Constantly want to take a deep breath or yawn for reasons. Constant desire to take a deep breath

A person can be arbitrarily fearless, but the feeling of lack of air will cause panic in any daredevil. After all, this is a direct threat to our lives, and nature made sure that we felt the danger and tried with all our might to avoid it. However, the lack of oxygen is not always such. Perhaps the brain is only experiencing an illusion and is sending false signals to the body. But why does it seem to us that there is not enough air, or have we forgotten how to breathe correctly?

Fear of death is the king of the whole problem

Very often, nervous people - VSDshniki, neurotics, alarmists - there is a feeling that it is difficult to take a full breath. And, of course, the first thing that comes to mind organic causes symptom. Hypochondriacs immediately begin to consider themselves asthmatics or cancer patients. The fear of a possible death from suffocation becomes so strong that a person is no longer aware of it.

Typical manifestations respiratory problems in a person with a nervous breakdown:

It is worth noting that fear only exacerbates the symptoms, driving the patient into a vicious circle. Sometimes the condition can haunt a person for months, driving him into depression and turning him into a homebody who no one wants to understand.

How can you help yourself learn to breathe again?

Having read medical sites about severe pulmonary pathologies, the patient is difficult to adequate thinking. But if you understand that the main cause of respiratory disorders is stress, then you can quickly eliminate the symptom. There are usually only two main problems here.

Problem What's happening? How can you help?
Hyperventilation of the lungs The scheme familiar to all VSDshniks and alarmists works: adrenaline rush - increased panic - a set of most unpleasant sensations. But not all nervous people realize that in a moment of stress it is difficult for them to take a full breath, not because everything is constrained in the chest, or their lungs refuse to work, but because there is more than enough oxygen inside. The rapid, shallow breathing that occurs during panic disrupts correct proportion oxygen and carbon dioxide in the bloodstream. And, trying to swallow even more air, a person can simply lose consciousness - as a result of which, by the way, he will not die at all, but will restore respiratory function and throw out "extra" oxygen. These simple exercises have saved many ASDs in a panic attack:
  1. Fold your lips into a thin tube, put your palm on your stomach. Inhale slowly, counting to 10, and exhale just as slowly. Perform within 3-5 minutes.
  2. Take a paper bag (or just fold your palms like a boat) and breathe inside this container. It may seem that there is not enough air, but this is normal. This is how your oxygen-carbon dioxide ratio will be restored.
Respiratory neurosis People with nervous disorders tend to dwell on their symptoms. So, if hyperventilation happened for the first time, or was brighter than the previous ones, a person may be so afraid of it that he becomes obsessed. He will constantly begin to check himself for " correct breathing', trying to check, it's hard to do deep breath or not, whether something interferes with the process. Therefore, respiratory neurosis can be called a kind of "complication" of hyperventilation of the lungs or a panic attack. In a neurotic, the subconscious will note any changes in breathing, take the imaginary for the real, bringing the person to depression. It all depends on how ready you are to change your attitude to the problem. You need to understand: you will not die from lack of air. Even if you overdo it with breaths and lose consciousness, then when you come to your senses, you will already receive restored breathing. It is a pity that not all patients have enough willpower to begin to change their thoughts. Then a psychotherapist will come to the rescue. In some cases, conversations alone are not enough, and medicines are connected to the case. Because neuroses are not a simple thing at all, and often the patient is not able to cope with them on his own.

Respiratory problems are psychologically difficult. Everything that the human brain automatically perceives as a threat to life is experienced especially painfully, first of all, from the moral side. But the only plus of nervous difficulties in breathing is that they will never lead a person to death, because their cause is not organic. And this small, but such an important plus, is able to set your mind on adequate perception situations and help solve the problem.

Yawning is a physiological reaction of the body, trying to make up for the lack of oxygen, which, with an active and deep enough breath, is forced into the blood stream, thereby ensuring saturation of the brain tissues. The feeling of lack of air can have many reasons that contribute to its formation, and it is to exit this state that the body reacts with a desire to yawn.

Links of the physiological chain

The regulation of maintaining a constant level of oxygen in the blood stream, and its stable content with an increase in the level of load on the body, is carried out by the following functional parameters:

  • The work of the respiratory muscles and the brain center for controlling the frequency and depth of inspiration;
  • Ensuring the patency of the air flow, its humidification and heating;
  • Alveolar ability to absorb oxygen molecules and diffuse it into the blood stream;
  • The muscular readiness of the heart to pump blood, transporting it to all internal structures of the body;
  • Maintaining a sufficient balance of red blood cells, which are agents for the transfer of molecules to tissues;
  • fluidity of the blood stream;
  • Membrane susceptibility cellular level absorb oxygen;

The occurrence of constant yawning and shortness of breath indicates the current internal violation any of the listed links in the chain of reactions, requiring the timely implementation of therapeutic actions. The presence of the following diseases may be the basis for the development of a symptom.

Pathologies of the heart system and vascular network

A feeling of lack of air with the development of yawning can occur with any damage to the heart, especially affecting its pumping function. The appearance of a fleeting and rapidly disappearing shortage can be formed during the development of a crisis state against the background of hypertension, an attack of arrhythmia or neurocirculatory dystonia. In the most frequent cases, it is not accompanied by a cough syndrome.

Heart failure

With regular violations of cardiac functionality, which forms the development of insufficient activity of the heart, a feeling of lack of air begins to arise naturally, and intensifies with increased physical activity and manifests itself in the night interval of sleep in the form of cardiac asthma.

The lack of air is felt precisely on inspiration, forming wheezing in the lungs with the release of foamy sputum. To alleviate the condition, a forced position of the body is adopted. After taking nitroglycerin, all warning signs disappear.

