It\u2019s scary to feel like you can\u2019t breathe. Breathing is one of the most essential activities for life, and most people take it for granted. But there are many health conditions\u2014both physical and mental\u2014that can make it difficult to breathe. Understanding why you’re having trouble breathing can help you feel safer, more in control, and empowered to take action.<\/p>\n
Even if your trouble breathing is due to anxiety<\/a>, it\u2019s still a scary experience. Anxiety and panic attacks<\/a> aren\u2019t immediately life-threatening in the same way as, say, a heart attack. But they are still valid medical concerns that need to be addressed in their own way. In fact, trouble breathing due to anxiety is so common that it’s a good place to start before jumping to conclusions about your physical health.<\/p>\n Anxiety is a type of fear. When you are afraid, your body goes into \u201cfight or flight\u201d mode [1]. Your body is designed to deal with dangers like being attacked by a wild animal or having to run away from falling rocks. Your body isn’t always smart enough to realize that you can\u2019t deal with all your day-to-day struggles by running away or fighting for your life. A lot of the time, that \u201cfight or flight\u201d mode only makes things worse. Shallow breathing and tense muscles just make you feel even more afraid.<\/p>\n That\u2019s why anxiety causes trouble breathing. So what\u2019s the solution? Well, there are many ways to treat anxiety. But here are a few quick things that are helpful for many people:<\/p>\n You can do many of these things on your own. Start with those, and see if you feel any better. If your anxiety doesn\u2019t go away or it comes back later, then start to think about getting help from someone else.<\/p>\n Your body gets ready for a life-or-death situation. In those situations, it\u2019s helpful to have tense muscles and fast breathing so that you can run away from danger. Your body isn\u2019t always smart enough to realize that the thing you\u2019re afraid of isn\u2019t something you can escape by running away or fighting.<\/p>\n When the COVID-19 pandemic first hit, many of us suddenly became more aware than ever of our breathing. Any trouble breathing could be a sign of COVID. Of course, people are still getting COVID, and for people who have already had it, “long COVID” can be scary as well. So for many of us, the same heightened awareness of our breathing is still with us.<\/p>\n Ironically, anxiety about COVID<\/em> can also make it difficult to breathe. This makes it hard to know whether you\u2019re having trouble breathing because you\u2019re sick, or because you\u2019re afraid of getting sick<\/a>!<\/p>\n You can start by thinking about your other symptoms. Although anxiety and a virus can both lead to trouble breathing, there are some differences [2]:<\/p>\n If you’re worried about COVID-19, follow CDC guidelines to prevent getting sick and avoid spreading the virus to others<\/a>.<\/p>\n Although COVID-19 is still the main virus on most people’s minds, many of the same things apply to other respiratory illnesses, like colds or the flu.<\/p>\n People who suddenly have trouble breathing often feel like they might be having a heart attack. This is really scary because it feels so urgent\u2014you feel like you\u2019re going to die, and you don\u2019t have much time to react. Here\u2019s an article on the differences between a panic attack and a heart attack<\/a>. Understanding how a panic attack feels different from a heart attack can help you feel less afraid, and more in control of the situation.<\/p>\n There are also lots of other, less urgent, physical causes of trouble breathing. This article can help you go through some of the possibilities<\/a>. You can also take our online anxiety test<\/a> to see if anxiety might be the problem.<\/p>\n If you feel like you have other symptoms, it\u2019s worth looking into possible physical health concerns. But also keep in mind that while the Internet can be a great source of information\u2026 It\u2019s also easy to convince yourself that you have something more serious than you really do.<\/p>\n Show References<\/a><\/p>\n It\u2019s scary to feel like you can\u2019t breathe. Breathing is one of the most essential activities for life, and most people take it for granted. But there are many health conditions\u2014both physical and mental\u2014that can make it difficult to breathe. Understanding why you’re having trouble breathing can help you feel safer, more in control, and … <\/p>\nTrouble breathing and anxiety<\/h2>\n
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“COVID anxiety” and other respiratory illness<\/h2>\n
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Other medical concerns<\/h2>\n
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