Highlights
- Anxiety and shortness of breath are conditions that commonly occur together.
- It might be challenging to decide if anxiety is the cause of the shortness of breath or vice versa.
- Acute onset shortness of breath could be from anxiety or a life-threatening physical condition.
- A healthcare professional should make the final decision on whether shortness of breath is from anxiety.
Feeling short of breath, although a common symptom, is one of the scariest things a patient can experience. This is understandable because breathlessness might be due to anxiety or stress, or worse, something life-threatening. You’re sitting there wondering how to tell if shortness of breath is from anxiety, and in this article, you will find tools to link them and know when to seek help immediately.
Can Anxiety Cause Shortness of Breath?
Firstly, you might still be asking the question, could breathlessness be a result of anxiety? The answer is a definite yes, and it is a common symptom of stress; you are not alone.
Why Does Anxiety Cause Shortness of Breath?
As an MD who treated anxious patients, two of the most common questions I heard were:
- Why can’t I breathe when I’m stressed?
- Why does anxiety cause shortness of breath?
Fear is the simple answer; let me explain. Fear is the feeling of being threatened; it could be real or perceived, meaning your brain thinks something is dangerous, but it isn’t necessarily. An example of a perceived threat might be thinking a garden hose is a snake.
If you become fearful, intense stress or nervousness tips that baseline anxiety over the edge, and you get shortness of breath due to panic.
Next, you need to understand why fear and intense anxiety cause breathlessness.
I’m sure you’ve heard of the fight-or-flight response, which is your brain’s primitive survival mechanism and kicks in when you feel threatened.
Your brain tells your body to defend itself or escape. It does this by pumping oxygen-rich blood away from your brain and gut to your muscles; needing more oxygen means rapid breathing.
This results in the following
- Racing and pounding heart or heart palpitations
- Shortness of breath
- Dizziness
- Nausea and stomach pain
- Flushing and sweating
- Tremors and shakes
- Chest tightness or chest pain
- Tingling and numbness around your lips and your fingers
Not everyone will experience all of these, but the most common symptoms of intense anxiety and panic attacks are shortness of breath and an awareness of heartbeat.
What Does Shortness of Breath from Anxiety Feel Like?
Unfortunately, no two anxious patients experience shortness of breath the same; they might describe their breathing pattern as:
- I’m not getting enough air.
- I need more oxygen.
- I have rapid breathing.
- I have difficulty breathing.
- I can breathe, but I feel like I can’t.
- I need to sigh or yawn to fill my lungs with air.
This means that you cannot rely on how it feels to know if anxiety was the cause of the shortness of breath and will need other ways to identify stress as a trigger.
What Other Physical Health Conditions Result in Shortness of Breath?
Among other physical health conditions that can cause this symptom, lung conditions are most common, especially
heart issues [3*] ,- being severely overweight or
- problems with muscles and nerves.
But it gets more tricky. Logically, difficulty breathing from any cause can trigger anxiety; if you can’t breathe because of lung or heart trouble, you will start to feel panicky. And so a vicious cycle of difficulty breathing and anxiety begins.
How to Tell If Shortness of Breath Is from Anxiety
A key factor is to try and identify if there was an emotional trigger for the shortness of breath, like uncontrollable worry, intense stress, or nervousness, shortly before it started.
Breathing issues related to panic disorder and anxiety
It follows that if you have severe trouble breathing for an extended period in the absence of emotional triggers, it is more likely a physical condition. In addition, a
How to Help Shortness of Breath from Anxiety
Another helpful way to tell if breathlessness is due to anxiety is by
If these techniques make you feel better again, then it is likely that anxiety caused your shortness of breath.
The easiest way of doing this is with deep breathing exercises, as they have many benefits:
- Immediately accessible
- No prescription or MD supervision is required
- Works within minutes
- Costs nothing
- No side effects
Diaphragmatic Breathing
The diaphragm is the muscle that separates the chest from the abdominal cavity.
There are several variations:
4-4-4-4 Technique
This is also known as box or equal breathing and is easy to remember. Start by breathing in for four seconds, pausing for four seconds, breathing out for four seconds, finally pausing for four seconds, and repeating this cycle four times.
3-3-3 Technique
If you’re battling with the four-second box breathing version, cut it down to 3-3-3; breathe in for three seconds, pause for three seconds, and breathe out for three seconds.
4-7-8 Technique
This variation is based on an ancient yoga practice and is
Light Exercise
Exercise
Relaxation Techniques
This body scan example fits easily into daily life and takes only five minutes. When you wake up or before sleep, start with your toes, and consciously relax them. Then, work your way up your body, one part at a time, doing the same. It sounds silly, but I challenge you to try it.
Mindfulness Practices
Mindfulness means observing your feelings and bodily sensations without judgment, noticing how you might have control over changing these sensations by breathing or relaxing, and that physical and psychological symptoms are temporary. It is
Cognitive-behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT involves altering your reaction to fear by changing your feelings about the threat. This might include
Medication
Several
- Immediate or acute management: benzodiazepines and beta-blockers
- Long-term or chronic options: antidepressants, antiepileptics and antipsychotics
This is, however, not the focus of this article, and a mental health professional will choose the appropriate treatment option for you.
When to Seek Professional Help
So, how can you tell if it’s a panic attack vs heart attack if they present identically? We find ourselves in a classic chicken or egg situation. After all, life-threatening reasons for acute shortness of breath are a
By doing the diaphragmatic breathing intervention screening immediately, you might have a better idea of whether your shortness of breath is from anxiety or not. Then, when should you seek medical attention?
You should go to the emergency room immediately in any of the following cases:
- You have chest pain
- The shortness of breath came on suddenly
- It is the first time you have experienced the shortness of breath
- Your breathing and relaxation techniques are not stopping it within minutes
The bottom line is that consulting a healthcare professional is the best way to exclude physical conditions and confirm your suspicion of an anxiety cause (if it is the case). They will do this by listening to your history and possibly doing a physical exam and blood tests.
If you suspect that your breathing problems are due to anxiety, help is available from the comfort of your home: make an appointment today with an online anxiety specialist to confirm the diagnosis.
