Shortness of breath

when people say they have shortness of breath is it always severe? or can it just be kinda mild? Because there are times where i feel like im not getting enough air in but its not like i just ran up some stairs or something, It can happen while sitting and i wonder am i just focusing on it to hard because if something catches my attention such as phone rings etc.... its like i forget about it and i seem fine it kinda comes and goes what do you guys think?

[Zachs]

I tend to gasp out of the blue sometimes as well for no reason. Sometimes anticipation of something happening will do this because we tend to concentrate on our breathing when we shouldn't.  I jump sometimes when a hear like a crack in the floor, or something hits the window, cats running through the window blinds at night, you name it. :) Hope this helps. Zach  Trust me,  we will never forget to breath.

[Jerry_NJ]

I find that sometimes when I am just sitting, maybe only then, I for unknown reasons become conscious of my breathing.  I would not call this because I feel breathless, I'm just engaging in conscious breathing.  This is usually accompanied with a sense of shortness of breath, or a need to breath deeply or deeper.  This struggle usually goes on for a few minutes, then something graba my attention, tv, whatever I'm trying to read, what's on my computer.... and I return to automatic breathing and forget about the whole thing.  

Now, due to my AFib and medications, I do get a shortness of breath whenever I exercise lightly, like walking up a gradual upgrade, or climbing more than one flight of stairs.  This isn't a deep need for air either, but I do start to breath harder than I "should", compared to my condition only a couple of years ago.  

If I have misdirected you line of question, come back an put "us" back on track.

Good luck

[ireneo]

I've had that feeling before, like I'm breathing normally but feel like there's not enough oxygen in the air around me. I know that's not true so I just wait it out. It rarely lasts more than a minute or two. I have asthma and know how it feels to be truly short of breath but this is different. I've had it for years and just never thought to ask my doctor about it.

[chevy man]

thats exactly what i mean i have not been diagnosed with anything as of yet but i do seem to focus on it for some reason and im not sure whats wrong

[Zachs]

I get this sometimes before bedtime when trying to go to sleep, i tend to try to breath on my own, instead of my body breathing for me. This makes me breath shallow, and makes me have butterflies in my stomach, and I get a little anxious and sometimes that makes it worse.  I've had this for a long time, since I was 20 years old.  32 now.  Zach