Thromboembolism

The formation of blood clots in the lumen of the vessels of the pulmonary arterial trunk leads to the appearance of constant yawning and lack of air, being initial sign pathological disorder. The mechanism of the development of the disease includes the formation of blood clots in the venous network of the vessels of the extremities, which break away and move with the blood flow to the pulmonary trunk, causing blockage of the arterial lumen. This leads to the formation of a pulmonary infarction.

The condition carries a danger to life, accompanied by an intense lack of air, almost resembling suffocation with the onset of coughing and sputum discharge containing impurities of blood structures. The covers of the upper half of the torso in this condition acquire a shade of blue.

VSD

Pathology forms a decrease in the tone of the vascular network of the whole organism, including the tissues of the lungs, brain, and heart. Against the background of this process, the functionality of the heart is disrupted, which does not provide the lungs with a sufficient amount of blood. The flow, in turn, with low oxygen saturation, enters the tissues of the heart, without providing it with the necessary amount of nutrients.

The reaction of the body is an arbitrary attempt to increase the pressure of the blood flow by increasing the multiplicity of heartbeats. As a result of a closed pathological cycle, constant yawning occurs with VVD. In this way, the autonomic sphere of the nervous network regulates the intensity respiratory function, providing replenishment of oxygen and neutralization of hunger. This defense response avoids the development ischemic injury in tissues.

Respiratory diseases

The appearance of yawning with a lack of inhaled air can be provoked by severe disturbances in the functionality of the respiratory structures. These include the following diseases:

  1. Asthma of the bronchial type.
  2. Tumor process in the lungs.
  3. Bronchiectasis.
  4. Infectious lesion bronchi.
  5. Pulmonary edema.

In addition, the formation of lack of air and yawning is affected by rheumatism, low mobility and overweight, as well as psychosomatic causes. This spectrum of diseases with the presence of the symptom under consideration includes the most common and frequently detected pathological disorders.

In many cases, shortness of breath situations can be an indicator of serious illness. Therefore, one cannot ignore such a deviation and wait until the next attack passes in the hope that a new one will not repeat soon.

Almost always, if there is not enough air when inhaling, the reason lies in hypoxia - a drop in the oxygen content in cells and tissues. It can also be a matter of hypoxemia, when oxygen drops in the blood itself.

Each of these deviations becomes the main factor why activation in the brain respiratory center begins, the heartbeat and breathing become more frequent. In this case, gas exchange in the blood atmospheric air becomes more intense and oxygen starvation decreases.

Almost everyone experiences a feeling of lack of oxygen during running or other physical activity, but if this happens even with a calm step or at rest, then the situation is serious. Any indicators such as a change in the rhythm of breathing, shortness of breath, the duration of inhalation and exhalation should not be ignored.

Varieties of shortness of breath and other data on the disease

Dyspnea, or in non-medical language - shortness of breath, is a disease that is accompanied by a feeling of lack of air. In the case of heart problems, the appearance of shortness of breath begins during physical exertion in the early stages, and if the situation gradually worsens without treatment, even in a relative state of rest.

This is especially evident in a horizontal position, which forces the patient to constantly sit.

Manifested by attacks of severe shortness of breath most often at night, the deviation may be a manifestation of cardiac asthma. In this case, inhalation is difficult and this is an indicator of inspiratory dyspnea. An expiratory type of shortness of breath is when, on the contrary, it is difficult to exhale air.

This happens due to narrowing of the lumen in the small bronchi or in case of loss of elasticity in the tissues of the lungs. Directly cerebral dyspnea is manifested due to irritation of the respiratory center, which can occur due to tumors and hemorrhages.

Difficulty or rapid breathing

Depending on the frequency of respiratory contractions, there can be 2 types of shortness of breath:

  1. bradypnea - respiratory movements per minute 12 or less, occurs due to damage to the brain or its membranes, when hypoxia proceeds for a long time, which may be accompanied by diabetes and diabetic coma;

The main criterion that shortness of breath is pathological is that it occurs in a normal situation and light loads, when it was previously absent.

The physiology of the respiratory process and why there may be problems

When it is difficult to breathe and there is not enough air, the reasons may be in violation complex processes at the physiological level. Oxygen in our body enters our body, into the lungs and spreads to all cells thanks to the surfactant.

It is a complex of various active substances(polysaccharides, proteins, phospholipids, etc.) lining the inside of the alveoli of the lungs. Responsible for ensuring that the pulmonary vesicles do not stick together and oxygen freely enters the lungs.

The value of the surfactant is very significant - with its help, the spread of air through the alveolar membrane is immediately accelerated. That is, we can say that we can breathe thanks to the surfactant.

The less surfactant, the more difficult it will be for the body to ensure a normal respiratory process.

The surfactant helps the lungs absorb and assimilate oxygen, prevents the walls of the lungs from sticking together, improves immunity, protects the epithelium and prevents edema from appearing. Therefore, if the feeling is constantly present oxygen starvation, it is possible that the body fails to provide healthy breathing due to failures in the production of surfactant.

Possible causes of the disease

Often a person can feel - "I am suffocating, as if a stone is on my lungs." At good health such a situation should not be in a normal state of rest or in the case of light loads. The reasons for the lack of oxygen can be very diverse:

  • strong feelings and stress;
  • allergic reaction;

Despite such a long list possible causes why it can be hard to inhale, surfactant is almost always at the root of the problem. From the point of view of physiology, this is the fatty membrane of the inner walls of the alveoli.

The alveolus is a vesicular depression in the lungs and is involved in the respiratory act. Thus, if everything is in order with the surfactant, any diseases on the lungs and breathing will be minimally reflected.

Therefore, if we see people in transport, pale and in a fainting state, most likely the whole thing is also in the surfactant. When a person notices behind himself - “I yawn too often”, then the substance is produced incorrectly.

How to Avoid Surfactant Problems

It has already been noted that the basis of the surfactant is fats, of which it consists of almost 90%. The rest is supplemented by polysaccharides and proteins. The key function of fats in our body is precisely the synthesis of this substance.

