Hello all!
I was so glad to read all of the posts regarding this issue. I am 50 yrs old and I have had this same problem since I was around 10 yrs old.
Yes, it comes and goes. Distraction does help, and for me yawning is a way to get that last little extra "depth" to my breath that helps relieve the feeling that my lungs just aren't quite expanding fully. YET I FOUND SOMETHING THAT HELPED!!!!
No, I'm not trying to sell anything lol. I only hope that some of you may be able to find some relief like I have.
Whenever I tried to explain this sensation to others or my docs, I heard the same responses as all of you. I was convinced it must be anxiety even though I didn't think I felt anxious. Then I had something odd happen that helped me to find a solution (at least for me). I had a blood draw for a different medical issue and when the results came in it showed I had unusually high inflammation markers. My docs weren't sure what it was from exactly but the inflammation was there. I searched for a natural way to help my body deal with the inflammation as I was already on a couple medications and didn't want to add more. What I found was that tumeric and ginger are both great natural ways to help your body deal with inflammation. I begin grating ginger into boiling water to make my own tea at home (which is super inexpensive! ). I definitely believe fresh ginger worked better than a pre-bagged processed ginger tea. I also jumped on Amazon and found a 500mg tumeric and curcumin capsule. I got 250 capsules for around $20. I would drink a big coffee cup (probably equal to 2 regular coffee cups) of the ginger tea maybe two or three times a week when I was feeling like I couldn't get that deep breath, or I would take 2 of the 500mg tumeric/ curcumin capsules for two or three days in a row, and usually by the 2nd day the feeling would not just disappear, but I could get a deep breath even if I was focused on my breathing! I think the ginger tea when made with fresh ginger (I would only steep maybe a teaspoon of ginger for that big cup) actually worked faster and I would have real results within 12 to 14 hrs. I truly believe that it is either my lung tissue or the space around my lungs that gets minorly inflamed. It's not significant enough to be readily noticeable on tests but just enough to keep me from achieving that deep breath. I don't use either method daily anymore as my inflammation seems to be much more in check now. I probably NEED to use them around 4 times a year now. The best thing though is that because these are both very natural herbs neither one will hurt you, unless you are allergic to them of course, if you want to use them on a daily basis.
Anyhow, this was my experience and if it in anyway can help any of you, I am certainly happy to share the information. Good luck to you all!