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Mysterious shortness of breath: What has helped you?
Lung Health | Last Active: Oct 23 10:20am | Replies (3405)Comment receiving replies
Hi Gabriel, How’s it going with this? I’ve dealt with nearly the exact same problem and potential solutions (sinus issues, GERD, Buteyko), as well as recurrence after a couple of years without issues.
I’ve noticed that the SOB/air hunger coincides with going back on a low-carb diet. This led me to suspect GERD from foods with a higher fat content at first, but after reading a post on a different forum, I’m now looking into histamine intolerance and a few foods that I tend to eat a lot more (and probably way too much) now that I’m eating less carbs (namely almonds, almond products and other nuts, 100% cacao, and fermented dairy), all of which are known for triggering histamine intolerance.
I do notice though, that a psychological element also comes into play once the symptoms appear, as I begin to obsess over my breathing and its mysterious cause, and it definitely exacerbates the problem. I also find that the issue subsides when I’m deeply engrossed in a task but immediately returns the moment I realize I haven’t felt the need to yawn or sigh in a while.
Anyway, just looking to commiserate and brainstorm if you haven’t resolved the problem yet. Take good care,
Kristina
Replies to "Hi Gabriel, How’s it going with this? I’ve dealt with nearly the exact same problem and..."
Hi @kikiriki, still about the same for me- manageable but not gone. I'm going to get allergy tested for various environmental things and food to see if getting a handle on allergies will help with the sinus issues. I notice that when my sinuses aren't as inflamed my breathing is better and I don't experience as much air hunger.
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Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect @kikiriki. I'm glad that you have joined us, Kristina. You have hit on something that seems to be prevalent in a lot of us; that is having a psychological element that shows up. It's hard not to obsess when our breathing changes. It's a shock when what you think is automatic, a breath, changes and you can't get what you expect.
Thank you for your suggested food avoidances.
How long have you been dealing with SOB?