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Anxiety is your body’s natural fear response – known as the fight-or-flight response
Breathlessness is not just because of some physical health issue like asthma. For many people, shortness of breath or dyspnea is a symptom of anxiety that gets triggered when you feel anxious. And in turn, being unable to catch your breath can cause you to feel more anxious.
According to experts, anxiety is your body’s natural fear response, known as the fight-or-flight response. It happens when your body reacts in physical and mental ways to prepare you to either fight or escape from a threatening situation. Various studies have shown a strong association between anxiety and respiratory symptoms.
Signs of anxiety that affect your breath
Comes on suddenly
Shortness of breath that suddenly occurs could be linked to an anxiety attack. Those who experience anxiety or panic attacks report that they often come on without warning, causing:
- Heart palpitations
- Intense sense of fear or doom
- Light-headedness
- Nausea
- Sweating
Happens after a stressful event
Experts say mostly that you may feel breathless after a stressful event like driving through rush-hour traffic, completing a harrowing hike, or saving someone who was choking. Your body responds to these kinds of situations with several physical symptoms to this arousal state, triggering stress and your body's fight-or-flight response, leading to shortness of breath.
Breathlessness is also linked to social or performance anxiety, which you may develop before going on stage, delivering a work presentation, or meeting someone new.
Gets over within 15-20 minutes
According to experts, breathlessness can be a sign of anxiety if you can overcome it within 15-20 minutes. Shortness of breath that lasts longer than that could be a sign of a different physical cause, for which you need to get a detailed examination done with your doctor.
Goes away when the stressor ends
If something has caused you immense stress or triggered anxiety, it can cause you breathlessness, but you will be fine after the exposure is over. Doctors say once your stressor goes away, your anxiety and shortness of breath may also resolve.
However, if breathlessness continues even when you are feeling relaxed and the stressor has been removed, it could be a sign of a different underlying cause.
Comes with other symptoms of anxiety
Having other symptoms of anxiety along with breathlessness also signals that anxiety is the underlying cause. A few of these include dry mouth, difficulty concentrating, excessive worry, and feeling blank and over the edge.
When should you seek emergency care?
According to experts, shortness of breath can be a medical emergency in a few cases, and the signs could be:
- Chest pain or tightness
- Choking, gasping, or inability to speak
- Lips or skin-changing color
- Pain, numbness, or a tingling feeling that spreads throughout your arms, back, neck, and jaw
- Severe difficulty breathing
- Sudden confusion
Easy ways to stop breathlessness due to anxiety
Doctors suggest instead of focusing on your breathing, which can be counterintuitive, you must try a few deep breathing techniques that can help you regulate breathing. A few of these include:
Diaphragmatic breathing
In this, you use your diaphragm, a dome-like muscle beneath the lungs, to enable deeper breaths.
Box breathing
Inhale for a count of four, hold your breath for a count of four, exhale for a count of four, and hold your breath for a count of four. Repeat it at least 5-6 times.
3-3-3 technique
In this, you need to name three things you can see, three things you can touch, and three things you can hear.
Visualization
Start imagining a peaceful scenario and regulating the way you breathe
Progressive muscle relaxation
It is a technique that involves consciously tensing and then relaxing muscle groups one by one.
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