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779318 tn?1235800716

Why can't I breathe? Torn diaphragm? Hiatal Hernia?

For 4 months now I have been suffering from an unknown illness. I am only 22 years old and a performer.

I suspect that is it a Hiatal Hernia or a torn diaphragm because 3 days before I started feeling discomfort I performed in a very tight corset. I sang a really long note and when I tried to take a deep breath after, my chest didn't have enough room to expand and I felt a horribly sharp pain in the upper middle left side on my ribs. This knocked me over in a lot of pain but after I had recovered I didn't think anything of it until recently.

In the begining I had a rapid and heavy heart beat, acid reflux, sharp chest pains,dizzyness, and blurry vision
But now my symptoms are: Breathing difficulties (not being able to take a deep breath, difficulty breathing from my diaphragm, contested sounding breathing, sharp pains and aches when I inhale), Acid Reflux (constantly belching, feeling like the burps are trapped, pains when swallowing, choking sensation), tight chest, pains and aches on my upper ribs, chest, and neck.
On top of all of this I have been experiencing severe panic and occasional depression which I am being treated for by a therapist.

Another thing that factors into everything is that I was living in a place that potentially had mold. It was extremely cold and moist. I have moved out and since then have gained more energy and am not dizzy anymore. However, I wonder if it contributes to the breathing problems I suffer from.

There is not a SECOND that I feel comfortable. Please help! Everyday is a struggle....

I can't get an edoscopy for another month unfortunately so they just but me on Omeprazole, pepcids, and reglin. I don't notice anything yet but I pray they help.

Does it sound like a Hiatal Hernia? Torn Diaphragm perhaps?
3 Responses
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242588 tn?1224271700
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
You describe a large number of factors that might singly or together, be the cause of your symptoms.  Neither a hiatal hernia nor a ruptured/torn hemidiaphragm would be likely to occur, as a result of your performance but it is possible that you might have had an anatomic predisposition to herniation and the increased abdominal pressure during the performance might have made the hernia manifest.  Pain could be due to tension on the herniated organ(s) or due to circulatory compromise of those structures.

The first step should be to determine what is going on and the most direct way to do that would be a chest and abdominal CT scan, not endoscopy.  Whatever the process, it could involve the chest, the abdomen or both.

Good luck.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
A related discussion, singerperson i have your exact same symptoms was started.
Helpful - 0
779318 tn?1235800716
Thank you so much for your input on this. I will try to contact a doctor tomorrow to see if I can get a CT scan as soon as possible!
Helpful - 0

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