Therefore, a common reason why there are problems with surfactant is following the fashion for a low-fat diet. People who have eliminated fats from their diet (which can be beneficial, and not only harmful), soon begin to suffer from hypoxia.

Useful are unsaturated fats, which are found in fish, nuts, olive and vegetable oils. Among vegetable products, avocados are excellent in this regard.

Flaw healthy fats in the diet leads to hypoxia, which subsequently develops into ischemic heart disease, which is one of the most common causes premature mortality. It is especially important to correctly form your diet for women during pregnancy, so that both she and the child have everything necessary substances produced in sufficient quantity.

How can you take care of your lungs and alveoli

Since we breathe with the help of the lungs through the mouth, and oxygen enters the body only through the alveolar link, in case of breathing problems, you need to take care of the health of the respiratory system. It may also be necessary to pay special attention to the heart, since with a lack of oxygen, various problems can begin with it, requiring prompt treatment.

In addition to proper nutrition and the inclusion of healthy fatty foods, you can make other effective preventive measures. in a good way improve health is a visit salt rooms and caves. Now they can be easily found in almost any city.

VSD and feeling short of breath

The feeling when it is hard to breathe is a frequent accompaniment of vegetovascular dystonia. Why are people with VVD sometimes unable to take a full breath? One common cause is hyperventilation syndrome.

This problem is not related to the lungs, heart or bronchi.

Also do not forget to thank the doctors.

cardiologist4 21:26

cardiologist3 15:45

cardiologist5 23:21

I am a resident of eastern Ukraine, I came to the northern capital of Russia St. Petersburg, for like a year now. During the first week of my stay, I began to feel unimportant (Short Breath, SIGNIFICANTLY RELATED HEART PULSE WHEN I INHALED, HEAVY IN THE HEART REGION, FATIGUE OF THE LEFT FOREARM MUSCLES, LEFT SIDE CHEST MUSCLES.), but my fellow countrymen told me that, they say, you’ll get used to it, it’s okay - then will pass, I thought it was acclimatization. But as it turned out, then it became more difficult (SYMPTOMS INTENSIFIED AND MORE FREQUENCY, THE EXTREME PHALANXES ON THE HANDS AND LIPS BEGAN TO GO NUMBER. MORE THAN A MONTH HAS PASSED), I forced myself to quit smoking. , that this is all an erroneous diagnosis, and I decided that I might have chondrosis somewhere on the spine or chest. After a while, the symptoms disappeared, the reason is unknown to me, whether it’s exercise, or time, or the weather. Or maybe quit smoking. I was pleased that I feel normal and nothing bothers me. But I did not rejoice for long. After a long working day and heavy physical exertion, in the evening after eating, the symptoms reappeared, but not much more pleasant and more aggravated. Later, the numbness of the hands developed into a cramp, felt that something was wrong with the blood and made an injection.

Began to take vitamins SUPRADIN. Two courses of seven through seven, the specifics of the work did not change, physical activity. Before going to bed - 80 grams of warm red wine. In the morning a hearty breakfast after the Tibetan exercise. Well, so far it has passed before this relapse.

Nakakune, in the evening, had a strong fight with his wife. I was very nervous and drank vodka, not many grams, I ate well and went to bed very drunk. I woke up with the usual hangover, light.

The first hour of work, symptoms: dyspnea, STRONG FATIGUE.

Later 30 minutes, symptoms: SEVERE dyspnoea, heaviness in the muscles, pressure on the temples and the area of ​​the heart.

I took VALIDOL. Symptoms after another 30 minutes: MOVING - EASIER, STOPPING - SYMPTOMS STRENGTHEN.

He took time off from work, took NITROGLYCIRIN with him, came to the house, did not come in until he passed, he moved with an easy step, VALIDOL was still under the tongue, about half. Well, it seems to be allowed. I went home and brewed chamomile, St. John's wort, agave and Crimean thyme. I made a strong decoction and drank it. After about 30-40 minutes it became easier - could be in calm state, all the symptoms are gone, there is a slight pressure on the temples and, with sudden movement, region of the heart. I found peppermint, added it to the teapot, I drink only this, I'm afraid of other medicines, without specialist recommendations!

What, in fact, is the ESSENCE of APPEAL to you. I WAKE UP FROM THAT I CAN'T BREATHE! AS IF THIS IS NOT A UNCONDITIONAL REFLEX AND IT SHOULD BE CONTROLLED!

I ask you to advise me prevention or treatment based on these symptoms.

I will be very grateful to your attention. I am 32 years old, 63/172 AB(4) Rh+

Why there is not enough air when breathing and yawning begins

Dangerous symptoms

Sometimes shortness of breath occurs for physiological reasons, which are quite easily eliminated. But if you constantly want to yawn and take a deep breath, then this may be a symptom of a serious illness. It is even worse when, against this background, shortness of breath (dyspnea) often occurs, appearing even with minimal physical activity. This is already a cause for concern and a visit to the doctor.

You should immediately go to the hospital if difficulty breathing is accompanied by:

  • pain in the retrosternal region;
  • change in the color of the skin;
  • nausea and dizziness;
  • severe bouts of coughing;
  • an increase in body temperature;
  • swelling and cramps of the limbs;
  • feeling of fear and inner tension.

These symptoms usually clearly signal pathologies in the body, which must be identified and eliminated as soon as possible.

Causes of lack of air

All the reasons why a person can turn to a doctor with a complaint: “I can’t breathe completely and constantly yawn” can be divided into psychological, physiological and pathological. Conditionally - because everything in our body is closely interconnected, and the failure of one system entails a violation normal operation other organs.

So, prolonged stress, which is attributed to psychological reasons, may provoke hormonal imbalance and cardiovascular problems.

