Why do you often want to take a deep breath? I constantly want to take a deep breath or yawn. Physiological causes of frequent yawning. Why do you want to yawn? How healthy people react to a person with neurosis. A cautionary tale for relatives

When we breathe easily, we don’t even notice this process. This is normal, since breathing is a reflex act that is controlled by the autonomic nervous system. Nature intended it this way for a reason. Thanks to this, we can breathe even in an unconscious state. This ability in some cases saves our lives. But if even the slightest difficulty appears with breathing, we feel it immediately. Why does constant yawning and shortness of breath occur, and what to do about it? This is what the doctors told us.

Dangerous symptoms

Sometimes difficulty breathing occurs for physiological reasons, which are quite easily remedied. But if you constantly feel like yawning and taking deep breaths, this could be a symptom of a serious illness. It’s even worse when, against this background, shortness of breath (dyspnea) often occurs, appearing even with minimal physical exertion. This is already a reason to worry and see a doctor.

You should go to the hospital immediately if difficulty breathing is accompanied by:

• pain in the chest area;
• changes in skin color;
• nausea and dizziness;
• severe coughing attacks;
• increased body temperature;
• swelling and cramps of the limbs;
• feeling of fear and internal tension.

These symptoms usually clearly indicate pathologies in the body, which need to be identified and eliminated as soon as possible.

Causes of lack of air

All the reasons why a person may go to the doctor with the complaint: “I can’t breathe fully and I’m constantly yawning” can be roughly divided into psychological, physiological and pathological. Conditionally - because everything in our body is closely interconnected, and the failure of one system entails a violation normal operation other organs.

Thus, prolonged stress, which is attributed to psychological reasons, can provoke hormonal imbalance and cardiovascular problems.

Physiological

The most harmless are physiological reasons that can cause difficulty breathing:

It is difficult to breathe in the heat, especially if you are severely dehydrated. The blood becomes thicker, and it is harder for the heart to push it through the vessels. As a result, the body does not receive enough oxygen. The person begins to yawn and try to breathe deeper.

Medical

Shortness of breath, yawning and a regularly felt lack of air can cause serious illnesses. Moreover, often these signs are the first symptoms that allow diagnosing the disease at an early stage.

Therefore, if you constantly have difficulty breathing, be sure to go to the doctor. The most common possible diagnoses are:

As you can see, most diseases are not just serious - they pose a threat to the patient’s life. Therefore, if you often feel short of breath, then it is better not to delay your visit to the doctor.

Psychogenic

And again, we cannot help but recall stress, which is one of the main causes of the development of many diseases today.

Yawning under stress is an unconditioned reflex inherent in us by nature. If you observe animals, you will notice that when they are nervous, they yawn constantly. And in this sense, we are no different from them.

When stressed, a spasm of the capillaries occurs, and the heart begins to beat faster due to the release of adrenaline. Because of this, blood pressure increases. In this case, taking a deep breath and yawning perform a compensatory function and protect the brain from destruction.

When you are very frightened, there is often a muscle spasm, which makes it impossible to take a full breath. It’s not for nothing that the expression “takes your breath away” exists.

What to do

If you find yourself in a situation where frequent yawning and shortness of breath occur, do not try to panic - this will only make the problem worse. The first thing you need to do is to provide an additional flow of oxygen: open a window or vent, if possible, go outside.

Try to loosen as much as possible the clothing that prevents you from fully inhaling: take off your tie, unbutton your collar, corset or bra. To avoid dizziness, it is better to take a sedentary or supine position. Now you need to take a very deep breath through your nose and an extended exhalation through your mouth.

After several such breaths, the condition usually improves noticeably. If this does not happen, and the dangerous symptoms listed above are added to the lack of air, call an ambulance immediately.

Before medical workers arrive, do not take medications on your own unless they are prescribed by your doctor - they may distort your clinical picture and make diagnosis difficult.

Diagnostics

Emergency doctors usually quickly determine the cause of sudden difficulty breathing and the need for hospitalization. If there are no serious concerns and the attack is caused by physiological reasons or severe stress and does not happen again, then you can sleep peacefully.

But if you suspect heart or lung disease, it is better to undergo an examination, which may include:

• general blood and urine analysis;
• X-ray of the lungs;
• electrocardiogram;
• Ultrasound of the heart;
• bronchoscopy;
• computed tomogram.

What types of research are needed in your case will be determined by your doctor during your initial examination.

If lack of air and constant yawning are caused by stress, then you may need to consult a psychologist or neurologist who will tell you how to relieve nervous tension or prescribe medications: sedatives or antidepressants.

Treatment and prevention

When a patient comes to the doctor with the complaint: “I can’t breathe completely, I’m yawning, what should I do?”, the doctor first of all collects a detailed medical history. This allows us to exclude physiological causes of oxygen deficiency.

In the case of overweight, treatment is obvious - the patient should be referred to a nutritionist. Without controlled weight loss, the problem cannot be solved.

If the examination results reveal acute or chronic diseases of the heart or respiratory tract, treatment is prescribed according to the protocol. This requires taking medications and possibly physiotherapeutic procedures.

A good prevention and even a method of treatment is breathing exercises. But in case of bronchopulmonary diseases, it can only be done with the permission of the attending physician. Incorrectly selected or performed exercises in this case can provoke a severe coughing attack and a deterioration in the general condition.

It is very important to keep yourself in good physical shape. Even with heart disease, there are special sets of exercises that help you recover faster and return to your normal routine. normal image life. Aerobic exercise is especially beneficial - it trains the heart and develops the lungs.

Active games in the fresh air (badminton, tennis, basketball, etc.), cycling, walking at a fast pace, swimming - will not only help get rid of shortness of breath and provide an additional flow of oxygen, but also tighten your muscles, making you slimmer. And then, even high in the mountains, you will feel great and enjoy the journey, and not suffer from constant shortness of breath and yawning.

I had a similar problem. Only I really wanted to yawn and I yawned. Just like crazy, every minute I yawned, yawned, yawned. And the yawning was kind of half-hearted; I couldn’t take a deep breath. My grandmother told me that this means heart problems. I checked with a doctor, they did a cardiogram, measured my pulse, etc. procedures, but found nothing. Then it went away by itself, it didn’t last long - a few days. This happens to me now when I get really nervous. Apparently, there is some kind of connection with the heart. I advise you to also see a doctor, maybe a therapist, he will refer you to the right doctor. Well, be less nervous, because it’s true that all diseases are caused by nerves. I wish a speedy recovery!

I always want to take a deep breath

noticed deterioration under stress, anxiety

I recently had the same exacerbation as you

This state infuriated me

I'm like a fish out of water

I seem to be inhaling air, but in the area of ​​the heart and chest, as if something is missing

I thought I was the only one!

What did you treat with - nothing

somehow it went away on its own, sometimes I could drink valerian, motherwort, everything

Well, I also started drinking Novopassit. I hope it improves in a couple of days. Yes, that’s the rub, now I’m not worried at all (I think so). Although it turns out that I’m worried

Why there is not enough air when breathing and yawning begins

Dangerous symptoms

Sometimes difficulty breathing occurs for physiological reasons, which are quite easily remedied. But if you constantly feel like yawning and taking deep breaths, this could be a symptom of a serious illness. It’s even worse when, against this background, shortness of breath (dyspnea) often occurs, appearing even with minimal physical exertion. This is already a reason to worry and see a doctor.

You should go to the hospital immediately if difficulty breathing is accompanied by:

• pain in the chest area;
• changes in skin color;
• nausea and dizziness;
• severe coughing attacks;
• increased body temperature;
• swelling and cramps of the limbs;
• feeling of fear and internal tension.

These symptoms usually clearly indicate pathologies in the body, which need to be identified and eliminated as soon as possible.

Causes of lack of air

All the reasons why a person may go to the doctor with the complaint: “I can’t breathe fully and I’m constantly yawning” can be roughly divided into psychological, physiological and pathological. Conditionally - because everything in our body is closely interconnected, and the failure of one system entails disruption of the normal functioning of other organs.

Thus, prolonged stress, which is attributed to psychological reasons, can provoke hormonal imbalance and cardiovascular problems.

Physiological

The most harmless are physiological reasons that can cause difficulty breathing:

1. Lack of oxygen. It is strongly felt in the mountains, where the air is thin. So if you've recently changed your geographical position and now you are significantly above sea level, it is normal that at first you find it difficult to breathe. Well, ventilate the apartment more often.
2. Stuffy room. Two factors play a role here - a lack of oxygen and an excess of carbon dioxide, especially if there are many people in the room.
3. Tight clothes. Many people don’t even think about it, but in pursuit of beauty, sacrificing convenience, they deprive themselves of a significant portion of oxygen. Clothes that strongly compress the chest and diaphragm are especially dangerous: corsets, tight bras, tight bodysuits.
4. Poor physical shape. Lack of air and shortness of breath at the slightest exertion are experienced by those who lead a sedentary lifestyle or have spent a lot of time in bed due to illness.
5. Overweight. It causes a whole bunch of problems, in which yawning and shortness of breath are not the most serious. But be careful - if you significantly exceed normal weight, heart pathologies quickly develop.

It is difficult to breathe in the heat, especially if you are severely dehydrated. The blood becomes thicker, and it is harder for the heart to push it through the vessels. As a result, the body does not receive enough oxygen. The person begins to yawn and try to breathe deeper.

Medical

Shortness of breath, yawning and a regularly felt lack of air can cause serious illnesses. Moreover, often these signs are the first symptoms that allow diagnosing the disease at an early stage.

Therefore, if you constantly have difficulty breathing, be sure to go to the doctor. The most common possible diagnoses are:

• VSD – vegetative-vascular dystonia. This disease is the scourge of our time, and it is usually triggered by severe or chronic nervous overstrain. A person feels constant anxiety, fears, panic attacks develop, and fear of enclosed spaces arises. Difficulty breathing and yawning are warning signs of such attacks.
• Anemia. Acute iron deficiency in the body. It is necessary to carry oxygen. When there is not enough of it, even with normal breathing it seems that there is not enough air. The person begins to constantly yawn and take deep breaths.
• Bronchopulmonary diseases: bronchial asthma, pleurisy, pneumonia, acute and chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis. All of them, in one way or another, lead to the fact that it becomes almost impossible to take a full breath.
• Respiratory diseases, acute and chronic. Due to swelling and drying of the mucous membranes of the nose and larynx, it becomes difficult to breathe. Often the nose and throat are clogged with mucus. When yawning, the larynx opens as much as possible, so when we have the flu and ARVI, we not only cough, but also yawn.
• Heart diseases: ischemia, acute heart failure, cardiac asthma. They are difficult to diagnose early. Often shortness of breath, coupled with difficulty breathing and chest pain, is a sign of a heart attack. If this condition occurs suddenly, it is better to immediately call an ambulance.
• Pulmonary thromboembolism. People suffering from thrombophlebitis are at serious risk. A detached blood clot can block the pulmonary artery and cause part of the lung to die. But at first it becomes difficult to breathe, there is constant yawning and a feeling of acute lack of air.

As you can see, most diseases are not just serious - they pose a threat to the patient’s life. Therefore, if you often feel short of breath, then it is better not to delay your visit to the doctor.

Psychogenic

And again, we cannot help but recall stress, which is one of the main causes of the development of many diseases today.

Yawning under stress is an unconditioned reflex inherent in us by nature. If you observe animals, you will notice that when they are nervous, they yawn constantly. And in this sense, we are no different from them.

When stressed, a spasm of the capillaries occurs, and the heart begins to beat faster due to the release of adrenaline. Because of this, blood pressure increases. In this case, taking a deep breath and yawning perform a compensatory function and protect the brain from destruction.

When you are very frightened, there is often a muscle spasm, which makes it impossible to take a full breath. It’s not for nothing that the expression “takes your breath away” exists.

What to do

If you find yourself in a situation where frequent yawning and shortness of breath occur, do not try to panic - this will only worsen the problem. The first thing you need to do is to provide an additional flow of oxygen: open a window or vent, if possible, go outside.

Try to loosen as much as possible the clothing that prevents you from fully inhaling: take off your tie, unbutton your collar, corset or bra. To avoid dizziness, it is better to take a sitting or lying position. Now you need to take a very deep breath through your nose and an extended exhalation through your mouth.

After several such breaths, the condition usually improves noticeably. If this does not happen, and the dangerous symptoms listed above are added to the lack of air, call an ambulance immediately.

Before medical professionals arrive, do not take medications on your own if they are not prescribed by your doctor - they can distort the clinical picture and make it difficult to make a diagnosis.

Diagnostics

Emergency doctors usually quickly determine the cause of sudden difficulty breathing and the need for hospitalization. If there are no serious concerns, and the attack is caused by physiological reasons or severe stress and does not recur, then you can sleep peacefully.

But if you suspect heart or lung disease, it is better to undergo an examination, which may include:

• general blood and urine analysis;
• X-ray of the lungs;
• electrocardiogram;
• Ultrasound of the heart;
• bronchoscopy;
• computed tomogram.

What types of research are needed in your case will be determined by your doctor during your initial examination.

If lack of air and constant yawning are caused by stress, then you may need to consult a psychologist or neurologist, who will tell you how to relieve nervous tension or prescribe medications: sedatives or antidepressants.

Treatment and prevention

When a patient comes to the doctor with the complaint: “I can’t breathe completely, I’m yawning, what should I do?”, the doctor first of all collects a detailed medical history. This allows us to exclude physiological causes of oxygen deficiency.

In the case of overweight, treatment is obvious - the patient should be referred to a nutritionist. Without controlled weight loss, the problem cannot be solved.

If the examination results reveal acute or chronic diseases of the heart or respiratory tract, treatment is prescribed according to the protocol. This requires taking medications and possibly physiotherapeutic procedures.

A good prevention and even a method of treatment is breathing exercises. But in case of bronchopulmonary diseases, it can only be done with the permission of the attending physician. Incorrectly selected or performed exercises in this case can provoke a severe coughing attack and a deterioration in the general condition.

It is very important to keep yourself in good physical shape. Even with heart disease, there are special sets of exercises that help you recover faster and return to a normal lifestyle. Aerobic exercise is especially beneficial - it trains the heart and develops the lungs.

Active outdoor games (badminton, tennis, basketball, etc.), cycling, walking at a fast pace, swimming will not only help get rid of shortness of breath and provide an additional flow of oxygen, but will also tighten your muscles, making you slimmer. And then, even high in the mountains, you will feel great and enjoy the journey, and not suffer from constant shortness of breath and yawning.

I feel like I don’t have enough air, I periodically want to take a deep breath, sometimes I yawn, what is it? It's already the third day.

