How do you control your 'Air Hunger'

[joshuaainsworth]

Hello,

Just a question if you suffer from 'air hunger', where you feel like you can't get a deep breath how do you control it or alleviate it?

I thought I had mine under control but it's back with a vengeance today, my chest hurts from constantly trying to take a deep breath.

Thanks :D

[amandaj]

i breathe in for 3 and out for 4 it does work sometimes if you keep trying it

[JohnLuke300]

I have never heard of 'air hunger' myself. All I can tell you is that breathing is an autonomous function. We do not need to think about it to breath, the non cognitive (the part we are not aware of) side of the brain controls our breathing. And you can't suffocate yourself from not breathing correctly. So you are not in any real danger. Although I know that doesn't stop our anxious minds from obsessing about it. :D

All the best

John

[teez]

i havnt heard it called this either,,im learning so much on here,,lol, but if its what i think your on about i have had this,,is it where you feel you cant take in a deep breath,,or your shallow breathing,,,ive done this for years,,it leaves me very weezy at times,,im now training myself to breath from my stomach up as aposed my chest,,sounds daft doesnt it lol you think we breath without a thought which we normally do,,but us with our over sensatised minds,,think we have a problem,,have you tried the yoga breathing exersize,,i use this and it helps,,breath in on the count of five breath out on the count of five all done slowly,,

[Jackieww]

Hi

I suffer this intermitently...................I find that if I try and yawn I manage to catch my breath...............really I probably confuse myself for a minute......anyway....it seems to work.....plus I do not wake feeling like I need to take a deep breath.....so in my head I know it's just another annoying symtom of anxiety :)

[GAD]

I had this under control for years but for the past 2 weeks I just cant control it. Everytime it happens I have convinced myself that im having an asthma attack or that the vessels in my throat are closing and it will kill me.
I know after all these years that thats unlikely but im terrified again and it seems to last ages!!! HELP!!! i seem to have forgotten how I stopped it before.

[Mad Medic]

Hmm. I had this after I suffered a Pneumothorax. Was awful at the time and I put it down to the collapsed lung, but it was probably the anxiety thinking back.

I don't really get it anymore, but I had to learn to breathe more shallowly and used yawning as a way to help get over it.

[PanicOver!!]

Hi

I get this and find breathing in to a paper bag for around 30 secs helps

Marc

[SueBee]

If 'air hunger' means breathing shallowly, then putting your arms above your head forces you to take a full breath. Sounds crazy, but it works!

Sue :)

[joshuaainsworth]

Thanks for the advice guy, much appreciated!

Does anybody who suffer from this tend to get a bit of chest pain from trying to breath deeply all the time, like a muscular pain where the ribs meet the sternum?

[Dee01]

I breath as normal, but kind of chant in my head that I am breathing so there's oxygen going into my lungs. After 5/6 mins shanting, I calm myself down - don't do it out loud if ur on the bus tho! I get the hcest pain too, but I think its just anx.

[amandaj]

ive actually pulled a muscle doing this i thought was my heart so went to a@e but it was muscular

[TheMadPikey]

I suffer from chest pains and back pain all day every day for the past 7 weeks,the doc says its hyperventilating causing muscle and lung pains.

[joshuaainsworth]

It's a bloody nightmare this anxiety jazz! I never thought the mind could have such sway on physical feelings.

Thanks again for the fantastic advice.