Shortness of breath from anxiety?

[Ggirlangel93]

The last two weeks ive been dealing with on and off shortness of breath everyday. I have an oximeter at home and my oxygen is always normal between 98-100 so i don't understand why i feel breathless. Sometimes for brief moments i don't feel it and things seem normal and then it will kick back in and last hours. I feel like i become aware of my breathing so im doing it manually instead of it just happening naturally. Ugh being short of breath makes me feel anxious. Of course im worrying that something is wrong with my lungs or heart. I got an EKG in the summer which was normal so maybe its not the heart. I've been incredibly anxious this whole month and been dealing with the worst anxiety and stress ive ever had for the past 6 months. I'm so tired of having all different symptoms and feeling sick everyday...anxiety has really taken a toll on my body. Do you guys think its just the chronic stress and anxiety causing the shortness of breath? Why does it come and go yet last for weeks?

 

[alwaysworried]

Shortness of breath is (unfortunately) one of the most common symptoms of anxiety...which stinks because it's so uncomfortable, and every time I have it my mind immediately jumps to something wrong with my heart, lungs, etc. So I really sympathize with you here - you're not alone! I have a pulse oximeter also and I am constantly checking to make sure my O2 levels are ok...It's a useful tool for sure, but in the hands of someone with health anxiety can actually do more harm than good.

If it was a heart or lung problem, you'd likely experience it 24/7 and it would get worse with exercise. You've had an EKG recently, and you've admitted yourself that you've been really anxious the past 6 months...obviously, if it is really worrying you, I would get checked out by a dr for peace of mind, and to rule out any underlying conditions. But it's really a very common symptom for anxiety sufferers, and it sounds like you can trace it to the increase in your anxiety.

Unfortunately I don't have any tips for helping the shortness of breath...I myself am actually dealing with that at the moment too. And if it makes you feel better, I've had 4 EKGs and a chest x-ray in the past 3 months and they've all come back clear. I think at the end of the day we just have to remind ourselves that this symptom is scary but nothing to fear...our bodies want to protect us, not hurt us...as hard as it is, we just have to accept these symptoms instead of wishing them away. I struggle with this daily. But once you remove the fear from the symptoms, the symptoms themselves will start to go. It makes so much sense in theory, it's just really hard to do. Hoping to get there someday...

I'm sorry you're experiencing this, it's so uncomfortable. Hope you have some relief soon, and hope this helped you to not feel alone in this. I know that even if you have supportive people in your life it can be hard for them to understand

 

[Ggirlangel93]

Shortness of breath is (unfortunately) one of the most common symptoms of anxiety...which stinks because it's so uncomfortable, and every time I have it my mind immediately jumps to something wrong with my heart, lungs, etc. So I really sympathize with you here - you're not alone! I have a pulse oximeter also and I am constantly checking to make sure my O2 levels are ok...It's a useful tool for sure, but in the hands of someone with health anxiety can actually do more harm than good.

If it was a heart or lung problem, you'd likely experience it 24/7 and it would get worse with exercise. You've had an EKG recently, and you've admitted yourself that you've been really anxious the past 6 months...obviously, if it is really worrying you, I would get checked out by a dr for peace of mind, and to rule out any underlying conditions. But it's really a very common symptom for anxiety sufferers, and it sounds like you can trace it to the increase in your anxiety.

Unfortunately I don't have any tips for helping the shortness of breath...I myself am actually dealing with that at the moment too. And if it makes you feel better, I've had 4 EKGs and a chest x-ray in the past 3 months and they've all come back clear. I think at the end of the day we just have to remind ourselves that this symptom is scary but nothing to fear...our bodies want to protect us, not hurt us...as hard as it is, we just have to accept these symptoms instead of wishing them away. I struggle with this daily. But once you remove the fear from the symptoms, the symptoms themselves will start to go. It makes so much sense in theory, it's just really hard to do. Hoping to get there someday...

I'm sorry you're experiencing this, it's so uncomfortable. Hope you have some relief soon, and hope this helped you to not feel alone in this. I know that even if you have supportive people in your life it can be hard for them to understand

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your message. I was just crying before because im feeling sad and frustrated. Its comforting to know im not alone. It's so tough having symptoms everyday...wish they would just go away so i can feel good again mentally and physically

 

[bin_tenn]

I experienced the uncomfortable shortness of breath sensation yesterday and the day before, and even mentioned it briefly in a post yesterday. @alwaysworried is absolutely right, and the pulse oximeter - along with blood pressure cuffs, heart rate monitors, etc - are generally no good for someone with anxiety, and without good reason (e.g. doctor's recommendation or an underlying condition) for monitoring it.

If you're generally physically well, your oxygen saturation will not drop to an abnormal level. Just as your BP won't be dangerously elevated, heart rate / rhythm won't be abnormal, etc. Anxiety doesn't allow us to believe this, but: the body knows when something is genuinely wrong, and it will always be capable of sending signals that say so. Part of overcoming health anxiety, at least for me, is understanding that my body knows itself best, and that it will let me know if something really needs urgent attention.

 

[alwaysworried]

Thank you so much. I really appreciate your message. I was just crying before because im feeling sad and frustrated. Its comforting to know im not alone. It's so tough having symptoms everyday...wish they would just go away so i can feel good again mentally and physically

I know exactly how you feel, I wouldn't wish it on anyone! It's like the minute you start to feel a little better, something new pops up...and the cycle repeats! And anxiety can feel so isolating...I also get frustrated, especially when I can't dictate to others what exactly is wrong, or why certain things scare me so much. You're not alone in this! We're all here to support each other

 

[smilingsoul]

The isolation is the worst - or at least, it causes me a lot of unnecessary grief. I know my friends and family would do anything they could to help, and I've appreciated them in the past when they did. I guess I worry that they'll find it exasperating when I relapse. These days it seems like everyone has enough to worry about, without them worrying about me too.