Physiological

The most harmless are the physiological causes that can cause difficulty breathing:

  1. Lack of oxygen. Strongly felt in the mountains, where the air is rarefied. So if you recently changed your geographical position and are now well above sea level, it is normal for you to have difficulty breathing at first. Well, ventilate the apartment more often.
  2. Soul room. Two factors play a role here at once - a lack of oxygen and an excess carbon dioxide especially if there are many people in the room.
  3. Tight clothing. Many do not even think about it, but in the pursuit of beauty, sacrificing amenities, they deprive themselves of a significant portion of oxygen. Especially dangerous are clothes that strongly squeeze the chest and diaphragm: corsets, tight bras, tight-fitting bodysuits.
  4. bad physical form. Shortness of breath and shortness of breath at the slightest exertion are experienced by those who lead a sedentary lifestyle or have spent a lot of time in bed due to illness.
  5. Overweight. It causes a whole bunch of problems, in which yawning and shortness of breath are not the most serious. But be careful - with a significant excess of normal weight, heart pathologies quickly develop.

It is difficult to breathe in the heat, especially when severely dehydrated. The blood becomes thicker, and it is harder for the heart to push it through the vessels. As a result, the body does not receive enough oxygen. The person begins to yawn and try to breathe deeper.

Medical

Shortness of breath, yawning and regularly felt shortness of breath can provoke serious illness. And often these signs are one of the first symptoms that allow diagnosing the disease at an early stage.

Therefore, if you constantly find it difficult to breathe, be sure to go to the doctor. Among possible diagnoses the most common are the following:

  • VVD - vegetative-vascular dystonia. This disease is the scourge of our time, and it is usually triggered by severe or chronic nervous strain. A person feels constant anxiety, fears, panic attacks develop, there is a fear of an enclosed space. Difficulty breathing and yawning are harbingers of such attacks.
  • Anemia. Acute iron deficiency in the body. It is necessary for the transport of oxygen. When it is not enough, even with normal breathing it seems that there is not enough air. The person begins to constantly yawn and take deep breaths.
  • Bronchopulmonary diseases: bronchial asthma, pleurisy, pneumonia, acute and Chronical bronchitis, cystic fibrosis. All of them one way or another lead to the fact that it becomes almost impossible to take a full breath.
  • Respiratory diseases, acute and chronic. Due to swelling and drying of the mucous membranes of the nose and larynx, it becomes difficult to breathe. Often the nose and throat are clogged with mucus. When yawning, the larynx opens as much as possible, therefore, with the flu and SARS, we not only cough, but also yawn.
  • Heart disease: ischemia, acute heart failure, cardiac asthma. They are difficult to diagnose at an early stage. Often, shortness of breath, along with shortness of breath and pain behind the sternum, is a sign of a heart attack. If this condition occurs suddenly, it is better to immediately call an ambulance.
  • Pulmonary thromboembolism. People suffering from thrombophlebitis are at serious risk. A detached blood clot can block pulmonary artery and cause part of the lung to die. But at first it becomes difficult to breathe, there is a constant yawning and a feeling of acute lack of air.

As you can see, most diseases are not just serious - they pose a threat to the life of the patient. Therefore, if you often feel short of breath, it is better not to delay a visit to the doctor.

Psychogenic

And again, one cannot help but recall stress, which is today one of the main causes of the development of many diseases.

Yawning under stress is an unconditioned reflex inherent in us by nature. If you watch animals, you will notice that when they are nervous, they constantly yawn. And in this sense, we are no different from them.

Under stress, a spasm of capillaries occurs, and the heart begins to beat faster through the release of adrenaline. Because of this, it increases blood pressure. A deep breath and yawning perform a compensatory function in this case and protect the brain from destruction.

With a strong fright, there is often a muscle spasm, due to which it becomes impossible to take a full breath. No wonder there is an expression "breathless".

What to do

If you find yourself in a situation in which there is frequent yawning and lack of breath, do not try to panic - this will only exacerbate the problem. The first thing to do is to provide an additional supply of oxygen: open a window or window, if possible, go outside.

Try to loosen clothing as much as possible that interferes full breath: remove a tie, unbutton a collar, corset or bra. In order not to feel dizzy, it is better to take a sitting or lying position. Now you need to take a very deep breath through the nose and an elongated exhalation through the mouth.

After a few such breaths, the condition usually improves markedly. If this does not happen, and the dangerous symptoms listed above are added to the lack of air, immediately call an ambulance.

Before the arrival of health workers, do not take medications on your own, unless they are prescribed by your doctor - they can distort clinical picture and make it difficult to diagnose.

Diagnostics

Emergency physicians usually quickly determine the cause of severe breathing difficulty and the need for hospitalization. If there are no serious concerns, and the attack is caused by physiological causes or severe stress and no longer repeats, then you can sleep peacefully.

But if you suspect heart or lung disease, it is better to undergo an examination, which may include:

  • general analysis of blood and urine;
  • radiograph of the lungs;
  • electrocardiogram;
  • Ultrasound of the heart;
  • bronchoscopy;
  • computer tomogram.

What types of research are needed in your case, the doctor will determine at the initial examination.

If lack of air and constant yawning are caused by stress, then you may need to consult a psychologist or neurologist who will tell you how to remove nervous tension or prescribe medications: sedatives or antidepressants.

Treatment and prevention

When a patient comes to the doctor with a complaint: “I can’t breathe completely, I’m yawning, what should I do?”, First of all, he collects a detailed history. This eliminates the physiological causes of oxygen deficiency.

In the case of overweight, the treatment is obvious - the patient should be referred to a nutritionist. Without controlled weight loss, the problem cannot be solved.

If the results of the examination revealed acute or chronic heart disease or respiratory tract, treatment is prescribed according to the protocol. Acceptance is needed here medicines and possibly physical therapy.

Good prevention and even a method of treatment is breathing exercises. But with broncho-pulmonary diseases, it can be done only with the permission of the attending physician. Incorrectly selected or performed exercises in this case can provoke an attack of severe coughing and worsening of the general condition.

