Shortness of Breath from Anxiety | Mental First Aid Today

Have you ever experienced shortness of breath while not having any medical ailments whatsoever? Well, anxiety can cause you to go out of breath. While breathlessness is not always associated with distress, it can make you gasp for air relatively quickly.

According to a study conducted in the USA, 10 percent of adults reported to have experienced anxiety within two weeks. But how can this mental disorder induce a lack of oxygen?

Let’s look into shortness of breath from anxiety and what you can do!

How Can Anxiety Cause Shortness of Breath?

Yes, anxiety can trigger you gasping for wind, but how? Nervousness is your body’s natural fear response, otherwise categorized under a fight or flight response. Due to your mind trying to protect you from the unknown, you might feel restless, which can cause breathlessness.

So, your internal mechanism is just trying to take maximum oxygen to deliver it to muscles to counter a threat. The danger might not be too severe. But you can even be at your wit’s end by asking for a raise.

How to Tell if the Shortness of Breath is from Anxiety?

There is no clear way to tell if your shortness of breath is from anxiety or respiratory disorders. However, for a healthy person, the underlying cause can be a worry. So, if you don’t have any underlying disorders, then distress can be the reason behind your breath deprivation.

It means you’re worrying too much that your mind considers the subject of uneasiness as a threat. Thus, your brain suggests your body to take in more oxygen to improve your chances of survival.

Mental First Aid for Breathlessness from Anxiety

Mental first aid for shortness of breath from distress involves various methods to help you address the situation proficiently.

Exercise and Shock Yourself

Getting a move on can sound absurd, but it will do the trick. If you’re under shortness of breath from anxiety, go on a run. Exercise can aid in utilizing the extra oxygen your body is trying to breathe in from hyperventilation. So, make a run for it next time you feel breathless due to uneasiness.

Therapists recommend shocking your internal nervous system and taking yourself out of distress. A common technique is dipping your face in ice-cold water.

Diaphragmatic and Pursed Lip Breathing

Diaphragmatic breathing has proven to reduce anxiety and thus control shortness of breath. This technique involves the use of a diaphragm for proper breathing.

• Sit or lay comfortably with one hand on the area below the ribs or the stomach to feel the respiration.
• Take deep breaths in through the nose and out from your mouth.

In contrast to diaphragmatic breathing, pursed lip breathing involves exhalation through a closed mouth. So, you inhale through your nose but exhale more slowly due to closed lips and repeat.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness is a set of different practices to play it safe regarding anxiety. Shortness of breath from distress sucks, so why not prevent it? Standard mindfulness techniques include meditation to help reduce anxiety. Such mental exercises can directly or indirectly prevent breathlessness.

Breathlessness from Anxiety — Diagnosis and Treatment

The best way to stabilize is to seek the help of a physician. Common diagnoses can involve chest X-rays or checking your blood oxygen level with a device. If your blood oxygen level is average, the doctor can infer you’re out of breath due to anxiety.

Prescriptions for such distress disorders can involve benzodiazepine medications. Psychotherapy is also a common way to take you out of the spiral.

Wrap Up

To summarize, it’s possible to feel shortness of breath due to anxiety. However, you can always cope through mindfulness, exercises, and other therapeutic drills. If the issue persists, consider seeing a doctor for diagnostics and treatment. We’ve even listed the therapy and ailment identifying experience to inform you of the worst case.

We hope this helped you catch your breath while you were anxious!