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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
I read and feel your frustration and pain as I’ve experienced this and can sometimes keep it from happening. Mine seems positional … please everyone get a cervical spine X-ray and report results as it may be a pinched nerve. I was SOB on minimal exertion for 91/2 years; couldn’t do two steps without panting with no reason, said doctors from all over . Finally, my husband suggested checking my spine. I had an anterior cervical disckectomy with fusion at 5/6, and that was it! Healed of that; however, the other ‘trying to get a good breath’ that I had experienced also for a year got worse for awhile until it got a lot better now. I sometimes have it but seems to be from positioning and movement. Before all this happened, ten years ago, I was a healthy weight working out at the gym … maybe the weightlifting caused more compression on the spine and pinched a nerve ? Also, I was 63 ( now 73), and being a female, I’m already prime candidate for compression of the spine so these are my thoughts. If my problem of ‘trying to catch my breath’ as we all experience on this site continues, I will contact my neurosurgeon and check into possibly a problem with the disc above my surgery @ 4/5.
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I had an x-ray that showed anterolisthesis of the C4. They did an EMG on some of the nerves affected by that area, but not the phrenic nerve. Of what they tested, they said there was no nerve impingement, but there was a lot of damage that had healed. I’m 35 and they said I had the nerves of a 60 yo. The phrenic nerve comes out at C4-5-6. My theory is it’s at least being irritated, now or in the past, causing diaphragm weakness/malfunction.
It’d be nice to have the nerve damage confirmed, but it’s not necessarily a concern of the medical system where I am because unless it’s being actively compressed, there’s no reason to operate.
I also think GERD and nasal issues cause inflammation that irritates the diaphragm.
I also think all of these breathing exercises, especially belly breathing and nasal breathing strengthen the diaphragm!
And I think it can be a spiralling circle if you give into the anxiety that is induced by the air hunger feeling (or anything else in your life) as you breathe shallow and quickly, weakening the diaphragm. As well, releasing stress hormones that can contribute to GERD, or vice versa, where eating poorly contributes to GERD, and subsequent irritation of the diaphragm, and the feeling again/worse.
Addressing allergies/upper respiratory illnesses I think would help with irritation and inflammation coming from that.
My plan is to adjust my diet to prevent GERD, work on posture exercises that will prevent the spondylolisthesis from worsening, strengthen my diaphragm with breathing exercises and whatever else I find, reduce stress where I can, embrace stress where I can’t, and come out a strong weathered tree. 🥰🌳