1. u menya tak bivaet)), o4en ho4etsya pryamo gluboko dishta. hz po4emu. Sometimes bivaet 4to o4 ho4etsya nosom delat deepokie vdohi)

It seems to me that you need to breathe more oxygen. it’s just that when a person yawns, it’s because there is little oxygen in his body and his brain gets tired

You need to be in nature, play sports there, and master pranayama, which allows you to consciously influence tissue respiration (the penetration of oxygen from the blood into the tissues).

For the vast majority of people, breathing occurs automatically. Yogis consciously control their breathing and maintain a certain duration of inhalation and exhalation during practice.

Full breathing consists of three elements. Mastering pranayama begins with them.

1. Diaphragmatic (or lower) breathing.

Sit or stand straight so that your head and spine are in the same vertical line.

Inhale through your nose. At the same time, the stomach protrudes. Then exhale while simultaneously drawing in your stomach.

By placing your hands on your stomach, you can control the movement abdominal wall. Perform 57 inhalations and exhalations. With this type of breathing, air fills the lower lobes of the lungs as much as possible. This is important for patients with residual effects an inflammatory process in the lungs, in which the lower lobes are poorly ventilated.

2. Chest (or middle) breathing.

While sitting or standing, inhale through your nose. The shoulders and stomach remain motionless, and rib cage is expanding. The air enters mainly middle part lungs. As you exhale through your nose, lower your ribs. Take 57 breaths.

3. Clavicular (or upper) breathing.

While sitting or standing, inhale through your nose so that the stomach and chest remain motionless, and only the upper part of the chest rises in the area of ​​​​the collarbones. With this type of breathing, air fills only the tops of the lungs. Exhaling through your nose, lower your shoulders. Repeat 57 times.

Having mastered the three types of breathing, you can move on to learning full breathing. Full breathing is sequential diaphragmatic, chest and clavicular breathing.

You should breathe easily and naturally. First, the stomach protrudes slightly (the lower lobes of the lungs are filled), then the chest expands (the middle lobes of the lungs are filled), the shoulders rise, air enters the tops of the lungs. All three types of breathing are performed together as one breath.

Then comes the exhalation. It begins with a slight retraction of the abdomen (air is, as it were, squeezed out of the lower lobes of the lungs); after which the ribs drop (the middle lobes of the lungs are freed), and finally the shoulders drop, the air leaves the tops of the lungs.

During breathing, attention should be focused on those muscles that are this moment are working.

At first, the duration of exhalation can be one and a half times longer than inhalation. Gradually you need to switch to the correct rhythm: 214. This means that the pause after inhalation should be equal to half the inhalation, and the exhalation should be twice as long as the inhalation.

When it is difficult to take a full breath, a suspicion of lung pathology first arises. But such a symptom may indicate a complicated course of osteochondrosis. Therefore, if you have breathing problems, you should consult a doctor.

Causes of difficulty breathing in osteochondrosis

Shortness of breath, inability to take a full breath - characteristic features cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis. Pathology in the spine occurs for various reasons. But most often the development of degenerative processes is provoked by: a sedentary lifestyle, work associated with increased stress on the back, and poor posture. The impact of these factors over many years has a negative impact on the condition of the intervertebral discs: they become less elastic and durable (the vertebrae shift towards the paravertebral structures).

If osteochondrosis progresses, destructive processes involve bone tissue(osteophytes appear on the vertebrae), muscles and ligaments. Over time, a protrusion or herniation of the disc forms. When the pathology is localized in cervical spine the spine, the nerve roots and the vertebral artery are compressed (through which blood and oxygen flow to the brain): pain in the neck appears, a feeling of lack of air, tachycardia.

When intervertebral discs are destroyed and vertebrae are displaced in the thoracic spine, the structure of the chest changes, the phrenic nerve is irritated, and the roots that are responsible for the innervation of the organs of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are pinched. The external manifestation of such processes is pain, which intensifies when trying to take a deep breath, and disruption of the functioning of the lungs and heart.

Pinching of blood vessels located in the cervical and thoracic spine is one of the reasons for the development of true pathologies of the heart and lungs, memory problems, and death of brain cells. Therefore, if you experience breathing difficulties, do not hesitate to visit a doctor.

Features of the manifestation of osteochondrosis

The clinical manifestations of cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis are different. In the first stages of development, it can be asymptomatic. Shortness of breath and chest pain when breathing deeply occur as the disease progresses. Shortness of breath can be bothersome both during the day and at night. During sleep, it is accompanied by snoring. The patient's sleep becomes interrupted, as a result of which he wakes up tired and overwhelmed.

In addition to respiratory disorders, with osteochondrosis the following appear:

• pain between the shoulder blades;
• cardiopalmus;
• stiffness in hand movements;
• (most often in the occipital region);
• numbness, stiffness of the neck;
• dizziness, fainting;
• tremor of the upper extremities;
• blueness of fingertips.

Often, such signs of osteochondrosis are perceived as a pathology of the lungs or heart. However, true disturbances in the functioning of these systems can be distinguished from spinal disease by the presence of other symptoms.

It’s difficult to understand on your own why you can’t take a deep breath. But at home you can do the following:

• take a sitting position, hold your breath for 40 seconds;
• try to blow out the candle at a distance of 80 cm.

If the tests fail, this indicates a problem with the respiratory system. For the ruling accurate diagnosis you need to consult a doctor.

Difficulty breathing during sleep can cause suffocation. Therefore, when shortness of breath or a feeling of insufficient inhalation occurs, it is important to identify the cause of this phenomenon as soon as possible and begin treatment.

Breathing problems: diagnosis, treatment

Only a doctor can find out why it is difficult to take a full breath after the patient has undergone a comprehensive examination. It includes:

Chest examination. Prescribed:

• Ultrasound of the heart;
• electromyography;
• fluorography of the lungs.

Spine diagnostics. It includes:

• radiography;
• contrasting discography;
• myelography;
• computer or magnetic resonance imaging.

If during the examination no serious pathologies of the internal organs were revealed, but signs of osteochondrosis were found, the spine needs to be treated. Therapy should be comprehensive and include drug and non-drug treatment.

During therapy medications prescribe:

Painkillers and vasodilators. The principle of their operation:

• accelerate the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain and tissues of the affected spine;
• reduce vascular spasms and pain;
• improve metabolism.

Chondroprotectors– accepted in order to:

• restore the elasticity of intervertebral discs;
• prevent further destruction of cartilage tissue.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Effect of use:

• pain decreases;
• inflammation and swelling of tissues in the place of compression of blood vessels and spinal cord roots disappears;

Muscle relaxants– help:

• relieve muscle tension;
• restore motor function of the spine.

Additionally, vitamins are prescribed. In difficult situations, it is recommended to wear a Shants collar: it supports the neck, thereby reducing pressure on the roots and blood vessels (the feeling of lack of air does not occur so often).

An integral part of complex treatment of the spine is the use of auxiliary treatment procedures. The main goals of such therapy:

• reduce the severity of pain;
• strengthen the muscle corset;
• eliminate breathing problems;
• stimulate metabolic processes in affected tissues;
• prevent exacerbation of pain.

Non-drug treatment of osteochondrosis includes:

• acupuncture – improves blood flow, blocks pathological impulses of the peripheral nervous system;
• electrophoresis - relaxes muscles, dilates blood vessels, has a calming effect;
• magnetotherapy. It helps improve cerebral circulation, saturation of the myocardium with oxygen (the activity of the chest organs is normalized, shortness of breath disappears);
• Exercise therapy and breathing exercises. The effect of the exercises: the cardiovascular and respiratory systems are strengthened;
• massage – accelerates the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain and chest organs, relaxes muscles, and normalizes metabolism.

Constant lack of air with osteochondrosis can lead to the development bronchial asthma, the occurrence of inflammation of the heart muscle. In severe cases, pathology of the cervical or thoracic spine causes complete loss of respiratory functions, disability and even death. Therefore, after confirming the diagnosis, you must immediately begin taking therapeutic measures.

If treatment recommendations are followed, the prognosis for recovery is favorable. Exceptions are made in cases of delayed consultation with a doctor: when a prolonged lack of air has led to irreversible changes in the tissues of the brain.

To prevent the occurrence of shortness of breath in osteochondrosis and exacerbation of the disease, it is recommended:

1. Exercise regularly.
2. Be in the fresh air as often as possible: this will reduce the likelihood of hypoxia.
3. Eat properly.
4. Quit smoking and minimize alcohol consumption.
5. Watch your posture.
6. Running, swimming, roller skating and skiing.
7. Do inhalations with essential oils and citrus fruits (if you are not allergic to fruits).
8. Have a full rest.
9. Change the soft bed to an orthopedic one.
10. Avoid excessive stress on the spine.
11. Strengthen the immune system with folk remedies or medications (as recommended by a doctor).

Lack of air, shortness of breath, pain when taking a deep breath - may be signs of heart and respiratory diseases or a manifestation of complicated osteochondrosis. To prevent health and life-threatening consequences, you must consult a doctor: he will identify the cause of the respiratory system dysfunction and select the correct treatment.

d. He is characterized by shortness of breath and panic attacks due to lack of oxygen. This pathological process is also called hyperventilation syndrome and is diagnosed by exclusion. To do this, the doctor must diagnose and remove all potential diseases that are characterized by such failures. This is extremely difficult to do due to the abundance of common symptoms that are characteristic of many pathological processes. Therefore, diagnostics can take more than a week. After this, the doctor will prescribe a course of treatment, consisting mainly of drug therapy, psychotherapy sessions and therapeutic breathing exercises.

Causes

Symptoms of respiratory neurosis have occurred in many people. They are a consequence of experienced stressful situations, deep depression and other psychological problems. Hyperventilation syndrome is classified as a psychosomatic pathology. Diseases from this group arise due to disruptions in the patient’s psyche.

Respiratory neurosis occurs due to the following factors:

• Mental pathologies;
• Failures in the autonomic nervous system;
• Neurological diseases;
• Experienced stress;
• Pathologies of the respiratory tract;
• Cardiovascular diseases and digestive system;
• Overdose of medications or their side effects.

According to statistics, respiratory neurosis manifests itself due to mental and neurological factors. Diseases of the digestive and cardiovascular systems only provoke the development of pathology, but are not its main causes. In most cases, several factors occur simultaneously, for example, heart problems and stress.

High sensitivity to carbon dioxide in the blood accelerates the development of pathology. Because of this nuance, patients may experience relapses of the disease even after completing a course of therapy. They arise due to the slightest stress and to get out of this situation the patient will have to follow a healthy lifestyle and follow the doctor’s recommendations. You will have to do this for more than one month, but generally the attacks of neurosis are significantly reduced.

Symptoms

Symptoms of neurosis arise mainly due to a sharp decrease in the level of carbon dioxide in the blood. However, the degree of their severity depends on the human body and its sensitivity to such changes. In some people, neurosis manifests itself as a mild lack of oxygen, while in others it can cause a serious panic attack.

The pathology manifests itself in paroxysms and during the next attack the patient’s breathing quickens and convulsive deep breaths occur. Against the backdrop of such a process, a person begins to panic and thoughts of imminent death from suffocation flash through his head.

Signs of pathology are divided into certain groups:

• Symptoms of problems in the respiratory system:
  • Dyspnea;
  • A feeling of lack of oxygen, which manifests itself in deep sighs and yawning;
  • Dry cough.
• Manifestations of disorders in the cardiovascular system:
  • Irregularities in heart rhythm;
  • Heartache.
• Signs of dysfunction gastrointestinal tract:
  • Abdominal pain;
  • Weak appetite;
  • Constipation;
  • Difficulty swallowing;
  • Belching;
  • Dry mouth.
• Symptoms of malfunctions in the musculoskeletal system:
  • Tremor (shivering);
  • Pain in muscle tissue.
• Signs of nervous system disorders:
  • Impaired sensitivity of the limbs;
  • Signs of paresthesia;
  • Dizziness;
  • Loss of consciousness.
  • Manifestation of mental disorders:
  • Insomnia;
  • Panic attacks;
  • Sense of anxiety.
• General signs:
  • Weakness;
  • Decreased level of working capacity;
  • Fast fatiguability;
  • Temperature increase.

Symptoms can be combined with each other to varying degrees of intensity, but more often patients are bothered by shortness of breath, pain in the heart and mental disorders.

Diagnostics

It is extremely difficult to recognize the presence of respiratory neurosis due to the abundance of combined symptoms. Such a task should be entrusted to an experienced doctor who has already dealt with diseases from psychosomatic group. This nuance is extremely important, because the quality, cost and duration of the diagnosis will depend on it.

Carrying out all the necessary instrumental examination methods will take more than one day, but without them it will be impossible to exclude other pathologies that are characterized by emerging symptoms. After receiving the results, the doctor will recommend capnography. Its functions include determining the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air during exhalation. It is not always possible to detect the presence of changes without an attack, so voluntary hyperventilation has to be induced. To do this, the patient is asked to breathe deeply. An attack usually occurs within a few minutes and the device records the changes necessary for diagnosis, namely a decrease in carbon dioxide levels.

Course of therapy

Treatment of respiratory neurosis must be comprehensive, so drawing up a treatment regimen should be entrusted to experienced specialist. If the manifestations of the disease are mild, the doctor will talk with the patient, talk about special breathing exercises and recommend a course of psychotherapy.

Breathing exercises are extremely useful for this type of neurosis. Their essence is to control the depth of inspiration, so the level of carbon dioxide in the exhaled air increases. Against this background, the severity of the pathology decreases.

In severe cases of hyperventilation syndrome, the doctor prescribes the following medications:

• Antidepressants;
• Vitamin complexes;
• Beta blockers;
• Tranquilizers.

To increase the effectiveness of the course of therapy, it is advisable to adhere to the following rules:

• To refuse from bad habits;
• Get enough sleep (at least 6-8 hours a day);
• Eat properly;
• Exercise;
• Avoid mental and physical overload.

Respiratory neurosis is predominantly a consequence of experienced stress. This pathology is not fatal, but can lead to severe panic attacks. You can reduce the intensity of its manifestations with the help of breathing exercises, a course of psychotherapy, taking medications and following healthy image life.

Symptoms and methods of treatment of respiratory neurosis

It is not possible to fully inhale, an acute lack of air is felt, and shortness of breath occurs. What are these symptoms? Could it be asthma or bronchitis? Not necessary. Sometimes such symptoms can also occur due to nervousness. Then this disease is called respiratory neurosis.

This type of breathing disorder on a psychological basis can occur as an independent disease, but more often accompanies other types of neurosis. Experts believe that about 80% of all patients with neuroses also experience symptoms of respiratory neurosis: lack of air, suffocation, a feeling of incomplete inspiration, neurotic hiccups.