It is very important to keep yourself in good physical shape. Even with heart disease, there are special sets of exercises that help you recover faster and return to a normal lifestyle. Aerobic exercises are especially useful - they train the heart and develop the lungs.

Active outdoor games (badminton, tennis, basketball, etc.), cycling, walking at a fast pace, swimming will not only help get rid of shortness of breath and provide additional oxygen, but also tighten your muscles, making you slimmer. And then even high in the mountains you will feel great and enjoy the journey, and not suffer from constant shortness of breath and yawning.

It is difficult to take a full breath - what can this mean?

When it is difficult to take a full breath in the first place, a suspicion of lung pathology arises. But such a symptom may indicate a complicated course of osteochondrosis. Therefore, if you have problems with breathing, you should consult a doctor.

Causes of difficulty breathing in osteochondrosis

Shortness of breath, the inability to take a full breath are characteristic signs of cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis. Pathology in the spine arises from different reasons. But most often the development of degenerative processes is provoked by: a sedentary lifestyle, the performance of work related to increased load back, poor posture. The impact of these factors over the years has had a negative impact on the condition intervertebral discs: they become less elastic and durable (the vertebrae move towards the paravertebral structures).

If osteochondrosis progresses, in destructive processes are involved bone tissues(osteophytes appear on the vertebrae), muscles and ligaments. Over time, a protrusion or herniation of the disc is formed. When the pathology is localized in cervical region spine are squeezed nerve roots, vertebral artery(through it blood and oxygen enter the brain): there is pain in the neck, a feeling of lack of air, tachycardia.

With the destruction of the intervertebral discs and the displacement of the vertebrae in the thoracic spine, the structure of the chest changes, the phrenic nerve is irritated, the roots are infringed, which are responsible for the innervation of the organs of the respiratory and cardiovascular system. Outward manifestation such processes becomes pain, which increases when you try to take a deep breath, disruption of the lungs and heart.

Features of the manifestation of osteochondrosis

The clinical manifestation of cervical and thoracic osteochondrosis is different. In the early stages of development, it may be asymptomatic. Shortness of breath and chest pain with deep breathing occur as the disease progresses. Shortness of breath can disturb both during the day and at night. During sleep, it is accompanied by snoring. The patient's sleep becomes intermittent, as a result of which he wakes up tired and broken.

In addition to respiratory disorders, with osteochondrosis appear:

  • pain between the shoulder blades;
  • cardiopalmus;
  • stiffness of hand movements;
  • headaches (most often in the occipital region);
  • numbness, numbness of the neck;
  • dizziness, fainting;
  • tremor of the upper limbs;
  • bruising of fingertips.

Often, such signs of osteochondrosis are perceived as a pathology of the lungs or heart. However, it is possible to distinguish true violations in the work of these systems from a disease of the spine by the presence of other symptoms.

It is difficult to understand why it is not possible to take a deep breath on your own. But at home, you can do the following:

  • take a sitting position, hold your breath for 40 seconds;
  • try to blow out the candle at a distance of 80 cm.

If the tests failed, this indicates a malfunction in the respiratory system. For the ruling accurate diagnosis you need to see a doctor.

Breathing problems: diagnosis, treatment

Only a doctor can find out why it is difficult to take a full breath, after the patient has passed comprehensive examination. It includes:

Examination of the chest organs. Appoint:

Diagnosis of the spine. It includes:

  • radiography;
  • contrast discography;
  • myelography;
  • computed or magnetic resonance imaging.

If during the examination no serious pathologies of the internal organs were revealed, but signs of osteochondrosis were found, the spine should be treated. Therapy should be comprehensive and include drug and non-drug treatment.

In drug therapy, the following are prescribed:

Painkillers and vasodilators. The principle of their action:

  • accelerate the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain, tissues of the affected spine;
  • reduce vasospasm, pain syndrome;
  • improve metabolism.

Chondroprotectors - take in order to:

  • restore the elasticity of the intervertebral discs;
  • prevent further cartilage destruction.

Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Application effect:

  • pain decreases;
  • disappears inflammation, swelling of tissues at the site of clamping of blood vessels and roots of the spinal cord;
  • relieve muscle tension;
  • restore motor function of the spine.

Additionally, vitamins are prescribed. AT difficult situations recommend wearing a Shants collar: it supports the neck, thereby reducing pressure on the roots and blood vessels (the feeling of lack of air does not occur so often).

An integral part of the complex treatment of the spine is the use of auxiliary medical procedures. The main goals of this therapy are:

  • reduce the severity of pain syndrome;
  • strengthen the muscular corset;
  • eliminate breathing problems;
  • stimulate metabolic processes in the affected tissues;
  • prevent exacerbation of pain.

Non-drug treatment of osteochondrosis includes:

  • acupuncture - improves blood flow, blocks pathological impulses of the peripheral nervous system;
  • electrophoresis - relaxes muscles, dilates blood vessels, has a calming effect;
  • magnetotherapy. It contributes to the improvement cerebral circulation, saturation of the myocardium with oxygen (the activity of the chest organs normalizes, shortness of breath disappears);
  • exercise therapy and breathing exercises. The effect of classes: strengthens the cardiovascular and respiratory system;
  • massage - accelerates the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain and chest organs, relaxes muscles, normalizes metabolism.

Constant lack of air in osteochondrosis can lead to the development bronchial asthma, the occurrence of inflammation of the heart muscle. In severe cases, pathology of the cervical or thoracic of the spine becomes the cause of complete loss of respiratory functions, disability and even - lethal outcome. Therefore, after confirming the diagnosis, you should immediately begin to take therapeutic measures.

If the recommendations for treatment are followed, the prognosis for recovery is favorable. Exceptions are cases of belated visits to the doctor: when prolonged lack of air has led to irreversible changes in brain tissues.

