Tight chest/short breath all the time/cant be physical/bloating

[gottaprayandbestrong]

Hello, whenever I try to take a deep breath, i dont always get a full breath, my chest is tight and there are episodes (perhaps from anxiousness)when i cant get a full breath for a prolonged amount of time and even have to breath manually. I have palpatations and when i try to do physical things like sing, climb a long flight of stairs, jog, etc i get really short of breath and i feel my heart pounding. sometimes at night i wake up with shortness of breath and just try to relax myself until i fall asleep no matter how i try change my diet, i easily get bloated.

Im 25 years old, 6'0 140lbs. Right now my docs are naming anxiety/panic attacks as the culprit. I've had EKG, chest x-ray, and going next week for pulmonary and heart echo.

My main questions are; if I take the pulmonary function tests while my chest is tight and breath is short, and my results are normal, that means I dont have asthma right?

Under the above circumstances, with shortness of breath, tight chest, etc. would an echo still show normal results even if i am unable to exercise?

Lastly, Other than bloating I dont seem to notice other symtpoms from GERD. Are there any accurate ways to disgnose wether or not I have GERD (that may be affecting my breathing) without doing a barium swallo or anything invasive?

thanks

[Jane2]

Hi gottapray

I can't answer all of your questions but hopefully some of your results can - The PFT's should be able to test for asthma even if it is mild, whether this is asthma or something else anxiety and panic will be part of it, particularly if your are been kept awake at night.  As an Asthmatic I have been talked through more attacks by my partner where I have panicked, lets just say it goes with the territory but it should be taken completely seriously. the bloated feeling in the stomach can also contribute to breathlessness, certain foods can aggravate this - it may not have to be GERD - it could be like in my case something as simple as an orange that fills my tummy and makes me breathless.  

All the best
J

[Inanga]

hi i would recommend you look into something called Hyperventilation Syndrome which also covers breathing technique - we should use our diphragms rather than chest walls. I had problems with blaoting caused by food intollerances which made it harder for my diaphragm to push down into my abdomen - same symptoms you talked about. You can stengthen and tone your diaphragm like any other muscle by resistance testing. Athletes sometimes train their diaphragm using a gizmo that makes them suck hard to breathe air in - like breathing through a straw. I went to a group of breathing physiologists for trainng and it really made a huge improvement in my breathing. you might find some more useful info from these people at www.breathingworks.co.nz. Good luck.

[Jane2]

Hi again

I was diagnosed as having Hyperventilation Syndrome while going through many weird symptoms about 4 years ago - The symptoms were making me panic (I did find the paper bag exercise helpful) - it turned out though that I was suffering from pulmonary sarcoidosis which had limited my breathing. Hyperventilation Syndrome can be a symptom of something else - so it is wise to get all the tests you are getting -

ruling out anything too serious can go a long way towards helping an anxious breather.

J