Respiratory neurosis, unfortunately, is not always diagnosed in a timely manner, since such a diagnosis is actually made by exclusion: before making it, specialists must examine the patient and completely exclude other disorders (bronchial asthma, bronchitis, etc.). However, statistics claim that approximately 1 patient per day, of those who contacted a therapist with complaints such as “difficulty breathing, lack of air, shortness of breath”, are actually sick with respiratory neurosis.

Signs of the disease

And yet, neurological symptoms help to distinguish hyperventilation syndrome from another disease. Respiratory tract neurosis, in addition to the breathing problems inherent in this particular disease, also has symptoms common to all neuroses:

• disorders of the cardiovascular system (arrhythmia, rapid pulse, heart pain);
• unpleasant symptoms from the digestive system (appetite and digestive disorders, constipation, abdominal pain, belching, dry mouth);
• disorders of the nervous system can manifest themselves in headaches, dizziness, fainting;
• tremors of limbs, muscle pain;
• psychological symptoms (anxiety, panic attacks, sleep disturbances, decreased performance, weakness, periodic low fever).

And of course, respiratory tract neurosis has symptoms inherent in this particular diagnosis - a feeling of lack of air, the inability to take a full breath, shortness of breath, obsessive yawning and sighs, frequent dry cough, neurotic hiccups.

The main feature of this disease is periodic attacks. Most often they occur as a result of a sharp decrease in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood. Paradoxically, the patient himself feels the opposite, as if there is a lack of air. During the course of the attack, the patient’s breathing is shallow, frequent, it turns into a short-term cessation of breathing, and then a series of deep convulsive breaths. Such symptoms cause panic in a person, and in the future the disease is consolidated due to the fact that the patient waits with horror for the next possible attacks.

Hyperventilation syndrome can occur in two forms - acute and chronic. The acute form is similar to panic attack– there is a fear of death from suffocation and lack of air, the inability to breathe deeply. Chronic form The disease does not appear immediately, symptoms increase gradually, and the disease can last for a long period of time.

Causes

Most often, respiratory tract neurosis actually occurs due to psychological and neurological reasons(usually against a background of panic attacks and hysteria). But about a third of all cases of this disease are of a mixed nature. What other reasons can serve for the development of respiratory neurosis?

1. Neurological diseases. If a person’s nervous system is already functioning with disturbances, then the emergence of new symptoms (in particular, neurotic shortness of breath) is quite likely.
2. Diseases of the respiratory tract - in the future they can also develop into respiratory neurosis, especially if they have not been completely treated.
3. History of mental disorders.
4. Certain diseases of the digestive and cardiovascular systems can “imitate” hyperventilation syndrome, causing the patient to feel short of air.
5. Some toxic substances (as well as medical supplies, in case of overdose or side effect) can also cause symptoms of respiratory neurosis - shortness of breath, a feeling of lack of air, neurotic hiccups and others.
6. The prerequisite for the occurrence of the disease is a special type of reaction of the body - its hypersensitivity to changes in the concentration of carbon dioxide in the blood.

Diagnosis and treatment

Respiratory neurosis can be difficult to identify. Very often, the patient first undergoes numerous examinations and unsuccessful attempts at treatment for another diagnosis. In fact, a high-quality medical examination is very important: symptoms of respiratory neurosis (shortness of breath, lack of air, etc.) can also be caused by other, very serious diseases, such as bronchial asthma.

If the hospital has appropriate equipment, it is advisable to conduct a special examination (capnography). It allows you to measure the concentration of carbon dioxide when a person exhales air, and accordingly make an accurate conclusion about the cause of the disease.

If it is not possible to conduct such an examination, specialists can also use a test method (the so-called Nymigen questionnaire), where the patient evaluates the degree of manifestation of each symptom in points.

As with other types of neurosis, the main treatment for this disease is carried out by a psychotherapist. The specific type of treatment depends on the severity of the disease, symptoms, and general clinical picture. In addition to psychotherapy sessions, the main task for the patient is to master the method of breathing exercises. It consists of reducing the depth of breathing (the so-called shallow breathing method). When it is used, the concentration of carbon dioxide in the air exhaled by a person naturally increases.

In severe cases of illness, it is sometimes necessary drug therapy as prescribed by a doctor. It may include taking tranquilizers, antidepressants, beta-blockers. In addition, the doctor will prescribe restorative treatment ( vitamin complex, infusions medicinal herbs). Successful treatment of any neurosis requires the patient to comply with certain rules: sufficient sleep, daily routine, proper nutrition, reasonable exercise, etc.

Why there is not enough air when breathing and yawning begins

Dangerous symptoms

Sometimes difficulty breathing occurs for physiological reasons, which are quite easily remedied. But if you constantly feel like yawning and taking deep breaths, this could be a symptom of a serious illness. It’s even worse when, against this background, shortness of breath (dyspnea) often occurs, appearing even with minimal physical exertion. This is already a reason to worry and see a doctor.

You should go to the hospital immediately if difficulty breathing is accompanied by:

• pain in the chest area;
• changes in skin color;
• nausea and dizziness;
• severe coughing attacks;
• increased body temperature;
• swelling and cramps of the limbs;
• feeling of fear and internal tension.

These symptoms usually clearly indicate pathologies in the body, which need to be identified and eliminated as soon as possible.

Causes of lack of air

All the reasons why a person may go to the doctor with the complaint: “I can’t breathe fully and I’m constantly yawning” can be roughly divided into psychological, physiological and pathological. Conditionally - because everything in our body is closely interconnected, and the failure of one system entails disruption of the normal functioning of other organs.

Thus, prolonged stress, which is attributed to psychological reasons, can provoke hormonal imbalance and cardiovascular problems.

Physiological

The most harmless are physiological reasons that can cause difficulty breathing:

1. Lack of oxygen. It is strongly felt in the mountains, where the air is thin. So if you've recently changed your geographic location and are now significantly above sea level, it's normal to find it difficult to breathe at first. Well, ventilate the apartment more often.
2. Stuffy room. Two factors play a role here - a lack of oxygen and an excess of carbon dioxide, especially if there are many people in the room.
3. Tight clothes. Many people don’t even think about it, but in pursuit of beauty, sacrificing convenience, they deprive themselves of a significant portion of oxygen. Clothes that strongly compress the chest and diaphragm are especially dangerous: corsets, tight bras, tight bodysuits.
4. Poor physical shape. Lack of air and shortness of breath at the slightest exertion are experienced by those who lead a sedentary lifestyle or have spent a lot of time in bed due to illness.
5. Overweight. It causes a whole bunch of problems, in which yawning and shortness of breath are not the most serious. But be careful - if you significantly exceed normal weight, heart pathologies quickly develop.

It is difficult to breathe in the heat, especially if you are severely dehydrated. The blood becomes thicker, and it is harder for the heart to push it through the vessels. As a result, the body does not receive enough oxygen. The person begins to yawn and try to breathe deeper.

Medical

Shortness of breath, yawning and a regularly felt lack of air can cause serious illnesses. Moreover, often these signs are the first symptoms that allow diagnosing the disease at an early stage.

Therefore, if you constantly have difficulty breathing, be sure to go to the doctor. The most common possible diagnoses are:

• VSD – vegetative-vascular dystonia. This disease is the scourge of our time, and it is usually triggered by severe or chronic nervous overstrain. A person feels constant anxiety, fears, panic attacks develop, and fear of enclosed spaces arises. Difficulty breathing and yawning are warning signs of such attacks.
• Anemia. Acute iron deficiency in the body. It is necessary to carry oxygen. When there is not enough of it, even with normal breathing it seems that there is not enough air. The person begins to constantly yawn and take deep breaths.
• Bronchopulmonary diseases: bronchial asthma, pleurisy, pneumonia, acute and chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis. All of them, in one way or another, lead to the fact that it becomes almost impossible to take a full breath.
• Respiratory diseases, acute and chronic. Due to swelling and drying of the mucous membranes of the nose and larynx, it becomes difficult to breathe. Often the nose and throat are clogged with mucus. When yawning, the larynx opens as much as possible, so when we have the flu and ARVI, we not only cough, but also yawn.
• Heart diseases: ischemia, acute heart failure, cardiac asthma. They are difficult to diagnose early. Often shortness of breath, coupled with difficulty breathing and chest pain, is a sign of a heart attack. If this condition occurs suddenly, it is better to immediately call an ambulance.
• Pulmonary thromboembolism. People suffering from thrombophlebitis are at serious risk. A detached blood clot can block the pulmonary artery and cause part of the lung to die. But at first it becomes difficult to breathe, there is constant yawning and a feeling of acute lack of air.

As you can see, most diseases are not just serious - they pose a threat to the patient’s life. Therefore, if you often feel short of breath, then it is better not to delay your visit to the doctor.

Psychogenic

And again, we cannot help but recall stress, which is one of the main causes of the development of many diseases today.

Yawning under stress is an unconditioned reflex inherent in us by nature. If you observe animals, you will notice that when they are nervous, they yawn constantly. And in this sense, we are no different from them.

When stressed, a spasm of the capillaries occurs, and the heart begins to beat faster due to the release of adrenaline. Because of this, blood pressure increases. In this case, taking a deep breath and yawning perform a compensatory function and protect the brain from destruction.

When you are very frightened, there is often a muscle spasm, which makes it impossible to take a full breath. It’s not for nothing that the expression “takes your breath away” exists.

What to do

If you find yourself in a situation where frequent yawning and shortness of breath occur, do not try to panic - this will only worsen the problem. The first thing you need to do is to provide an additional flow of oxygen: open a window or vent, if possible, go outside.

Try to loosen as much as possible the clothing that prevents you from fully inhaling: take off your tie, unbutton your collar, corset or bra. To avoid dizziness, it is better to take a sitting or lying position. Now you need to take a very deep breath through your nose and an extended exhalation through your mouth.

After several such breaths, the condition usually improves noticeably. If this does not happen, and the dangerous symptoms listed above are added to the lack of air, call an ambulance immediately.

Before medical professionals arrive, do not take medications on your own if they are not prescribed by your doctor - they can distort the clinical picture and make it difficult to make a diagnosis.

Diagnostics

Emergency doctors usually quickly determine the cause of sudden difficulty breathing and the need for hospitalization. If there are no serious concerns, and the attack is caused by physiological reasons or severe stress and does not recur, then you can sleep peacefully.

But if you suspect heart or lung disease, it is better to undergo an examination, which may include:

• general blood and urine analysis;
• X-ray of the lungs;
• electrocardiogram;
• Ultrasound of the heart;
• bronchoscopy;
• computed tomogram.

What types of research are needed in your case will be determined by your doctor during your initial examination.

If lack of air and constant yawning are caused by stress, then you may need to consult a psychologist or neurologist, who will tell you how to relieve nervous tension or prescribe medications: sedatives or antidepressants.

Treatment and prevention

When a patient comes to the doctor with the complaint: “I can’t breathe completely, I’m yawning, what should I do?”, the doctor first of all collects a detailed medical history. This allows us to exclude physiological causes of oxygen deficiency.

In the case of overweight, treatment is obvious - the patient should be referred to a nutritionist. Without controlled weight loss, the problem cannot be solved.

If the examination results reveal acute or chronic diseases of the heart or respiratory tract, treatment is prescribed according to the protocol. This requires taking medications and possibly physiotherapeutic procedures.

A good prevention and even a method of treatment is breathing exercises. But in case of bronchopulmonary diseases, it can only be done with the permission of the attending physician. Incorrectly selected or performed exercises in this case can provoke a severe coughing attack and a deterioration in the general condition.

It is very important to keep yourself in good physical shape. Even with heart disease, there are special sets of exercises that help you recover faster and return to a normal lifestyle. Aerobic exercise is especially beneficial - it trains the heart and develops the lungs.

Active outdoor games (badminton, tennis, basketball, etc.), cycling, walking at a fast pace, swimming will not only help get rid of shortness of breath and provide an additional flow of oxygen, but will also tighten your muscles, making you slimmer. And then, even high in the mountains, you will feel great and enjoy the journey, and not suffer from constant shortness of breath and yawning.

Vegetovascular dystonia

Vegetovascular dystonia is a complex of symptoms that is a manifestation of autonomic dysfunction of the heart and cardiovascular system, with the manifestation of characteristic disorders in the autonomic nervous system and functional disorders of almost all organs and systems of the patient’s body.

general information

As a rule, vegetative-vascular dystonia is not an independent disease, but is a manifestation of a disease of internal organs.

External factors predisposing to the occurrence of this disorder are overwork, alcohol abuse, smoking, emotional stress, and infections.

There are also internal factors that contribute to the development of the disease. These include - autonomic dysfunction of the heart and cardiovascular system, hereditary predisposition to the disease, various diseases internal organs, personality and body characteristics, hormonal changes (transitional age, pregnancy, lactation), physical inactivity and low mobility starting from childhood, allergic diseases, diseases of the endocrine system (in particular diabetes mellitus), nervous diseases and brain injuries, cervical osteochondrosis, some occupational diseases(for example radiation sickness)

Interaction between external and internal unfavorable factors, often leads to the occurrence of vegetative-vascular dystonia syndrome.

Symptoms

Vegetative-vascular dystonia is a condition characterized by the presence of respiratory disorders in the form of “lack of air,” difficulty inhaling, “sad sighs,” psycho-emotional disorders in the form of anxiety, restlessness, irritability, sleep disturbances, peculiar aching pain in the heart area and weak strength. Poor tolerance of stuffy rooms is typical for such people. Frequent sighs and yawning, noted by the person themselves or others, are characteristic. Often respiratory disorders are accompanied by pain in the heart, heart rhythm disturbances, feelings of anxiety and fear, and other manifestations of autonomic dysfunction. Characterized by cold extremities (hands, feet), sweating of the hands. Often: headaches.

Treatment

For children, it is recommended to prepare infusions and decoctions in the next daily dose of dry medicinal collection: up to 1 year - 1/2 - 1 teaspoon, from 1 to 3 years - 1 teaspoon, from 3 to 6 years - 1 dessert spoon, from 6 to 10 years - 1 tbsp. spoon, over 10 years old and adults - 2 tbsp. collection spoons.

Herbal teas can be used in combination with other medications.

Improvement with herbal medicine occurs after 2-3 weeks of regular use of herbs. Before taking this or that collection, it is advisable to familiarize yourself with the contraindications for the herbs included in this collection in the herbalist.