To prevent the occurrence of shortness of breath in osteochondrosis, exacerbation of the disease, it is recommended:

  1. Charge regularly.
  2. As often as possible to be in the fresh air: this will reduce the likelihood of hypoxia.
  3. Eat properly.
  4. Quit smoking, minimize alcohol consumption.
  5. Follow your posture.
  6. Go running, swimming, rollerblading and skiing.
  7. Do inhalations with essential oils, citrus (if there is no allergy to fruits).
  8. Completely rest.
  9. Change soft bed to orthopedic.
  10. Avoid excessive stress on the spine.
  11. Strengthen the immune system with folk remedies or medications (on the recommendation of a doctor).

Lack of air, shortness of breath, pain with a deep breath - can be signs of diseases of the heart and respiratory organs, or a manifestation of complicated osteochondrosis. To prevent the occurrence of consequences that are dangerous to health and life, it is necessary to consult a doctor: he will identify the cause of the violation of the respiratory system and select the correct treatment.

It's hard to breathe, not enough air: reasons for what to do

How dangerous are attacks of lack of air in a person, shortness of breath, asthma attacks, why does this happen, and how to deal with it?

Most often, there is not enough air, it becomes difficult to breathe, shortness of breath occurs against the background of heart or lung diseases, and you can read about this in great detail in the article on our website alter-zdrav.ru “Shortness of breath - causes, symptoms, treatment, first aid".

This article is about those cases when everything is in order with the heart and lungs, no pathologies were found, and a person who suffocates from time to time has already been checked by a neurologist, a pulmonologist, a therapist, and nothing serious was found in him.

This is exactly the situation that is discouraging and frightening, because the specific reason has not been identified why there was a feeling of lack of air, there are no organic pathologies, and shortness of breath and heaviness in the chest still occur, and usually at the most inopportune moment.

When a person cannot explain the reason, their own interpretations and arguments arise that cause anxiety, fear that does not improve the situation, even aggravates it.

Causes of difficulty breathing

Probably every person has experienced sudden feeling pressure in the chest, lack of air, when it is hard to take a deep breath ... Why is this happening?

The reason is not in the lungs, not in the bronchi, but in the muscles of the chest, namely in the intercostal muscles and in the muscles that are involved in the act of breathing. You need to figure out what's going on.

  • First, there is a tension of this very intercostal muscles, the muscles of the chest, which is why there are sensations of stiffness and difficulty in breathing. In fact, breathing is not difficult, but there is a feeling that there is not enough air, it seems to a person that he cannot breathe.
  • When there is a feeling that it is impossible to take a deep breath, fears appear, panic attacks occur, an additional portion of adrenaline is released.
  • From this, the intercostal muscles, the muscles of the chest are even more reduced, and this leads to even more difficult breathing. Naturally, while doing this, a person tries to inhale deeper and inhales too much air, more than is necessary.

That is, there is a feeling that there is not enough air, but at the same time enough oxygen enters through the bronchi, and due to the fact that a person suffering from shortness of breath breathes rapidly and deeply or superficially, it turns out that too much oxygen is inhaled.

There is, on the one hand, stiffness of the chest muscles and difficulty in breathing, and, on the other hand, due to a feeling of lack of oxygen, rapid deep or rapid breathing, which leads to a supersaturation of the blood with oxygen.

Thus, a vicious circle is formed, in the center of which there is a conscious focus on the feeling of pressure in the chest, on the lack of air for a full breath, which leads to a muscle reaction and to contraction. respiratory organs and is interpreted as a feeling of inferior breathing.

It is worth noting that as a result of such a behavioral reaction, which seems to be understandable, logical, but far from functional, the blood is oversaturated with oxygen, acidosis occurs, changes acid-base balance in the blood, and this further aggravates the contraction of the respiratory muscles, leads to the expansion of blood vessels in the heart and brain, there is that very feeling of “derealization”, when a person loses a sense of reality, the reality of what is happening.

Types of difficulty breathing

It is also worth mentioning that there are 2 types of shortness of breath:

  • Type 1 - when a person cannot breathe in completely (feeling of incomplete inspiration), and the breath lasts for a long time (inspiratory state, that is, inhalatory dyspnea). This occurs when breathing through the upper respiratory tract is difficult.
  • Type 2 - when it is impossible to exhale completely, and the exhalation lasts a long time without bringing satisfaction (experimental situation). Usually occurs with asthma.

There is also a mixed state of breathing problems, when it is difficult to inhale and exhale. But these types are usually caused by organ pathologies.

When short of breath nervous ground the patient cannot say for sure whether it is difficult for him to inhale or exhale, he simply says “it is difficult to breathe”, there is a feeling that there is not enough air. And if you start breathing more often or deeper, relief does not come.

How to get rid of shortness of breath, difficulty breathing

  • First, you need to identify the reason why, as they say, "the soul and heart hurts." For someone it is the situation in the country, for someone it is a lack of money or family troubles, some kind of unpleasant diagnosis. You need to ask yourself the question - is this problem worth such experiences? This is the beginning of healing, if you answer your question honestly, it will become easier to breathe.
  • Excessive compassion should be removed from thoughts. This is a virus in disguise. People are often told: “Be compassionate!”, that is, to suffer together with someone, if one person felt bad, then the second person takes on the suffering of the first, and so along the chain it becomes bad for everyone around, and this leads to heaviness in chest, rapid breathing and heartbeat, to moral anxiety and despondency. There is a correct program - mercy. It is much wiser to replace compassion with mercy.
  • You should not dwell on failures, you need to solve your problems or let them go, especially if they are more far-fetched. Breathing will become much easier, it will feel better in the chest. You should think positively, do not allow gloomy thoughts to come to you.
  • Together with the above, you need to apply breathing techniques(information about each method is freely available on the Internet), for example:

    Breathing exercises Strelnikova;

    Hatha yoga - control of one's condition through Indian practice;

  • Of course, the correct regimen of the day and nutrition is important, enough long sleep, frequent walks in the fresh air, then panic attacks will not bother.

