The feeling of not enough air

I think I'm going through a period of heightened anxiety. For the last week I've had that feeling of there just not quite being enough air going into my lungs. Sometimes it's worse than others but it hasn't got to panic attack level.

If I'm busy the feeling goes, but as soon as I stop it comes back. I'm so tired and I don't know if it's because of the effort just breathing is taking or whether it's because I'm on the go all the time in an attempt to distract myself.

Does anyone else have long periods like this? Do you feel tired? Have you found anything that stops it?

Sorry you are having anxiety about breathing. Have you seen a doctor to see if you have asthma? Symptoms could be that as well as anxiety.

I'm currently experiencing the same thing. I had a panic attack and my breathing was at it's peak but idk which came first. Do you ever have trouble breathing when you are not particularly anxious?

It sounds like you may be hyperventilating from anxiety. I had this problem pretty severely when I was a kid. My mom would get me a paper bad to breath in and out in. Something about breathing in the already expelled air from your lungs helps. Sounds strange I know but really give it a try! Also I have to agree with the possibility of asthma. It could very well be adult onset asthma. I would ask your GP about it and get a PFT to test your ability of breathing deeply. I hope you find a solution soon, I know how scary it is when you feel like you can't breathe!

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wWell you can go to a doctor to make some analizes ,because you want to be sure of your problems .Also for anxiety i would sugest therapist or groups that inspire you with succes

Thank you all for replying. I will get checked out by my GP for asthma - just in case. I do feel it's probably anxiety related because I tend to notice feeling this way during periods when I have a head full of whirling thoughts & stresses. But I will get checked out.

Hope you guys are doing OK ��

Hi - this happens to me all. the. time. It drives me crazy - I have found that yawning is the only thing that makes me feel like i am getting enough air in my lungs. This mostly hits me when I'm driving - I can't tell you how many times I have been embarrassed when I pass someone I know on the road and they are looking at me strangely because I am idiotically yawning. I have also found that slowly breathing in, holding it for a few seconds and then exhaling thru the mouth helps.

This is tough problem. It could be asthma or allergies or a virus, but it sounds much more like chest breathing. Chest breathing can cause you to breath in and out too fast, which can make you feel lightheaded or at the very least like you can't get enough air.

You need to slow down your breathing when this happens and learn to breath from your stomach (or diaphragm). You can use any technique to work on this meditation, diaphragmatic breathing, or just intentionally slowing down your breath. There are a lot of great videos on youtube you can use. Not to be self-promotional but I have made MP3s for diaphragmatic breathing on my website for exactly this very issue. They're free and you can download them at HOW TO BREATHE DURING A PANIC ATTACK. They're in the middle of the page. Hope this gets under control real soon.

Best of luck,

Jason