Of the ready-made pharmacy teas, the collection Phytosedan No. 3 (valerian, sweet clover, thyme, oregano, motherwort) has proven itself well. It can be prescribed regardless of gender. Phytosedan No. 2 (motherwort, hops, mint, valerian, licorice) is recommended for use only by women - it includes hops, mint and licorice (herbs with a high content of female sex hormones). If necessary, additional herbs can be added to the finished collection (in the proportion of 1/4 of the volume) depending on the clinical manifestations of vegetative-vascular dystonia. So, for constant hot temper and tearfulness, add loosestrife, lavender and St. John's wort; for fears and shyness - leuzea, eryngium, and for mood swings - cinquefoil.

To accompany the collection, you can use ginseng tincture, pantocrine and its analogues, mumiyo.

In addition to herbal medicine, it is recommended to include in the treatment complex for neurocircular dystonia:

At the same time, a course of pollen is prescribed for two to three weeks, 1/2 teaspoon 2 times a day, washed down with water.

For vegetative-vascular dystonia, the method of swaying biorhythms by V. G. Pashinsky has proven itself well. In this case, adaptogens (Leuzea, Eleutherococcus, Rhodiola rosea) are taken in the morning for three weeks, and soothing herbs (valerian, mint, hops) are taken before bed. Repeat course- in 2-3 months. Can be used pharmaceutical drugs - alcohol tinctures adaptogens (tincture of Leuzea, Eleutherococcus), as well as ready-made soothing herbal teas (for example, “phytosedan”, “soothing”, “sedative”, etc.)

Feeling of lack of air during VSD

A feeling of lack of air is one of the most common symptoms of vegetative-vascular dystonia and panic disorder. VSD with respiratory syndrome can cause fear, but in itself does not lead to disability or death. In this article we will try to figure out why “I’m suffocating” or “I can’t take a full breath” - a common complaint of people with VSD, and we will also look at the cause of breathing problems.

Hyperventilation syndrome - what is it?

Hyperventilation syndrome is one of the forms autonomic disorder, the main symptom of which is difficulty breathing. Moreover, this disorder is in no way associated with diseases of the heart, bronchi and lungs

Literally, hyperventilation syndrome means excessive breathing. Today, shortness of breath syndrome is considered one of the most common symptoms of a disorder of the autonomic nervous system (other symptoms may be present at the same time).

Causes of hyperventilation with a feeling of lack of air

Breathing is such a function in human body, which is under the control of not only the autonomic, but also the somatic nervous system. In other words, emotional condition human health directly depends on the functioning of the respiratory system and vice versa. Stressful state, depression or simply temporary difficulties in life can lead to shortness of breath and a feeling of lack of oxygen.

Sometimes the cause of respiratory attacks that accompany VSD can be an unconscious tendency of people to imitate the signs of certain diseases (we are talking about suggestibility - symptoms, for example, “I can’t take a deep breath,” are picked up by a person after surfing the Internet and studying forums) and its further manifestation in everyday behavior (for example, coughing and shortness of breath).

There is also a seemingly unlikely reason for the development of breathing difficulties in adulthood: observation in childhood of people with shortness of breath (patients with bronchial asthma, etc.). Human memory is capable of “fixing” certain events and memories and reproducing them in the future, even years later. As a rule, for this reason, breathing difficulties are observed in artistic and impressionable people.

As you can see, in each of the described cases, the psychological component of the occurrence of breathing problems with NCD comes first. Those. Once again we see that we are talking about neurosis.

Breathing disorders due to VSD: mechanism of development

Being in stressful situation, in a state of fear, overwork or anxiety, a person can unconsciously change the depth of breathing and its rhythm. Trying to provide the muscles with an additional flow of oxygen, a person, as if before a sports competition, tries to breathe faster. Breathing becomes frequent and shallow, but additional oxygen remains unclaimed. This leads to subsequent unpleasant and frightening sensations of lack of air in the lungs.

Moreover, the occurrence of such disorders leads to a state of constant anxiety and fear, which ultimately contributes to the appearance of panic attacks, which aggravate the course of the already “difficult” hyperventilation syndrome.

Changes in the blood. Improper breathing leads to changes in blood acidity: frequent shallow breaths lead to a decrease in carbon dioxide levels in the body. A normal concentration of CO2 in the body is necessary to maintain the walls of blood vessels in a relaxed state. Lack of carbon dioxide leads to muscle tension, vasoconstriction - the brain and body begin to experience oxygen deficiency.

Cardiovascular disorders. Frequent shallow breathing leads to changes in the amount of minerals such as calcium and magnesium in the blood, which causes discomfort or pain in the heart, pressure in the chest, dizziness, trembling of the limbs, etc.

Symptoms of hyperventilation syndrome

The symptoms of breathing problems are varied, and in any given case, the breathing problem manifests itself in different ways. Breathing pathology can be accompanied by muscular and emotional disorders, and typical symptoms of hyperventilation syndrome are often “masked” as signs of diseases of the heart, lungs and thyroid gland (angina pectoris, bronchitis, goiter, asthma).

Important! Breathing disorders with VSD are not at all associated with diseases of the internal organs and their systems! However, a direct connection between hyperventilation syndrome, nervous disorders and panic attacks has been traced and proven.

One way to reduce the feeling of lack of air during an attack of VSD is to breathe into a paper bag.

This purely psychological problem can manifest itself with the following symptoms:

• Feeling of lack of air, “incomplete” or “shallow” inspiration
• Feeling of tightness in the chest
• Yawning, cough
• "Lump in throat", difficulty breathing
• Heartache
• Numb fingers
• Fear of stuffy and cramped spaces
• Fear of death
• Feelings of fear and anxiety, tension
• Dry cough, wheezing, sore throat

Important! In the presence of asthma, patients find it difficult to breathe when exhaling, and with hyperventilation, problems arise when inhaling.

People with VSD have symptoms respiratory disorder may be the main complaint, or may be mild or even absent.

What are the dangers of breathing problems with VSD?

The feeling of lack of air during VSD and neuroses is an unpleasant symptom, but not so dangerous. And you need to treat an unpleasant symptom as a way by which the body tells you that it is difficult for it to cope with stress or overwork.

However, the difficulty of diagnosing this imbalance in the functioning of the autonomic nervous system can lead to a false diagnosis and, accordingly, to the prescription of incorrect (even dangerous!) treatment.

Timely assistance with hyperventilation syndrome is very important: otherwise, problems with cerebral circulation and the proper functioning of the digestive and cardiovascular systems may occur.

Also, a difficulty on the path to recovery can be a person’s reluctance to admit that he has hyperventilation syndrome: he stubbornly continues to “attribute” more serious health problems to himself. It is very difficult to get rid of breathing problems in such a situation.

Psychology for treating the feeling of lack of air during VSD

Providing a person with intelligible information about changes in the state of his body, teaching self-control during exacerbations, changing a person’s attitude towards his illness - these are just some aspects of psychotherapeutic treatment.

But the most important task in this case is to understand the cause and mechanism of development of the disease in order to eliminate the fear of its occurrence.

Shortness of breath with vegetative-vascular dystonia and other breathing difficulties should not be left without due attention, even if they cause minor discomfort and do not interfere with a full life. You can get acquainted with the features of psychological correction of the feeling of lack of air during VSD here.

- Other related articles -

How healthy people react to a person with neurosis. A cautionary tale for relatives

Medicines for panic attacks

“Help me make a diagnosis.” Effective psychotherapy and psychiatrist diagnosis: are they compatible?

I’m suffering a lot, I have no strength, it’s terrible. I can’t work, I have asthma attacks. I have two children, I'm tired of suffering so much

Alla, try contacting us, leave a request, we will try to help.

Please help me too, it’s very bad!

try to hold your breath and let the air out completely...

And I was tired, I suffered for 10 years... Try the technique of partial breaths.

For a minute, do not take a deep breath, but breathe incompletely and rarely!

In 2 minutes there will be a full, deep breath! Good luck!

I breathe through a tube with an internal diameter of 4-5 mm. After some time, the feeling of lack of air and pressure on the heart goes away. Try this remedy.

The same thing as on your site... I thought about cigarettes, quit - it doesn’t help...

Tell me what to do. Tired of breathing like this.

Hello, Alexey. If it doesn’t go away on its own, then you need to work with a psychotherapist who specializes in working with anxiety-phobic disorders. You can apply for an appointment with us, we will try to help you.

Hello! A couple of months. ago I began to take deep breaths often, every minute, or even more often. Because of this condition, I can no longer breathe completely, it really torments me, not life, but existence (I checked my heart (ultrasound and ECG) everything is normal, only there is an additional chord, although I have had OOO all my life. Shortness of breath and a dark streak appeared on both lips. I gave up a bad habit, it still won’t go away. Breathing into a bag doesn’t help. Six months ago I had an x-ray, everything was ok, just pleural adhesions. Can you help me? I’m very tired of this!

I forgot to add that I have had a low-grade fever for 8 months now, in the evenings, every day, 37-37.2.

I drank various sedatives, to no avail. Obsessive thoughts about cancer...

Hello, Oksana. A little, let's say, non-standard symptoms for us. Therefore, we will be able to answer your question about the possibility of psychotherapy only after a detailed psychodiagnosis. Sorry.

Hello, Oksana, get tested for herpes type 6. And in general, go to an immunologist and get tested for anti-bodies, which ones he will tell you.

hello, for 3 days I have been suffering from a lack of air, I constantly take deep breaths, about every minute today there was a heaviness in my chest, as if something was pressing on my chest, it used to happen on its own, the doctors said that it was from nerves, I also think so, since I have a congenital neurosis, this is how I feel it happened a couple of times in my life, I’m now 25, I don’t smoke, I also have bad stools, I go to the toilet mostly 1-2 times a week, it seems to me that my stomach is bloated, although it was the same before and there was no shortage of air.

Hello! About a year ago, maybe a little less, I was diagnosed with VSD (I went to the doctor about chest pain). For six months I didn’t even think about it and nothing really bothered me, but in the last two months I have developed symptoms such as difficulty breathing, the feeling that I can’t focus my eyes on anything (everything is blurry), it seems like I’m about to faint, fear death or fear that I was suffering from something serious, there were panic attacks (numbness of the limbs, increased heart rate, shortness of breath and slight dizziness). I don't know who to turn to for help. I can’t live a full life, I’m always obsessive bad thoughts in my head...

Hello, Ksenia. First, contact your primary care physician/family doctor to go through the standard similar cases examinations (for example, ECG and others). If everything is normal there, then the problem is of a neurotic and not an organic nature. And then welcome to us, we will try to help you.

Hello! Tortured with suffocation! Help! I have 10 attacks a day and say goodbye to life every time, it started after severe stress and problems, I didn’t sleep for half a year at all and sleeping pills didn’t help, then I ran to a neurologist because I started to choke when I inhaled, it was hard, it felt like something was squeezing in my throat and then belching, those around me don’t see my attacks, except strong heartbeat, numbness of the fingers, coldness of the hands or sweating, I am constantly afraid of suffocating, I start talking to someone and it immediately pops up in my brain that I will suffocate, I had an ECG done, I went to the emergency room, the ENT said the tonsillitis has worsened due to VSD, the cardiologist only has tachycardia and that’s all are sent to the All-Russian Division. Glycine and validol can relieve attacks. I still take vitamins. I don’t know what to do and how to get rid of this.

54 years old. the symptoms appeared the first year ago. all the same shortness of breath, heaviness behind the sternum, lack of air, sleepy state, I can’t concentrate on anything, panic, bad thoughts, difficulty falling asleep. Calms down by playing sports, intense cycling. As soon as the body breathes intensively, the symptoms all disappear, and so do the thoughts about illnesses. I feel great on vacation when all the problems remain at home + there is a lot of physical activity. But some time passes after the lesson and everything comes back again.

I am 54 g, about a month ago I began to feel a painful heaviness in the heart area and at the same time deep breathing

I don’t know why and why this happens, I assume it’s from anxiety and nervousness, so I take phenibut during this, although these symptoms do not go away from it

I did a cardiogram, there was a slight arrhythmia and low blood pressure - the doctor said: this happens...

Can anyone tell me what this is and why?!

Good evening, for two years now I have been suffering from something I don’t understand, most likely SVD.

It’s hard for me to breathe, I can’t take a deep breath. Spasm in the chest, as if I had received swipe. Heaviness. The feeling doesn't go away. Lump in the throat. Almost constantly.

It especially intensifies (exacerbates) in the evening/at night. Any event causes symptoms. I became wildly afraid of closed spaces. I don’t take elevators. I don’t fly on airplanes. Previously, I couldn’t even go down to the subway. Symptoms began immediately acute form. And most importantly, weakness, both physical and energetic. It's hard to concentrate.

I have learned to partially control them, but I cannot eradicate them... This has never happened before. No problems with anything or phobias. Everything came overnight...

I am 24 . And I struggle with it. But I'm running out of strength and morale. If it's important, I work on TV.

I believe that this can be removed. If you can help please.

Contact me, Ilya, we will help you overcome your claustrophobia.

I have the same situation((((I’m already tired of this, it all started when I was 28, now I’m 33, I don’t have the strength anymore. I want to breathe calmly like before.

Hello. It started for me too at one point. I work part-time as a taxi driver. I didn’t sleep for days (mortgage, desire to make money, etc.) And then one fine day, turning with a client onto one of the streets, I felt very dizzy. I got scared and went out to catch my breath, but I got there normally, although my hands were shaking. Now (for several years) I have been suffering from various symptoms. Either some kind of lightness in the head, or shortness of breath, or discomfort in the frontal area of ​​the head. I can’t imagine what it’s connected with. I haven’t gone to the doctors yet. It’s scary.. I want to live))))

Hello. I often have this feeling of dust in my nose and it’s hard to breathe. I can’t understand why. I saw an allergist and everything was fine.

Hello) I have a constant feeling of fear, it’s as if someone is holding my heart in a fist, I can’t take a deep breath, I can’t make a lump in my throat, and it feels like at such a moment I can’t say anything, it just started, and new sensations have appeared that in He gives away the shoulder blade and shows the heart, it started in March of this year, I’m already tired, I had an ECG done in July, everything is fine, help. I’m afraid to die of a heart attack, what if I’m sick.

I was afraid to stay at home alone, to walk down the street alone, I thought that suddenly I would become ill, and there was no one around, I was quietly struggling with this. But the feeling of illness does not leave me, this fear does not allow me to live in peace.

This, Ksenia, I believe, is agoraphobia in pure form. See this article

Good afternoon, I’m 25 years old, it all started 2 years ago, first shortness of breath, then after 7.8 months discomfort began, either in the chest or in the back, and heaviness It hurts, especially in the evening. I had a fluorography, x-ray, ecg, tests, everything was normal, now I’m even more afraid, all sorts of bad thoughts are constantly present, I’m afraid that I’m going to die, I’m tired of living like this, I don’t know what to think anymore, please help me, what could it be!