The most important thing is to manage stress

Any prolonged stress - trouble at work or lack thereof, a difficult physical period after a long illness, surgical intervention, divorce, retirement, and even the expectation of a child - can slowly deplete the body. And the body, as we are not inclined to ignore it, needs care and attention.

And then the body, exhausted by tension and stress, has no other way to draw attention to itself, except to “tear off” a kind of internal “stop tap” and provoke a panic attack, thereby forcing its “owner” to take care of itself.

Psychiatrists do not like to treat this condition, psychotherapists do not. As a rule, neurologists deal with this issue. Usually they prescribe drugs for neurosis, antidepressants and tranquilizers, they call it either vegetative-vascular dystonia or asthenic syndrome.

In American films, patients who are short of breath are often advised to breathe into a bag to restrict oxygen, although this method is not very effective.

Summing up, we can say with confidence that there is no pathology behind the attacks of panic attacks and suffocation. If the cardiovascular system is normal, and the cardiologist did not find anything, if the lungs are examined and healthy, then shortness of breath is not associated with organic diseases.

The feeling of suffocation that occurs from time to time is nothing more than a programmed automatic reaction of the nervous system. Most importantly, it is harmless and harmless, it occurs as a result of expectation or fear of suffocation.

This reaction is absolutely reversible. It is clear that the feeling of fear about the lack of oxygen is very unpleasant in itself, and you need to get rid of it.

In order to avoid these attacks, it is imperative to train the nervous system (vegetative), to be more precise, the sympathetic department, so that it does not get so quickly overexcited and overstrained. For this, there are special exercises, meditations for relaxation and a more calm perception of life's problems.

The first step in getting rid of shortness of breath is to understand the origins of the origin, why it occurs, to realize the fact that this is not caused by cardiac or lung disease, and make sure own experience in that it is a controlled reversible reaction that does not carry any harm. This is not self-hypnosis, indeed, the respiratory and intercostal muscles contract under the influence of nerve impulses.

PEOPLE WHO CANNOT Yawn. How to deal with it

This, of course, sounds somewhat strange, but two weeks ago, for the first time in my life, I could not yawn. At first, you habitually stretch, take in air, and it hangs somewhere in the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe palate. And hangs there, does not move. You stand like a fool, with your mouth open, while the back of your head itches. It's crazy.

Out of habit, I asked Yandex what I should do. To the request “I can’t yawn,” the Internet responded with numerous calls for help, dangling unanswered. Hundreds of people cannot yawn and look for the reasons for this in everything that surrounds them, and no one can help them, because no one really knows why this happens.

Tatyana from Vologda writes on the forum traditional medicine“Zdravushka”: “Sometimes I want to take a deep breath or yawn - but I can’t! This is dangerous?" User Villi addresses the regulars of the Medchannel: "I have trouble falling asleep, this is due to the fact that it is difficult for me to breathe air, and for some reason I cannot yawn." Girl Dauzhas on the LikarInfo portal: “I open my mouth like a fish and cannot yawn, as if there is not enough air. Feeling like I'm suffocating now. And so often, very much, a hundred times a day, sometimes even the muscles of the larynx begin to hurt.

Service [email protected] witnessed a heartbreaking chronicle: Aizulin says that he has been unable to yawn for two days: he breathes normally, full chest, does not go to training, because it is scary, on the street he manages to forget about the problem, but does not yawn. “I open my mouth very wide, but the yawning function seems to have been turned off. Help me please!" And Rainy says, “I can't either. This has been going on for eight years. It must have started at thirteen. Never smoked. It also happens that you have to strain to take a deep breath. On the street, I don’t think about it either, but when I go to bed or just sit at home, it starts like that. And now too."

The fact is that everyone who is faced with non-yawning cannot find a way out, because there are no recipes or understanding of the nature of this phenomenon. People assume dozens of different options. nerve spasm. Respiratory neurosis. Neurocircular dystonia. Thyroid gland. Physical inactivity. Vegetative-vascular dystonia. Spine. Heart. Emotions. Nervous strain. Smoking. Self-hypnosis. Allergy. Asthma. Rudiments from primates. A lot of coffee.

How to get rid of it? The Internet, as usual, knows all the answers. Here is just a small list of folk remedies. Stretch your hands and pull them. Inhale, release your hands, exhale. Breathing exercises. Drink a sedative. Half sit down, lean your elbows on your knees, relax your back. Thirty drops of corvalol. Noshpa and diphenhydramine inhalations. Get a job as a loader, work a couple of shifts, sit all night without sleep in front of the computer. Take up swimming. Walk and get some air. Drink more water. Go to the doctor. And don't think about it. Not to think. Not to think. Not to think. And take antidepressants. Breathe deeply. Sign up for lectures on art history.

I propose a radically opposite approach to the matter. Every day you need to look at any of the four paintings of the series "The Scream" by the Norwegian artist Edvard Munch. It is reported that Munch wanted to depict the cry of nature and a creature trying to escape from this deafening ora, but if you look closely, you can see that the canvases depict a tired, tortured and twitchy man who stands with his mouth open and tries to take a deep breath and yawn , but he has not been able to do this for many years, and no one, not even the Internet, can help him.

If Norwegian art doesn't fit, you can look at these dudes, they yawn so much that they start to sneeze.

It's hard to take a deep breath

You know, on the Internet I come across a similar question quite often, but I have not found a question on it anywhere. I decided to ask you, dear doctors and members of the forum.

The problem is this: there is a wild desire to take a deep breath, but it does not work out fully: as if the chest is not enough, something rests there, and that’s it, such an unpleasant feeling in the chest and again a wild desire to inhale. After 7-10 attempts to breathe, it turns out, but then again all over again. If you try to suppress this feeling and breathe calmly, it turns out somehow artificially, your head starts to spin a little and such a deep yawn begins. And I've had this since I was a teenager, now I'm 26.

