yawning/frequent need to 'deep breathe'

[Dracee322]

Thanks for taking the question. For about the past two weeks, I have gradually increasingly felt the need to take a deep breath. It seemed to start after a visit to the Dr's office. He was listening to my lung sounds and had me breathe in and out rapidly several times after which I became lightheaded. He remarked that this was probably due to "chronic hypervetilation" and stated that most people breathe far to shallowly especially with stressful lifestyles. After that I started paying much more attention to my breathing and tried to do "diaphragmatic breathing/deep breathing" more often. Is it possible that I stretched something out or did something wrong that is giving me this feeling? I have also noticed a lot of yawning or partial yawns. I have checked my pulse ox a few times and it normal. I have discomfort in my back around the lower rib cage area (this actually started before this need to take frequent deep breaths)as well as in my neck area (maybe from all the yawning). And I cannot always get the deep breath that I need. What could this be and what type of testing (if any) should I expect from a trip to the Dr. I am 35, non-smoking but was a closet smoker for about 15 yrs and my parents were both heavy smokers. I am otherwise healthy and within normal weight range. I appreciate the opinion as this seems to be getting worse daily and is becoming very annoying!

[National Jewish]

Usually hyperventilation is related to a condition called panic disorder.  This unfortunately is a very bad name.  People who suffer from it do not always experience panic-type feelings.  In fact, we think that it is a disorder of the very deep part of your brain that controls your breathing.  This leads to frightening, but not harmful, “suffocation false alarms”.  In some people this triggers feelings of panic, but in others this just leads to intense feelings of “smothering” along with all the body symptoms, including numbness and “pins-and-needles” tingling of hand, fingers and lips.

Diaphragmatic breathing can help you move more air in and out of your lungs. This is the most efficient way to breathe and may improve your symptoms.  Learning this technique will help you to breathe slowly, regularly, gently, and smoothly all of the time.  Here are the instructions:
· Breathe in slowly and deeply through your nose.
· While you breathe in, count 1, 2 and push your stomach out.
· Place your hand on your stomach so you can feel your stomach going out.  This promotes the use of your diaphragm and your lower breathing muscles.
· Breathe out slowly and deeply through your mouth.  Imagine that you are breathing out through a straw by “pursing” your lips.
· While you slowly breathe out all the way, count 1, 2, 3, 4 and let your stomach relax.  You can feel your stomach going in with your hand.
You often can get help with this type of breathing by taking an introductory yoga class or checking out a videotape on yoga that focuses on breathing and relaxation.

Given your 15 years of smoking and your passive exposure to your parents’ heavy cigarette smoking, the testing that you should expect from a trip to the doctor is a chest x-ray and spirometry.  Spirometry is a simple breathing test that measures how your lungs are working.  It will show if there is obstruction in your airways.  Often it will identify a problem in your lungs before you have symptoms.  When this is done periodically it will tell about the health of your lungs over time.

[Ellis7]

It could be 'hyperventilation'. Here's a link:

http://www.remcomp.com/asmanet/edit9702.html
  Hyperventilation Syndrome & Asthma (Asmanet)  Excerpt:

"Chronic hyperventilation syndrome is characterized by a large variety of somatic symptoms induced by physiologically inappropriate hyperventilation and usually reproduced in whole or in part by voluntary hyperventilation.
.........................
The symptoms are however real and not imaginary as they are related to the biochemical and physiological changes associated with the fall in PaCO2.

The respiratory symptoms associated with this syndrome include shortness of breath, usually described as "air hunger" - a need to take a deep, satisfying breath, accompanied by a feeling of difficulty in inflating the lungs-, a small dry cough, the impression of a tickle in the throat. Most hyperventilators tend to sigh or yawn frequently and typically adopt a pattern of thoracic instead of diaphragmatic breathing."

[Dracee322]

Thanks Ellis! One of the reasons I did not run to the ER upon this feeling is because I had a hunch it was related to something like this. The problem is fixing it! I thought I was doing something to help when my Dr. told me I was "probably chronically hyperventilated". I tried to pay attention to my breathing and do more from the diaphagm. I am still going to check this out with a physician to make sure there isn't something more( ie. bronchospasm or something else??????)but I appreciate the link. I will check it out!