Natalya, I’m afraid to upset you, but there is no diagnosis of VSD. So you are a “prominent representative” of a non-existent disease :)

(this, of course, does not mean that you are not experiencing symptoms). Here, we wrote about this in detail.

I'd like to hear your opinion.

For about 10 days I feel like there is dust in the air, so I try to hold my breath and take a shallow breath. The feeling of dust is more pronounced when I breathe through my mouth, as if I inhale dust deeply, then I feel it inside.

Guys, just take the Adaptol course and everything will be fine for you. Why torture yourself over this bullshit.

The same Adaptol that “is practically unknown to the world community” and “no correct studies of effectiveness and safety have been conducted”? Or some other Adaptol?

I suffered from terrible attacks throughout my youth. Then I started visiting the sauna every week, and in the summer too. I warmed up on the 2nd shelf, and then sat on the 1st until my head started to sweat. The window must be open in the steam room itself even at 30 degrees below zero. Then the pool, take a quick dip and immediately rest, lie down for at least a few minutes. And so 3 passes. That's 3 hours. Daily exercises “birch” and “plough” for cerebral circulation and lymph function. I forgot this problem for a good 20 years. And now at the age of 60 again...here I am. How do I save myself? The exercises are the same, but + squats, and lying upside down on a special inclined board. I drink a tablespoon of juice mixture a couple of times a day onions+ the same amount of honey by volume, not weight. I take a cardioaspirin tablet in the summer.

I, too, have suffered from VSD for 3 years now, I forgot about it, very rarely it reminds me of me, but then I know how to deal with it, and it makes me feel very good. I used to not be able to leave the house one meter, I thought I would die, now I work, it takes almost 40 minutes to get to work, you need to understand that this is not a disease but panic nerves, you need to overcome your fear, and then you can forget about VSD. Or at least cope with her attacks.

Hello fellow VSDers. I went through all this, “choked” every day, ran around the house in horror from the lack of oxygen, brought myself to a nervous breakdown! I lay in the hospital for a month, drank liters of Corvalol, could not stay alone at home, in short, I suffered! Friends, I am the one who will save you all from this “disease” when another panic overtakes you, or a feeling of not fully inhaling, lie with your sternum on the bare floor, straighten your arms and throw your head back and try to breathe only through your nose! Breathe as if you are smelling roses, don’t try to inhale through your mouth, it won’t work. Only through the nose and short breaths. But I want to disappoint you, this “disease” will last a lifetime! I suffered from it for 5 years, and for 3 years now I have learned to understand what to do if I start to run out of oxygen! The most important thing that I realized is that physical activity helps a lot in eliminating this problem for a while, but it will come back, so physical activity is a good motivator to combat the lack of oxygen. When panic begins, try to relax your throat, open your mouth slightly and relax your throat and jaw as much as possible, while breathing only through your nose, in short breaths. Remember, you won't choke. Laugh when there is a lack of oxygen, sing loudly, shout out loud, act crazy. Why all this, you ask? It’s simple, in this state you increase adrenaline in the blood, thereby increasing the acidity in the blood, more blood enters the head, thereby eliminating hypoxia due to the fact that oxygen increases through this state... all this will help you cope with panic. Over the years, I have found traps for panic, when panic begins, I catch it in a trap, I am always one step further, I have learned to avoid panic, I breathe deeply.. I know so perfectly what I was “sick with” everything these years that I can write a book. In general, I want to open a club, for people like me, I want to teach people how to get rid of the lack of oxygen in 1 minute. Write to me by email, we will meet on Skype. I know what it is, how it interferes with living, loving, creating... I lost my job, my girlfriend, I almost ended up in a mental hospital, I was on tranquilizers :)) and now I have my own business, I like to go into the forest and live in a tent a week, without valerian, etc., etc. ..

Damn, you're cool! Just great. But, realizing the problem, I just can’t cope with it.

How did this happen for you, I can’t cope with the attacks, I’ve been suffering for 6 years now. I’m tired.

Alex, Good evening. I, too, went through all this horror, for many, many years I was treated by all the doctors, I was in different clinics, I took different antidepressants, I brought myself to the point of complete exhaustion of my body. I also found ways out of this state myself, it helps for a while, it may not bother me for years, and then suddenly! - suddenly returns, and the methods that previously helped to cope with this nightmare no longer help. And now, at the beginning of summer, this horror with lack of air has begun again. Nothing makes you happy when you can’t breathe! If possible, write to me how else you can cope with these attacks, please!

I would be glad to talk, I don’t have the strength to endure all these circles of hell... the children suffer, my mother is sick all the time, my husband no longer looks in my direction, and most importantly, I’m melting before my eyes... if I can ask you a few questions, please write to me. NATALIA

Good afternoon, I have a similar problem, I’m 29 years old and I’ve been going crazy for 2 months now, I can’t breathe, at first they thought it was bronchitis, then asthma, everything was fine, now I’m on antidepressants, but it’s just not completely letting me go. I have 2 children, I feel sorry for them when they look at me in this state. I’ll add all the tests: I did an X-ray and a spiragram, and both the endocrinologist and the gastroenterologist checked everything was normal. They put everything on this, but I can’t believe that I can live like before! I will also add that all this time the temperature remains at 37-37.3, as it should be, it does not react to antipyretics! Please tell me how I can get back to life, I can’t do this anymore! Thank you in advance…

Hello, help me, this constantly torments me, I can’t sleep

Hello Alexey! Can I chat with you on Skype? I also suffer from constantly sighing. Please write to me how to find you.

Elena, I believe that you have not carefully studied the materials on the site. Otherwise you would have noticed my contacts :)

The gap must be filled immediately! 😉

Well done! I need to try it, I relieve attacks with valerian, take two tablets under the tongue, it helps.

If you want to get rid of the desire for an additional deep breath - suffocation, then

study the method of volitional elimination of deep breathing - the Buteyko method.

I guarantee a positive result, but I warn you, not everyone can do this, but if you want to live normally, you can help yourself with this breath.

If you didn’t understand the method, didn’t follow it, or you’re too smart, and everyone around you is just thinking about how to fuck with you...) You have only one way out - physical activity, only they will give you results. Play any kind of sport and I guarantee you health. Oh, unexpectedly, corny YES? But this is the cruel truth of life, no physical. under stress, the body’s organs dry out and degrade, the blood becomes dirty and a bunch of different symptoms of illnesses of unknown origin appear, but all you have to do is not sit, but do something physically until you SWEAT. The appearance of sweat is an indicator of the benefits of physical activity. All. Be healthy.

Hello! I have been worried about a terrible condition for the last few months... weakness, dizziness, tremors in the body, shortness of breath, pressure changes, tachycardia, face burning, fears, cough... if I go anywhere from home, I only take a taxi... the temperature is normal, ECG ultrasound of the heart oak , urine is normal, FGD is normal, ultrasound and hormones are normal, FVD and CT and chest x-ray without pathologies.....I don’t know what to do..I have no appetite at all...I have a lot of stress, I have cervical osteochondrosis...I 29 years old. Quit smoking a month ago. Smoked for 12 years

You have withdrawal symptoms. It will pass in a year. Just don’t smoke again

I have the same bullshit. Giardia is positive, the lack of air syndrome is constant and no amount of gymnastics helps. only when you cough up a lot, I recently drank hydrogen peroxide 3 percent 10 drops per 1 glass of warm water, after about a week I went to gargle baking soda solution and spat out little worms, white cm 2, all the doctors shrug their shoulders, I’m just as exhausted as you, something hurts endlessly

Good evening I have been suffering from VSD for a year and a half now. But the feeling of shortness of breath appeared only today. Before this, I couldn’t sleep normally for two days, I had severe anxiety all the time, my body was trembling. And today I feel like I’m suffocating. It’s as if I have a lump in my throat and something is blocking the air from passing through. It’s as if he stops climbing altogether. And this makes my head hurt. ((((is this also from VSD?

I have been suffering from the same bullshit for two years. Before that, I didn’t understand what was wrong with me. I felt suddenly unwell (dizzy, dizzy, blood pressure rose, my heart was pounding like crazy, I couldn’t take a breath, my arms were cramping) and I needed to urgently go to bed and lie down. She underwent treatment in the hospital. A lot of everything but little use. I came to see a vertebrologist and told him what and how. He told me that you are having panic attacks. And only after that I read about P.A. I realized that it was them. I read Kurpatov's book. Everything was just told and explained. Since then I have been working on myself. I say this is just a symptom, it will go away now. And I convince myself every day. That it's not fatal.

So the advice to everyone is to practice self-hypnosis every day that everything will pass.

Hello, I would like to know if anyone has had this experience. My little sister suddenly doesn’t have enough air and cramps in her arms start for about 5-10 minutes and then goes away. And she immediately puts her to sleep

In fact, no one has any problems or illnesses, it’s all about negative thoughts, emotions, unnecessary experiences from scratch. Previously, I had a feeling of shortness of breath, sometimes they even called an ambulance, but all the doctors said that I was fine. So that's what I'm talking about. I made some connections and noticed that the most vivid attacks were when I was quarreling with a girl, or was very worried. People! 70% of all diseases are related to nerves and this is true.

Let's move on to how the insight came to me. I started going to the pool twice a week, while at the same time, everything was the same as before, I ran to the doctors in the clinic, looked for diseases in myself. Suddenly, one fine day I noticed that I rarely breathe through my nose, more often I try to breathe deeply through my mouth and it doesn’t always work. Then I realized that I had been breathing incorrectly for about 4 months already. On the same day, I deliberately began to breathe through my nose and diaphragm, and oh, miracle! No nerves, complete calm and all bad thoughts flew out of my head...

Lord, this is some kind of ejazz, I’m 32, I’ve been suffering from VSD for 5-6 years now. I really ask for help. Eternal lack of air, depressive state, state of loss of consciousness. I can’t go far from home, I take a taxi everywhere, I don’t sleep well. Help, I can’t do this anymore.

This is impossible. This is the nastiest of them all VSD symptoms. Usually all my symptoms went away in a week to two months, but this crap with my breathing has been going on for half a year now! The feeling that I’m not breathing in the air fully, as if some of the air is just coming in, like not all of it, I want to breathe in more and more (((shortness of breath begins (((like a spasm in the chest in a circle, a feeling that it’s squeezing everything inside with an iron hoop. Coma in no throat. I had a full examination by a pulmonologist and an allergist, everything was normal, my asthma was removed, I did a CT scan of the chest, everything was ok, just an old adhesion. In short, I don’t know how to deal with this anymore, now I’ll find Kurpatov and read him, maybe he’ll help (

While I was writing it became easier

Hello! My name is Alina! I’ve been suffering from this problem for five years now. Before I was diagnosed with VSD, there’s always not enough air. I’m constantly taking deep breaths (I’m so tired of this. And in the hospital, the doctors can’t understand what I have. The tests are all normal. I took an MRI there is protrusion everywhere in the cervical and thoracic region, could it be because of this. What to do, who to contact, I don’t know. The lungs are also normal, and so is the thyroid gland. I took a Doppler scan of the vessels of the neck, very high blood flow, maybe because of this, I don’t know why. There are no bad habits I don’t smoke, I don’t drink. Even at rest it’s hard to breathe. Tell me what I have and how dangerous it is. Thank you

Alina..it comes on its own..and also goes away unnoticed. Don’t worry - it’ll just pass and it hasn’t happened for about 6 years, only from time to time it didn’t appear for long... in the fall again there is a lack of air... that is, not saturation with inhalation. Very much

I read on this topic... and the conclusion is that physical activity will distract you, but not too much. It will go away as unnoticed as it appeared.

I periodically have a feeling that is unpleasant but...NOT DANGEROUS...I have had it since childhood. I don’t suffer from any asthma and it appears after nervous experiences.

Everything is accurately described. And yawning and lack of air.

It just goes away on its own. But sometimes it lasts for up to a week, you go yawning all the time and you can’t breathe normally.

I’ve read…useful advice and I’ll take it into account

I also have shortness of breath, a tendency to OCD, and panic attacks, dousing me with cold water helps. As soon as I stop pouring it starts again. and sports

Is yours constant or periodic?

More than once in January... twice... and for several days... they rushed the ambulance in vain. I know the enemy in person... the only danger is actually inhaling something, well, while driving, for example. And so... disgusting yes. But still alive

I had the same problem and called an ambulance, I don’t know what to do, let’s talk, maybe together we can somehow get out of this vicious circle

Guys, this is terrible. I also have difficulty breathing. And this symptom is even more complicated by the fact that breathing is a vital function and when a failure occurs, the body automatically turns on panic, as this is an instinct! Of course, you try to control yourself, but sometimes you don’t have the strength, you burst into tears and for some reason it becomes easier. At least damn cry all the time so as not to choke))

Well, my oxygen consumption itself is high, but here in the city it’s difficult. While I’m alone in the room, everything is fine, but my brother comes in and after half an hour I can’t breathe anymore, I start to get stupid.

Or I go to a friend’s house to watch a movie, but he also doesn’t have much ventilation there, and after half an hour or an hour we both yawn, and sometimes he falls asleep.

It was hell at work - 6-7 people in a poorly ventilated office and you just can’t think straight. An ordinary programmer is just a working animal for our managers, so the conditions are appropriate.

I am 72 years old, I first encountered shortness of breath at the age of 7. I was suffocating very much, even if I was dying, but there were no doctors. At the age of 8 I fell ill with diphtheria, had paralysis of the nasopharynx and spent a week alone in an isolation ward, but did not die and two months later I was cured of diphtheria and in one month from shortness of breath. There was nothing, but after severe stress, shortness of breath appeared at 35 years old. I was treated for stress with antidepressants and diphenhydramine helped the most. But now it is not in pharmacies. Sonapax (sold by prescription) also helped, but it is very strong and needs to be cut into small pieces. Complete distraction from everything, including reading this forum, also helps.

I periodically ended up in hospitals for various reasons and doctors often diagnosed me with VSD. An analysis of the situation and the Internet showed that the VSD was not invented, but was introduced without fail in medical practice, in order to conceal the diagnosis of radiation sickness. I was born in a city located next to the city of Obninsk. In the 40s in Obninsk they made atomic bomb, and then they built a nuclear power plant and the entire district was contaminated with radioactive strontium. Currently, at my dacha, the background level is two times higher than the background level in Gomel after the explosion of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and children were taken from Gomel to southern resorts. And here, in the late 40s, rotten trees glowed and I collected them, like a “flashlight” for the night. In the district people still die mainly from cancer of various organs, but it is prohibited to diagnose cancer and doctors are forced to dissemble and therefore are very indifferent to us. The first signs of oncology appear over many decades, but the consequences are treated, i.e. from osteochondrosis and related.

