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Mysterious shortness of breath: What has helped you?
Lung Health | Last Active: Jun 1 6:50am | Replies (3552)Comment receiving replies
I have the same problem. Shortness of breath with no explanation. It's been an issue for years but is getting worse now. I wake up breathless and often have to leave the bed to get better breathing when I'm upright. It's scary at times. I've had all the tests and no doctor can explain why. I play tennis and really push the limit for exercise. The breathing is actually a bit better when I do that. The SOB is at its worst when I am idle and at rest.
It is more than annoying. It's impacting my quality of life. One doctor said it may be because of my body type, chest etc. I'm actually long and lean and underweight if anything. So frustrating ...
Replies to "I have the same problem. Shortness of breath with no explanation. It's been an issue for..."
Hi @stew80, I'm sorry you're dealing with this. I know the struggle- waking up breathless and having to get up right. I, too, went through many tests and doctors with no explanation. It's indeed frustrating- you almost hope they diagnose you with something so at least there's an explanation! But some symptoms are mysterious and don't seem to be attached with anything specific.
Over the years, I've found sort of a routine of various things that help me manage my symptoms. I also found that when I used to exercise intensely, especially cardio, that I would temporarily feel better then would get worse as I rested. I ultimately concluded for myself that intense exercises may have been doing me more harm than good. But what has helped me is light to moderate weight lifting with slow, nasal breathing, and daily walks. I no longer run like I used to. I do bicycle now and then with my kids but don't push myself too hard.
Do you breathe through your mouth when exercising? I've found that controlled nasal breathing especially during exercise helps keep symptoms at bay.
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Get an x-ray of your spine and look for a herniated disc perhaps? That is what happened to me and it caused me problems for 12 years. I was at doctors all over, had every test possible and was healthy and strong working out at the gym… a neurosurgeon did X-ray and put in a spacer at C5/6 and I was fine after healing.