, cooking, or reading a book.

Hope this helps. And remember to be joyful! :D