Since 1995 My shortness of breath again began to appear once a month, then once a week, then every other day, then every day, then almost all the time with short breaks. Visits to doctors and their constant diagnosis of VSD ended in a heart attack and 2nd group disability. After a heart attack, you have little trust in doctors, and sometimes this is not deserved, because... every 10th of them is honest. But these are difficult to calculate. I was first diagnosed with cancer at the age of 71, and now I also suffer from shortness of breath. It is certainly not lethal, but it is disgusting to the point of loss of consciousness. So we will heal together. Yes, validol also helps me, tablets for laziness and fatty foods, such as lard, pork. Eating fast leads to constant shortness of breath. But here the problem of induced obesity arises. I had to develop a method of losing weight and constantly monitor my weight. And yet, high blood sugar is also a cause of shortness of breath, and therefore complete abstinence from sweets reduces the symptoms of shortness of breath, but not for long.

I also suffer from insufficient breathing, as well as the so-called phenomenon of palpitations. I twitch when falling asleep and suffer from insomnia from time to time.

I constantly want to cry in this state, but even if I start, I can’t do it, because I have no strength, weakness.

Doctors diagnose VSD, and don’t say anything intelligible, just like everyone else.

I was prescribed Anvifen and Teraligen, I took courses, and everything is catching up.

Please, if anyone knows how to relieve symptoms during an acute condition, please help.

I myself am trying to save myself with Coronal, Valimedin, Corvalol. The condition becomes drowsy, and it is not possible to fall asleep.

Yes, it’s terrible. I’ve been suffering for three years now, I have an aversion to smells, I can’t take a deep breath, and now I generally feel like I’m about to stop breathing; dizziness as well. I was examined at the clinic, they said I’m healthy, I took blood pressure twice threw it abruptly and then the same song again...

Hello, I’ve been feeling short of breath for a week now when I’m lying down and when I’m sitting or walking I feel like I’m short of air, we don’t have good doctors, that’s why I’m asking you to help me, what can I do, I’ve had panic attacks

In many cases, shortness of breath situations can be an indicator of serious illness. Therefore, one cannot ignore such a deviation and wait until the next attack passes in the hope that a new one will not happen again soon.

Almost always, if there is not enough air when inhaling, the reason lies in hypoxia - a drop in oxygen content in cells and tissues. It could also be due to hypoxemia, when oxygen drops in the blood itself.

Each of these deviations becomes the main factor why activation begins in the brain's respiratory center, heartbeat and breathing become more frequent. In this case, gas exchange in the blood with atmospheric air becomes more intense and oxygen starvation decreases.

Almost every person experiences a feeling of lack of oxygen while running or other physical activity, but if this happens even with a calm step or at rest, then the situation is serious. Any indicators such as changes in breathing rhythm, shortness of breath, duration of inhalation and exhalation should not be ignored.

Types of shortness of breath and other data on the disease

Dyspnea, or in non-medical language - shortness of breath, is a disease that is accompanied by a feeling of lack of air. In the case of heart problems, the appearance of shortness of breath begins during physical exertion in the early stages, and if the situation gradually worsens without treatment, even in a relative state of rest.

This is especially evident in a horizontal position, which forces the patient to constantly sit.

Manifesting itself as attacks of severe shortness of breath most often at night, the deviation may be a manifestation of cardiac asthma. In this case, breathing becomes difficult and this is an indicator of inspiratory dyspnea. The expiratory type of shortness of breath is when, on the contrary, it is difficult to exhale air.

This happens due to a narrowing of the lumen in the small bronchi or in case of loss of elasticity in the lung tissues. Directly cerebral dyspnea manifests itself due to irritation of the respiratory center, which can occur as a result of tumors and hemorrhages.

Difficulty or rapid breathing

Depending on the frequency of respiratory contractions, there may be 2 types of shortness of breath:

1. bradypnea - respiratory movements per minute of 12 or less, occurs due to damage to the brain or its membranes, when hypoxia lasts for a long time, which may be accompanied diabetes mellitus and diabetic coma;

The main criterion that shortness of breath is pathological is that it occurs under normal conditions and light loads, when it was previously absent.

Physiology of the respiratory process and why there may be problems

When it is difficult to breathe and there is not enough air, the reasons may be a violation of complex processes in the physiological level. Oxygen enters our body, into the lungs and spreads to all cells thanks to surfactant.

This is a complex of different active substances(polysaccharides, proteins, phospholipids, etc.) lining the alveoli of the lungs. Responsible for ensuring that the lung bubbles do not stick together and oxygen freely enters the lungs.

The value of surfactant is very significant - with its help, the spread of air through the alveolar membrane is immediately accelerated. That is, we can say that we can breathe thanks to surfactant.

The less surfactant, the more difficult it will be for the body to ensure normal respiratory processes.

Surfactant helps the lungs absorb and absorb oxygen, prevents the lung walls from sticking together, improves immunity, protects the epithelium and prevents edema. Therefore, if there is a constant feeling oxygen starvation, it is quite possible that the body is unable to ensure healthy breathing due to failures in the production of surfactant.

Possible causes of the disease

Often a person may feel: “I’m suffocating, as if there’s a stone on my lungs.” If you are in good health, this situation should not happen. in good condition at rest or during light exercise. The reasons for lack of oxygen can be very diverse:

• strong emotions and stress;
• allergic reaction;

Despite such a large list possible reasons why it can be difficult to breathe, surfactant is almost always at the root of the problem. If we consider from a physiological point of view, this is the fatty membrane of the inner walls of the alveoli.

The alveolus is a vesicular depression in the lungs and is involved in the respiratory act. Thus, if everything is in order with the surfactant, any diseases on the lungs and breathing will be minimally reflected.

Therefore, if we see people in transport, pale and in a faint state, most likely it’s all about the surfactant. When a person notices: “I yawn too often,” it means the substance is not being produced correctly.

How to avoid problems with surfactant

It has already been noted that the basis of the surfactant is fats, of which it consists of almost 90%. The rest is completed by polysaccharides and proteins. The key function of fats in our body is precisely the synthesis of this substance.

Therefore, a common reason why problems with surfactant arise is following the fashion for a low-fat diet. People who have eliminated fats from their diet (which can be beneficial, and not just harmful), soon begin to suffer from hypoxia.

Unsaturated fats are healthy and are found in fish, nuts, olive and vegetable oils. Among herbal product Avocado is excellent in this regard.

Flaw healthy fats in the diet leads to hypoxia, which subsequently develops into ischemic heart diseases, which are one of the most common reasons premature mortality. It is especially important for women to correctly formulate their diet during pregnancy, so that both she and the child have everything necessary substances were produced in the required quantities.

How to take care of your lungs and alveoli

Since we breathe through the lungs through the mouth, and oxygen enters the body only through the alveolar link, if you have breathing problems, you need to take care of the health of the respiratory system. You may also have to pay Special attention heart, since if there is a lack of oxygen, it can begin different problems requiring prompt treatment.

In addition to eating right and including healthy fatty foods in your diet, there are other effective preventive measures you can take. In a good way improve your health is a visit salt rooms and caves. Now they can easily be found in almost any city.

VSD and feeling of lack of air

The feeling of difficulty breathing is a frequent accompaniment of vegetative-vascular dystonia. Why do people with VSD sometimes cannot take a full breath? One common cause is hyperventilation syndrome.

This problem is not related to the lungs, heart or bronchi.

Also, don’t forget to thank your doctors.

cardiologist4 21:26

cardiologist3 15:45

cardiologist5 23:21

I am a resident of eastern Ukraine; I came to the northern capital of Russia, St. Petersburg, for about a year now. During the first week of my stay I began to feel unwell (shortness of breath, noticeably rapid heartbeat when inhaling, heaviness in the heart area, fatigue in the muscles of the left forearm, muscles of the chest on the left side.), but my fellow countrymen told me that it’s okay - you’ll get used to it - then It will pass, I thought it was acclimatization. But as it turned out, it became more difficult (the SYMPTOMS INTENSIFIED AND FREQUENCY, THE OUTER PHALANGES ON THE HANDS AND LIPS BEGAN TO GET NUMBER. MORE THAN A MONTH PASSED), I forced myself to quit smoking. and began to do Tibetan exercises, because for some reason I believed that internal state, that this was all an erroneous diagnosis, and decided that maybe I had chondrosis somewhere on the spine or chest. After a while, the symptoms went away, the reason is unknown to me, either exercise, or time, or the weather. Or maybe he quit smoking. I was glad that I felt normal and nothing bothered me. But I was not happy for long. After a long day of work and heavy physical exertion, in the evening after eating, the symptoms appeared again, but much less pleasant and more aggravated. Later, the numbness in my hands developed into a cramp, I felt that something was wrong with the blood and gave an injection.

I started taking SUPRADIN vitamins. Two courses, seven after seven, did not change the specifics of the work - physical activity. Before bed, 80 grams of warm red wine. In the morning, a hearty breakfast after Tibetan exercises. Well, until this relapse has passed.

The previous evening I had a huge fight with my wife. I was very nervous and drank a lot of vodka, didn’t eat much, ate well and went to bed very drunk. I woke up with the usual hangover, mild.

First hour of work, symptoms: shortness of breath, SEVERE FATIGUE.

Later 30 minutes, symptoms: Severe shortness of breath, heaviness in the muscles, pressure on the temples and the heart area.

I took VALIDOL. Symptoms after another 30 minutes: I MOVE EASIER, I STOP - SYMPTOMS INCREASE.

I took time off from work, took NITROGLYCYRINE with me, came to the house, didn’t go in until it passed, moved with a light step, VALIDOL was still under the tongue, about half of it. Well, it seems like it was okay. I went home and brewed chamomile, St. John's wort, agave and Crimean thyme. I made a strong decoction and drank it. After about 30-40 minutes it became easier - I could be in a calm state, all the symptoms went away, only slight pressure remained on the temples and, with a sudden movement, the heart area. I found peppermint and added it to the teapot, I only drink this, I’m afraid of taking other medications without the advice of a specialist!

What, in fact, is the ESSENCE OF APPEALING TO YOU. I WAKE UP WITH THE FACT THAT I CAN’T BREATHE! AS AS IF THIS IS NOT AN UNCONDITIONED REFLEX AND IT NEEDS TO BE CONTROLLED!

I ask you to advise me on prevention or treatment based on these symptoms.

I will be very grateful for your attention. I am 32 years old, 63/172 AB(4) Rh+

Why there is not enough air when breathing and yawning begins

Dangerous symptoms

Sometimes difficulty breathing occurs for physiological reasons, which are quite easily remedied. But if you constantly feel like yawning and taking deep breaths, this could be a symptom of a serious illness. It’s even worse when, against this background, shortness of breath (dyspnea) often occurs, appearing even with minimal physical exertion. This is already a reason to worry and see a doctor.

You should go to the hospital immediately if difficulty breathing is accompanied by:

• pain in the chest area;
• changes in skin color;
• nausea and dizziness;
• severe coughing attacks;
• increased body temperature;
• swelling and cramps of the limbs;
• feeling of fear and internal tension.

These symptoms usually clearly indicate pathologies in the body, which need to be identified and eliminated as soon as possible.

Causes of lack of air

All the reasons why a person may go to the doctor with the complaint: “I can’t breathe fully and I’m constantly yawning” can be roughly divided into psychological, physiological and pathological. Conditionally - because everything in our body is closely interconnected, and the failure of one system entails disruption of the normal functioning of other organs.

Thus, prolonged stress, which is attributed to psychological reasons, can provoke hormonal imbalance and cardiovascular problems.

Physiological

The most harmless are physiological reasons that can cause difficulty breathing:

1. Lack of oxygen. It is strongly felt in the mountains, where the air is thin. So if you've recently changed your geographic location and are now significantly above sea level, it's normal to find it difficult to breathe at first. Well, ventilate the apartment more often.
2. Stuffy room. Two factors play a role here - a lack of oxygen and an excess of carbon dioxide, especially if there are many people in the room.
3. Tight clothes. Many people don’t even think about it, but in pursuit of beauty, sacrificing convenience, they deprive themselves of a significant portion of oxygen. Clothes that strongly compress the chest and diaphragm are especially dangerous: corsets, tight bras, tight bodysuits.
4. Poor physical shape. Lack of air and shortness of breath at the slightest exertion are experienced by those who lead a sedentary lifestyle or have spent a lot of time in bed due to illness.
5. Overweight. It causes a whole bunch of problems, in which yawning and shortness of breath are not the most serious. But be careful - if you significantly exceed normal weight, heart pathologies quickly develop.

It is difficult to breathe in the heat, especially if you are severely dehydrated. The blood becomes thicker, and it is harder for the heart to push it through the vessels. As a result, the body does not receive enough oxygen. The person begins to yawn and try to breathe deeper.

Medical

Shortness of breath, yawning and a regularly felt lack of air can cause serious illnesses. Moreover, often these signs are the first symptoms that allow diagnosing the disease at an early stage.

Therefore, if you constantly have difficulty breathing, be sure to go to the doctor. The most common possible diagnoses are:

• VSD – vegetative-vascular dystonia. This disease is the scourge of our time, and it is usually triggered by severe or chronic nervous overstrain. A person feels constant anxiety, fears, panic attacks develop, and fear of enclosed spaces arises. Difficulty breathing and yawning are warning signs of such attacks.
• Anemia. Acute iron deficiency in the body. It is necessary to carry oxygen. When there is not enough of it, even with normal breathing it seems that there is not enough air. The person begins to constantly yawn and take deep breaths.
• Bronchopulmonary diseases: bronchial asthma, pleurisy, pneumonia, acute and chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis. All of them, in one way or another, lead to the fact that it becomes almost impossible to take a full breath.
• Respiratory diseases, acute and chronic. Due to swelling and drying of the mucous membranes of the nose and larynx, it becomes difficult to breathe. Often the nose and throat are clogged with mucus. When yawning, the larynx opens as much as possible, so when we have the flu and ARVI, we not only cough, but also yawn.
• Heart diseases: ischemia, acute heart failure, cardiac asthma. They are difficult to diagnose early. Often shortness of breath, coupled with difficulty breathing and chest pain, is a sign of a heart attack. If this condition occurs suddenly, it is better to immediately call an ambulance.
• Pulmonary thromboembolism. People suffering from thrombophlebitis are at serious risk. A detached blood clot can block the pulmonary artery and cause part of the lung to die. But at first it becomes difficult to breathe, there is constant yawning and a feeling of acute lack of air.

