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Respiratory Disorders (Expert Forum)
Trouble getting a deep, refreshing breath
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Trouble getting a deep, refreshing breath
by ramamama, Sep 30, 2003 12:00AM
I am 30 y.o and have had this problem on and off since I was a kid. Back then, I remember having a hard time getting a real deep breath that I craved, and with deep inhalation, would sometimes get a real painful "pop" and then would get instant relief. The relief didn't always last, but I remember always feeling so much better after it happened (usually in winter).
Haven't had the painful popping upon deep breathing in many years, but still (comes and goes) have difficulty getting a deep, refreshing breath that I crave. Then I will start yawning repeatedly, but those are shallow and superficial too, and usually do not give me the deep inhalation breath that I need.
I have had this as well as occasional heart palpations for years, and echo and breathing test (exhaling into tube forcefully) came back ok in the past. This has just recently come back again, and does not seem to correlate with stress or anxiety. I do have a heavy feeling and sometimes discomfort in chest.
I have experienced extreme fatigue for about 18 months, especially mornings, eases a little in afternoon and feel best at night. My doc thinks I may have some auto-immune disorder or just be anxious. She said that it could be anxiety even though I don't feel like I'm anxious about anything.
I just want to be sure there is nothing else going on before she decides on anxiety or fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome or something like that.
Thank you!
Haven't had the painful popping upon deep breathing in many years, but still (comes and goes) have difficulty getting a deep, refreshing breath that I crave. Then I will start yawning repeatedly, but those are shallow and superficial too, and usually do not give me the deep inhalation breath that I need.
I have had this as well as occasional heart palpations for years, and echo and breathing test (exhaling into tube forcefully) came back ok in the past. This has just recently come back again, and does not seem to correlate with stress or anxiety. I do have a heavy feeling and sometimes discomfort in chest.
I have experienced extreme fatigue for about 18 months, especially mornings, eases a little in afternoon and feel best at night. My doc thinks I may have some auto-immune disorder or just be anxious. She said that it could be anxiety even though I don't feel like I'm anxious about anything.
I just want to be sure there is nothing else going on before she decides on anxiety or fibromyalgia/chronic fatigue syndrome or something like that.
Thank you!
Doctor's Answer
by National Jewish, Oct 10, 2003 12:00AM
, Oct 10, 2003 12:00AM
Feeling the need to take a deep breath is common and often brought on by anxiety. The painful “pop” is due to the ribs being over stretched as you try to get a really deep breath.
There are numerous causes of fatigue that are probably unrelated to you feeling the need to take a deep breath. To find the cause will require a thorough evaluation. A rheumatologist would be the type of specialist to identify if your fatigue is due to an autoimmune disorder and the best treatment.
There are numerous causes of fatigue that are probably unrelated to you feeling the need to take a deep breath. To find the cause will require a thorough evaluation. A rheumatologist would be the type of specialist to identify if your fatigue is due to an autoimmune disorder and the best treatment.
Find a counsellor specializing in anxiety, because that's part of it. Basically you breathe very shallow (likely without realizing) which results in an increase in carbon dioxide. Excess carbon dioxide in your blood causes all sorts of symptoms such as dizziness, frequent urination. I can't remember them all, but there are a lot. It's common in asthmatics. Yawning is your body's natural attempt to get more oxygen. I smoked at the time and found that having a cigarette helped, oddly enough. It helped because when I inhaled, I inhaled deeply; probably the only times I inhaled deeply.
Anyway, I hope this helps someone out there. If you breathe shallowly for years, it becomes very ingrained. Good luck.