As you can see, most diseases are not just serious - they pose a threat to the patient’s life. Therefore, if you often feel short of breath, then it is better not to delay your visit to the doctor.

Psychogenic

And again, we cannot help but recall stress, which is one of the main causes of the development of many diseases today.

Yawning under stress is an unconditioned reflex inherent in us by nature. If you observe animals, you will notice that when they are nervous, they yawn constantly. And in this sense, we are no different from them.

When stressed, a spasm of the capillaries occurs, and the heart begins to beat faster due to the release of adrenaline. Because of this, blood pressure increases. In this case, taking a deep breath and yawning perform a compensatory function and protect the brain from destruction.

When you are very frightened, there is often a muscle spasm, which makes it impossible to take a full breath. It’s not for nothing that the expression “takes your breath away” exists.

What to do

If you find yourself in a situation where frequent yawning and shortness of breath occur, do not try to panic - this will only worsen the problem. The first thing you need to do is to provide an additional flow of oxygen: open a window or vent, if possible, go outside.

Try to loosen as much as possible the clothing that prevents you from fully inhaling: take off your tie, unbutton your collar, corset or bra. To avoid dizziness, it is better to take a sitting or lying position. Now you need to take a very deep breath through your nose and an extended exhalation through your mouth.

After several such breaths, the condition usually improves noticeably. If this does not happen, and the dangerous symptoms listed above are added to the lack of air, call an ambulance immediately.

Before medical professionals arrive, do not take medications on your own if they are not prescribed by your doctor - they can distort the clinical picture and make it difficult to make a diagnosis.

Diagnostics

Emergency doctors usually quickly determine the cause of sudden difficulty breathing and the need for hospitalization. If there are no serious concerns, and the attack is caused by physiological reasons or severe stress and does not recur, then you can sleep peacefully.

But if you suspect heart or lung disease, it is better to undergo an examination, which may include:

• general blood and urine analysis;
• X-ray of the lungs;
• electrocardiogram;
• Ultrasound of the heart;
• bronchoscopy;
• computed tomogram.

What types of research are needed in your case will be determined by your doctor during your initial examination.

If lack of air and constant yawning are caused by stress, then you may need to consult a psychologist or neurologist, who will tell you how to relieve nervous tension or prescribe medications: sedatives or antidepressants.

Treatment and prevention

When a patient comes to the doctor with the complaint: “I can’t breathe completely, I’m yawning, what should I do?”, the doctor first of all collects a detailed medical history. This allows us to exclude physiological causes of oxygen deficiency.

In the case of overweight, treatment is obvious - the patient should be referred to a nutritionist. Without controlled weight loss, the problem cannot be solved.

If the examination results reveal acute or chronic diseases of the heart or respiratory tract, treatment is prescribed according to the protocol. This requires taking medications and possibly physiotherapeutic procedures.

A good prevention and even a method of treatment is breathing exercises. But in case of bronchopulmonary diseases, it can only be done with the permission of the attending physician. Incorrectly selected or performed exercises in this case can provoke a severe coughing attack and a deterioration in the general condition.

It is very important to keep yourself in good physical shape. Even with heart disease, there are special sets of exercises that help you recover faster and return to a normal lifestyle. Aerobic exercise is especially beneficial - it trains the heart and develops the lungs.

Active outdoor games (badminton, tennis, basketball, etc.), cycling, walking at a fast pace, swimming will not only help get rid of shortness of breath and provide an additional flow of oxygen, but will also tighten your muscles, making you slimmer. And then, even high in the mountains, you will feel great and enjoy the journey, and not suffer from constant shortness of breath and yawning.

It is difficult to take a full breath - what could this mean?

When it is difficult to take a full breath, a suspicion of lung pathology first arises. But such a symptom may indicate a complicated course of osteochondrosis. Therefore, if you have breathing problems, you should consult a doctor.

Causes of difficulty breathing in osteochondrosis

Shortness of breath and the inability to take a full breath are characteristic signs of cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis. Pathology in the spine occurs for various reasons. But most often the development of degenerative processes is provoked by: a sedentary lifestyle, work associated with increased stress on the back, and poor posture. The impact of these factors over many years has a negative impact on the condition of the intervertebral discs: they become less elastic and durable (the vertebrae shift towards the paravertebral structures).

If osteochondrosis progresses, bone tissue is involved in destructive processes (osteophytes appear on the vertebrae), muscles and ligaments. Over time, a protrusion or herniation of the disc forms. When the pathology is localized in the cervical spine, the nerve roots and the vertebral artery are compressed (through which blood and oxygen flow to the brain): pain in the neck, a feeling of lack of air, and tachycardia appear.

When intervertebral discs are destroyed and vertebrae are displaced in the thoracic spine, the structure of the chest changes, the phrenic nerve is irritated, and the roots that are responsible for the innervation of the organs of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are pinched. The external manifestation of such processes is pain, which intensifies when trying to take a deep breath, and disruption of the functioning of the lungs and heart.

Features of the manifestation of osteochondrosis

The clinical manifestations of cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis are different. In the first stages of development, it can be asymptomatic. Shortness of breath and chest pain when breathing deeply occur as the disease progresses. Shortness of breath can be bothersome both during the day and at night. During sleep, it is accompanied by snoring. The patient's sleep becomes interrupted, as a result of which he wakes up tired and overwhelmed.

In addition to respiratory disorders, with osteochondrosis the following appear:

• pain between the shoulder blades;
• cardiopalmus;
• stiffness in hand movements;
• headaches (most often in the occipital region);
• numbness, stiffness of the neck;
• dizziness, fainting;
• tremor of the upper extremities;
• blueness of fingertips.

Often, such signs of osteochondrosis are perceived as a pathology of the lungs or heart. However, true disturbances in the functioning of these systems can be distinguished from spinal disease by the presence of other symptoms.

It’s difficult to understand on your own why you can’t take a deep breath. But at home you can do the following:

• take a sitting position, hold your breath for 40 seconds;
• try to blow out the candle at a distance of 80 cm.

If the tests fail, this indicates a problem with the respiratory system. To make an accurate diagnosis, you must consult a doctor.

Breathing problems: diagnosis, treatment

Only a doctor can find out why it is difficult to take a full breath after the patient has undergone a comprehensive examination. It includes:

Examination of the chest organs. Prescribed:

Diagnosis of the spine. It includes:

• radiography;
• contrasting discography;
• myelography;
• computer or magnetic resonance imaging.

If during the examination no serious pathologies of the internal organs were revealed, but signs of osteochondrosis were found, the spine needs to be treated. Therapy should be comprehensive and include drug and non-drug treatment.

During drug therapy the following is prescribed:

Painkillers and vasodilators. The principle of their operation:

• accelerate the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain and tissues of the affected spine;
• reduce vascular spasms and pain;
• improve metabolism.

Chondroprotectors are taken in order to:

• restore the elasticity of intervertebral discs;
• prevent further destruction of cartilage tissue.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Effect of use:

• pain decreases;
• inflammation and swelling of tissues in the place of compression of blood vessels and spinal cord roots disappears;

• relieve muscle tension;
• restore motor function of the spine.

Additionally, vitamins are prescribed. In difficult situations, it is recommended to wear a Shants collar: it supports the neck, thereby reducing pressure on the roots and blood vessels (the feeling of lack of air does not occur so often).

An integral part of complex treatment of the spine is the use of auxiliary treatment procedures. The main goals of such therapy:

• reduce the severity of pain;
• strengthen the muscle corset;
• eliminate breathing problems;
• stimulate metabolic processes in affected tissues;
• prevent exacerbation of pain.

Non-drug treatment of osteochondrosis includes:

• acupuncture – improves blood flow, blocks pathological impulses of the peripheral nervous system;
• electrophoresis - relaxes muscles, dilates blood vessels, has a calming effect;
• magnetotherapy. It helps improve cerebral circulation, saturate the myocardium with oxygen (the activity of the chest organs is normalized, shortness of breath disappears);
• Exercise therapy and breathing exercises. The effect of the exercises: the cardiovascular and respiratory systems are strengthened;
• massage – accelerates the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain and chest organs, relaxes muscles, and normalizes metabolism.

Constant lack of air with osteochondrosis can lead to the development of bronchial asthma and inflammation of the heart muscle. In severe cases, pathology of the cervical or thoracic spine causes complete loss of respiratory functions, disability and even death. Therefore, after confirming the diagnosis, you must immediately begin taking therapeutic measures.

If treatment recommendations are followed, the prognosis for recovery is favorable. Exceptions are made in cases of delayed consultation with a doctor: when a prolonged lack of air has led to irreversible changes in the tissues of the brain.

To prevent the occurrence of shortness of breath in osteochondrosis and exacerbation of the disease, it is recommended:

1. Exercise regularly.
2. Be in the fresh air as often as possible: this will reduce the likelihood of hypoxia.
3. Eat properly.
4. Quit smoking and minimize alcohol consumption.
5. Watch your posture.
6. Running, swimming, roller skating and skiing.
7. Do inhalations with essential oils and citrus fruits (if you are not allergic to fruits).
8. Have a full rest.
9. Change the soft bed to an orthopedic one.
10. Avoid excessive stress on the spine.
11. Strengthen the immune system with folk remedies or medications (as recommended by a doctor).

Lack of air, shortness of breath, pain when taking a deep breath - may be signs of heart and respiratory diseases or a manifestation of complicated osteochondrosis. To prevent health and life-threatening consequences, you must consult a doctor: he will identify the cause of the respiratory system dysfunction and select the correct treatment.

It’s hard to breathe, there’s not enough air: reasons, what to do

How dangerous are attacks of shortness of breath in a person, shortness of breath, attacks of suffocation, why does this happen, and how to deal with it?

Most often, there is not enough air, it becomes difficult to breathe, shortness of breath occurs due to heart or pulmonary diseases, and you can read about this in great detail in the article on our website alter-zdrav.ru “Shortness of breath - causes, symptoms, treatment, first aid.”

This article is about those cases where everything is fine with the heart and lungs, no pathologies were found, and a person who suffocates from time to time has already been checked by a neurologist, a pulmonologist, or a therapist, and nothing serious was found in him.

This is exactly the situation that is discouraging and frightening, because the specific reason has not been identified, why the feeling of lack of air appeared, there are no organic pathologies, but shortness of breath and heaviness in the chest still arise, and usually at the most inopportune moment.

When a person cannot explain the reason, their own interpretations and arguments arise, which cause anxiety and fear, which does not improve the situation, and even worsens it.

Causes of difficulty breathing

Probably every person has ever experienced a sudden feeling of pressure in the chest, lack of air, when it is difficult to take a deep breath... Why does this happen?

The reason is not in the lungs, not in the bronchi, but in the muscles of the chest, namely in the intercostal muscles and in the muscles that are involved in the act of breathing. We need to figure out what is happening.

• First, tension occurs in these very intercostal muscles, the muscles of the chest, which is why there are sensations of stiffness and difficulty in breathing. In fact, inhalation is not difficult, but there is a feeling that there is not enough air; it seems to the person that he cannot breathe.

• When there is a feeling that it is impossible to take a deep breath, fears appear, panic attacks occur, and an additional portion of adrenaline is released.

• This causes the intercostal muscles and chest muscles to contract even more, which leads to even more difficulty breathing. Naturally, the person tries to breathe deeper and inhales too much air, more than necessary.

That is, there is a feeling that there is not enough air, but at the same time enough oxygen enters through the bronchi, and due to the fact that a person suffering from shortness of breath breathes quickly and deeply or superficially, it turns out that too much oxygen is inhaled.

There is, on the one hand, stiffness of the chest muscles and difficulty breathing and, on the other hand, due to a feeling of lack of oxygen, rapid deep or rapid breathing, which leads to oversaturation of the blood with oxygen.

Thus, a vicious circle is formed, in the center of which there is a conscious focus on the feeling of pressure in the chest, on the lack of air for a full inhalation, which leads to a muscular reaction and contraction of the respiratory organs and is interpreted as a feeling of inadequate breathing.

It is worth noting that as a result of such a behavioral reaction, which seems understandable and logical, but is far from functional, the blood becomes oversaturated with oxygen, acidosis occurs, and changes in acid-base balance in the blood, and this further aggravates the contraction of the breathing muscles, leads to dilation of blood vessels in the heart and brain, that same feeling of “derealization” arises when a person loses the sense of reality, the reality of what is happening.

Types of difficulty breathing

It is also worth mentioning that there are 2 types of shortness of breath:

• Type 1 – when a person cannot inhale completely (a feeling of incomplete inhalation), and the inhalation lasts a long time (inspiratory state, that is, inhalation shortness of breath). This occurs when there is difficulty breathing through the upper respiratory tract.

• Type 2 – when it is impossible to exhale completely, and the exhalation lasts a long time, without bringing satisfaction (experimental situation). Usually occurs in asthma.

There is also a mixed state of breathing problems, when it is difficult to both inhale and exhale. But these types are usually caused by organ pathologies.

With shortness of breath due to nervousness, the patient cannot say for sure whether it is difficult for him to inhale or exhale, he simply says “it is difficult to breathe”, there is a feeling that there is not enough air. Moreover, if you start breathing more often or deeper, relief does not come.

How to get rid of shortness of breath, difficulty breathing

• First, you need to identify the reason why, as they say, “your soul and heart hurt.” For some it’s the situation in the country, for others it’s a lack of money or family troubles, some kind of unpleasant diagnosis. You need to ask yourself the question: is this problem worth such worries? This is the beginning of healing; if you answer your question honestly, it will become easier to breathe.

• Excessive compassion should be removed from thoughts. This is a virus in disguise. People are often told: “Be compassionate!”, that is, to suffer with someone together, if one person felt bad, then the second person takes on the suffering of the first, and so along the chain everyone around becomes bad, and this leads to severity in chest, rapid breathing and heartbeat, to moral anxiety and despondency. There is a correct program - mercy. It is much wiser to replace compassion with mercy.

• You shouldn’t dwell on failures; you need to solve your problems or let them go, especially if they are more far-fetched. It will become much easier to breathe, your chest will feel lighter. You should think positively and not allow gloomy thoughts to enter your mind.

• In addition to the above, you need to use breathing techniques (information about each method is in free access on the Internet), for example:

  Breathing exercises by Strelnikova;

  Hatha yoga – control of one’s condition through Indian practice;

• Of course, the correct daily routine and nutrition are important, enough long sleep, frequent walks in the fresh air, then panic attacks will not bother you.

The most important thing is to manage stress

Any prolonged stress - troubles at work or lack thereof, a difficult physical period after a long illness, surgical intervention, divorce, retirement and even expecting a child can slowly drain the body. And the body, no matter how much we tend to ignore it, needs care and attention.

And then the body, exhausted by tension and stress, has no other way to attract attention to itself except to “break” this internal “stop tap” and provoke a panic attack, thereby forcing its “owner” to take care of itself.

Psychiatrists don’t like to treat this condition, and neither do psychotherapists. As a rule, neurologists deal with this issue. Medicines for neuroses, antidepressants and tranquilizers are usually prescribed; it is sometimes called vegetative-vascular dystonia or asthenic syndrome.

In American films, patients suffering from shortness of breath are often recommended to breathe into a bag to limit the supply of oxygen, although this method is not very effective.

To summarize, we can say with confidence that there is no pathology behind attacks of panic attacks and suffocation. If the cardiovascular system is normal, and the cardiologist did not find anything, if the lungs are examined and are healthy, then shortness of breath is not associated with organic diseases.

The feeling of suffocation that occurs from time to time is nothing more than a programmed automatic reaction of the nervous system. The most important thing is that it is not dangerous and harmless, it arises as a result of anticipation or fear of suffocation.

This reaction is absolutely reversible. It is clear that the feeling of fear about the lack of oxygen is very unpleasant in itself, and you need to get rid of it.

In order to avoid these attacks, it is imperative to train the nervous system (vegetative), to be more precise, the sympathetic department, so that it does not become overexcited and overexerted so quickly. For this, there are special exercises, meditations for relaxation and a calmer perception of life’s problems.

The first step in getting rid of shortness of breath is to understand the origins of why it occurs, recognize the fact that it is not caused by a heart or lung disease, and be convinced from your own experience that it is a controlled, reversible reaction that does not cause any harm. This is not self-hypnosis; indeed, the respiratory and intercostal muscles contract under the influence of nerve impulses.

PEOPLE WHO CAN'T YAWN. How to deal with it

This, of course, sounds somewhat strange, but two weeks ago I was unable to yawn for the first time in my life. First, you stretch as usual, take in air, and it hangs somewhere in the area of ​​the roof of your mouth. And it hangs there, not moving. You stand there like a fool, with your mouth agape, and at the same time the back of your head is itching. It's crazy.

Out of habit, I asked Yandex what I should do. The Internet responded to the query “I can’t yawn” with numerous calls for help that floated around unanswered. Hundreds of people cannot yawn and look for the reasons for this in everything that surrounds them, and no one can help them, because no one really knows why this happens.

Tatyana from Vologda writes on the traditional medicine forum “Zdravushka”: “Sometimes I want to take a deep breath or yawn - but I can’t! Is it dangerous?" User Villi addresses Medkanal regulars: “I have problems falling asleep, this is due to the fact that it’s difficult for me to breathe air, and for some reason I can’t yawn.” Girl Dauzhas on the LikarInfo portal: “I open my mouth like a fish and cannot yawn, as if there is not enough air. I feel like I'm going to suffocate now. And so often, very often, a hundred times a day, sometimes the muscles of the larynx begin to ache.”

Service [email protected] witnessed a heartbreaking chronicle: Aizulin says that he has not been able to yawn for two days: he breathes normally, deeply, does not go to training because he is scared, on the street he manages to forget about the problem, but does not yawn. “I open my mouth very wide, but the yawning function seems to have been turned off. Help me please!" And Rainy replies: “I can’t either. This goes on for about eight years. It probably started at thirteen. I've never smoked. It also happens that you have to strain to take a deep breath. On the street I don’t think about it either, but when I go to bed or just sit at home, it starts. And now too."

The fact is that everyone who is faced with non-yawning cannot find a way out, because there are no recipes or understanding of the nature of this phenomenon. People come up with dozens of different options. Nervous spasm. Respiratory neurosis. Neurocircular dystonia. Thyroid gland. Physical inactivity. Vegetative-vascular dystonia. Spine. Heart. Emotions. Nervous overstrain. Smoking. Self-hypnosis. Allergy. Asthma. Rudiments from primates. A lot of coffee.

How to get rid of this? The Internet, as usual, knows all the answers. Here is just a small list of folk remedies. Stretch your arms and jerk them. Inhale, release your hands, exhale. Breathing exercises. Drink a sedative. Half squat, lean your elbows on your knees, relax your back. Thirty drops of Corvalol. Noshpa and inhalation of diphenhydramine. Get a job as a loader, work a couple of shifts, sit awake in front of the computer all night. Go swimming. Take a walk and get some air. Drink more water. Go to the doctor. And don't think about it. Not to think. Not to think. Not to think. And take antidepressants. Breathe deeply. Sign up for lectures on art history.

I propose a radically opposite approach to the matter. You need to look at any of the four paintings in the “Scream” series by Norwegian artist Edvard Munch every day. It is reported that Munch wanted to depict the cry of nature and a creature trying to escape from this deafening scream, but if you look closely, you can see that the canvases depict a tired, tortured and twitchy man who stands with his mouth open, and tries to take a deep breath and yawn , but he hasn’t been able to do this for many years now, and no one, not even the Internet, can help him.

If Norwegian art doesn't cut it, you can look at these dudes, they yawn so much they start sneezing.

It's hard to take a deep breath

You know, I come across a similar question quite often on the Internet, but I haven’t found a question about it anywhere. I decided to ask you, dear doctors and forum users.

The problem is this: there is a wild desire to take a deep breath, but it doesn’t work out fully: as if there is not enough chest, something is resting there, and that’s all, such an unpleasant feeling in the chest and again a wild desire to inhale. After 7-10 attempts I can breathe, but then it all starts all over again. If you try to suppress this feeling and breathe calmly, then it turns out somehow artificially, your head begins to spin a little and such a deep yawning begins. And this is with me adolescence, I'm 26 now.

I have not found the reasons for this feeling. May not bother you for a couple of months. Now it “comes” every day. It always appears after overeating, in the heat, from mints (maybe a coincidence?), etc. Just. I began to sin on vasoconstrictor drops: I can’t give them up completely, I drop 0.5 - 0.25% for children, only at night, and in one nostril. I have been dependent on the drops for a long time; I might not take them for a week, but then no, no, I’ll start taking them. However, during the period of “no dripping” this also happens. On the contrary, if my nose is stuffy and I try to breathe through my mouth, I just start to choke

I couldn’t find an answer from either therapists or cardiologists. When I was 16, I was diagnosed with tachycardia, but then it seemed to go away with age.

I would be very grateful to hear your opinion! Thanks in advance to everyone who responded!

What to do if there is not enough air during VSD?

Complaints from those suffering from vegetative dystonia that there is a lack of air are heard frequently. The pseudo-disease, which most doctors consider dystonia, is often accompanied by unexpected panic and fear for life.

VSD - there is a problem, there is no disease

• sudden shortness of breath;
• headaches;
• weather sensitivity;
• pressure changes.

There are other symptoms of autonomic nervous system disorder. Often found:

• tightness or pressure in the chest, in the area of ​​the heart;
• feeling of a lump in the throat;
• difficulty inhaling and exhaling;
• tachycardia;
• tremor of the limbs;
• dizziness.

These manifestations are characteristic of a common form of autonomic dysfunction - pulmonary hyperventilation syndrome, which accompanies a panic attack with lack of air. It is known that 15% of adults on the planet are familiar with this condition.

Lack of air is often mistaken for a manifestation of respiratory system diseases. This is not surprising, because something similar happens with asthma and bronchitis. But to distinguish the feeling of lack of oxygen during VSD from a life-threatening condition - acute respiratory failure- not so simple.

Of all the unconscious functions of the body (heartbeat, bile secretion, peristalsis), only breathing is controlled by the human will. Each of us is able to hold it for a while, slow it down, or start breathing very quickly. This occurs due to the fact that the work of the lungs and bronchi is coordinated simultaneously by two parts of the nervous system:

While singing, playing wind instruments, inflating balloons, trying to get rid of hiccups, everyone independently controls the breathing process. Unconsciously, the respiratory function is regulated when a person falls asleep or, relaxing, thinks. Breathing becomes automatic and there is no danger of suffocation.

IN medical literature a rare hereditary disease has been described - Ondine's curse syndrome (congenital central hypoventilation syndrome). It is characterized by a lack of autonomous control over the breathing process, decreased sensitivity to hypoxia and hypercapnia. The patient cannot breathe independently and may die from suffocation in his sleep. Currently, medicine is making great strides even in the treatment of such pathology.

The special innervation of breathing makes it hypersensitive to the influence external factors- to provocateurs of the VSD:

The feeling as if there is not enough air is closely related to autonomic dysfunction and is reversible.

Recognizing the disease is not an easy task

How correctly metabolic reactions occur depends on correct gas exchange. By inhaling air, people receive a portion of oxygen, and by exhaling, they return carbon dioxide to the external environment. A small amount of it is retained in the blood, affecting the acid-base balance.

• If there is an excess of this substance, appearing along with an attack of VSD, breathing movements are becoming more frequent.
• Lack of carbon dioxide (hypocapnia) leads to rare breathing.

A distinctive feature of VSD is that attacks of suffocation appear with a certain frequency, as a consequence of the influence of a very active stimulus on the psyche. A combination of symptoms is common:

• Feeling like you can't breathe deeply. It becomes stronger when a person finds himself in a crowded place, a closed space. Sometimes worries before an exam, a performance, or an important conversation intensify the so-called empty breath.
• Feeling of a lump in the throat, as if there was an obstacle to the passage of oxygen to the respiratory organs.
• Stiffness of the chest, preventing you from taking a full breath.
• Intermittent breathing (with short stops), accompanied by an obsessive fear of death.
• A sore throat that develops into a continuous, long-lasting dry cough.

Bouts of yawning in the middle of the day and frequent deep sighs are also considered symptoms of a respiratory disorder of neurotic origin. At the same time, discomfort in the heart area and short-term surges in blood pressure may occur.

How to eliminate a dangerous condition

From time to time, those suffering from VSD experience dyspeptic symptoms that make them think about various diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. The following symptoms of autonomic imbalance lead to this:

• attacks of nausea, vomiting;
• intolerance to certain foods;
• constipation, diarrhea;
• causeless abdominal pain;
• increased gas formation, flatulence.

At times, with VSD, along with a lack of air, there is a disturbing feeling that what is happening around is unreal, you often feel dizzy, and faintness occurs. Even more confusing is the rising temperature (37-37.5 degrees) and nasal congestion.

Similar symptoms are characteristic of other diseases. People suffering from asthma and bronchitis often complain about a lack of oxygen. The list of diseases similar to VSD also includes problems of the cardiovascular, endocrine, and digestive systems.

This makes it difficult to determine what is causing feeling unwell is vegetative-vascular dystonia. To exclude the presence of a serious pathology manifested by a feeling of shortness of breath, it is necessary to undergo a thorough examination, including consultations:

Only by excluding life-threatening pathological conditions is it possible to establish that the true cause of lack of air is vegetative dystonia.

However, patients who have become accustomed to the idea of ​​having a “serious illness” do not always agree with the objective results of the examination. They refuse to understand and accept the idea that despite shortness of breath, they are physically practically healthy. After all, the lack of air that occurs as a result of VSD is safe.

How to restore breathing - emergency help

If symptoms of hyperventilation appear, in addition to breathing into a paper or plastic bag, another method will help.

• To calm shortness of breath, tightly clasp your chest (lower part) with your palms, placing your hands in front and behind.
• Apply pressure to your ribs to bring them closer to your spine.
• Keep your chest compressed for 3 minutes.

Performing special exercises is a mandatory part of therapy for shortness of breath. It implies inclusion, a gradual transition to breathing through the diaphragm instead of the usual chest. These exercises normalize blood gases and reduce hyperoxia caused by a panic attack.

It is believed that diaphragmatic inhalation is done unconsciously; air flows easily when a person experiences positive emotions. Chest - on the contrary, is accompanied by a lack of air during stress.

It is important to maintain the correct ratio between the duration of inhalation and exhalation (1:2), while managing to relax the muscles of the body. Negative emotions shorten exhalation, the ratio of diaphragm movements becomes 1:1.

A rare deep breath is preferable to a frequent shallow one. It helps avoid hyperventilation. When exercising to relieve shortness of breath, observe the following conditions:

• The room must first be ventilated, the air temperature should be degrees.
• Play soft, calm music or do exercises in silence.
• Let your clothes be loose and comfortable for doing exercises.
• Conduct classes according to a clear schedule (morning, evening).
• Train 2 hours after eating.
• Visit the toilet in advance, emptying your intestines and bladder.
• Before performing the health complex, you are allowed to drink a glass of water.

After prolonged exposure to the sun, as well as being in a state of extreme fatigue, you should refrain from gymnastics. You can start it no earlier than 8 hours later.

It is prohibited to perform exercises if you have serious health problems affecting:

• heart, blood vessels ( cerebral atherosclerosis, severe form of arterial hypertension);
• lungs;
• hematopoietic organs.

Women should not use this method during menstruation, pregnancy, or glaucoma.

How to learn to breathe correctly

When starting to perform breathing exercises to eliminate lack of air, focus on how you feel. Monitor your heart rate closely. Sometimes nasal congestion occurs, yawning and dizziness begin. There is no need to be afraid, the body gradually adapts.

Difficulty breathing during VSD can be corrected with a simple exercise:

• Lie on your back after darkening the room.
• Closing your eyes, try to relax your torso muscles for 5 minutes.
• Using self-hypnosis, evoke a feeling of warmth spreading throughout the body.
• Take a slow, deep breath, pushing out your abdominal wall. In this case, air fills the lower lobe of the lungs, and the chest expands with a delay.
• The inhalation is longer than the exhalation, the air is pushed out by the stomach (with the participation of the abdominal muscles), and then by the chest. The air comes out smoothly, without jerking.

An alternative option is to use a Frolov simulator, which is a plastic glass (filled with water) with a tube through which you inhale and exhale. This normalizes the ratio of oxygen and carbon dioxide and stops an attack of VSD, manifested by an acute lack of air. The main purpose of the simulator is to saturate the inhaled air with carbon dioxide and reduce the amount of oxygen in it. This gradually leads to an increase in human adaptive capabilities.

Treatment of VSD, accompanied by attacks of lack of air, is ineffective if you do not know the true cause of the problem.

Only an experienced psychotherapist can help you find out what psychotraumatic factor causes an attack. The doctor will explain how to get rid of such a legacy and not give in to panic, which causes a problem with air supply. It’s better to calm down right away, because with VSD, choking can be cured without medications, but only with the participation of the patient.