Couldn't find any reason for this feeling. Might not bother me for a couple of months. Now "comes" every day. It always manifests itself after overeating, in the heat, from mints (maybe a coincidence?), etc. Just. I began to sin vasoconstrictor drops: I can’t completely refuse them, I drip with children’s 0.5 - 0.25%, only at night, and in one nostril. I have been addicted to drops for a long time, I could not drip for a week, but then no, no, yes, I will drip. However, during the period of "non-dripping" this also happens. On the contrary, if my nose is stuffed up and I try to breathe through my mouth, I just start to choke

Neither therapists nor cardiologists found an answer. At the age of 16, they gave me tachycardia, but then it seems to have disappeared with age.

I would be very grateful to hear your opinion! Thanks in advance to all who responded!

What if there is not enough air during VVD?

Complaints of the sufferers vegetative dystonia that there is a lack of air, sound often. The pseudo-disease, which most physicians consider dystonia, is often accompanied by an unexpected surge of panic, fear for life.

VVD - there is a problem, there is no disease

  • sudden onset of shortness of breath;
  • headaches;
  • weather sensitivity;
  • pressure drops.

There are other symptoms of an autonomic nervous system disorder. Often found:

  • tightness or pressure in the chest, in the region of the heart;
  • sensation of a lump in the throat;
  • difficulty in inhalation-exhalation;
  • tachycardia;
  • tremor of the limbs;
  • dizziness.

These manifestations are characteristic of a common form of autonomic dysfunction - hyperventilation syndrome that accompanies a panic attack with lack of air. It is known that 15% of the adult inhabitants of the planet are familiar with a similar condition.

Shortness of breath is often mistaken for a manifestation of respiratory diseases. This is not surprising, because something similar happens with asthma, bronchitis. But to distinguish the feeling of lack of oxygen in VVD from a life-threatening condition - acute respiratory failure- not so easy.

Of all the unconscious functions of the body (heartbeat, bile secretion, peristalsis), only breathing is controlled by the will of man. Each of us is able to delay for a while, slow it down or start breathing very often. This is due to the fact that the work of the lungs and bronchi is coordinated simultaneously by two parts of the nervous system:

Being engaged in singing, playing wind instruments, inflating balloons, trying to get rid of hiccups, everyone independently commands the breathing process. Unconsciously, the respiratory function is regulated when a person falls asleep or, while relaxing, thinks. Breathing becomes automatic and there is no danger of suffocation.

The medical literature describes a rare hereditary disease- Ondine's curse syndrome (congenital central hypoventilation syndrome). It is characterized by a lack of autonomous control over the breathing process, a decrease in sensitivity to hypoxia and hypercapnia. The patient cannot breathe autonomously and may die from suffocation in his sleep. Currently, medicine is making great strides even in the treatment of such a pathology.

The special innervation of the breath makes it hypersensitive to the influence external factors- VVD provocateurs:

Sensation as if there is not enough air, is closely related to autonomic dysfunction and is reversible.

Recognizing an ailment is not an easy task.

How correctly metabolic reactions occur depends on correct gas exchange. Inhaling air, people receive a portion of oxygen, exhaling - they return to external environment carbon dioxide. A small amount of it is retained in the blood, affecting the acid-base balance.

  • With an excess of this substance, which appears along with an attack of VVD, respiratory movements become more frequent.
  • Lack of carbon dioxide (hypocapnia) leads to rare breathing.

A distinctive feature of VVD is that asthma attacks appear with a certain frequency, as a result of the influence of a very active stimulus on the psyche. Often there is a combination of symptoms:

  • Feeling as if it is impossible to take a full breath. It becomes stronger when a person enters a crowded place, a closed space. Sometimes experiences before an exam, a speech, an important conversation reinforce the so-called empty breath.
  • Sensation of a lump in the throat, as if there were an obstruction to the passage of oxygen to the respiratory organs.
  • Stiffness of the chest, not allowing to take a full breath.
  • Intermittent breathing (with short stops), accompanied by obsessive fear of death.
  • Perspiration, turning into a dry cough that does not stop for a long time.

Attacks of yawning in the middle of the day, frequent deep sighs are also considered to be symptoms of a respiratory disorder of neurotic origin. Simultaneously with them, discomfort in the heart area, short-term jumps in blood pressure may occur.

How to rule out a dangerous condition

From time to time, those suffering from VVD experience dyspeptic phenomena that make them think about various diseases gastrointestinal tract. The following symptoms of vegetative imbalance lead to this:

  • bouts of nausea, vomiting;
  • intolerance to certain foods;
  • constipation, diarrhea;
  • causeless abdominal pain;
  • increased gas formation, flatulence.

At times, with VVD, along with a lack of air, there is a feeling that what is happening around is unreal, the head is often spinning, and fainting sets in. Even more confusing is the growing temperature (37-37.5 degrees), stuffy nose.

Similar symptoms are characteristic of other diseases. People suffering from asthma and bronchitis often complain about the lack of oxygen. In the list of diseases similar to VVD, there are also problems of the cardiovascular, endocrine, and digestive systems.

Because of this, it is difficult to determine what the cause feeling unwell is vegetovascular dystonia. To exclude the presence of a serious pathology, manifested by a feeling of lack of air, a thorough examination is required, including consultations:

Only by excluding life-threatening pathological conditions is it possible to establish that the true cause of lack of air is vegetative dystonia.

However, patients who have become accustomed to the idea of ​​having a “serious illness” do not always agree with the objective results of the examination. They refuse to understand, to accept the idea that despite their shortness of breath, they are physically practically healthy. After all, the lack of air that occurs as a result of the VSD is safe.

How to restore breathing - emergency help

If symptoms of hyperventilation appear, other than breathing into a paper or plastic bag, another method will help.

  • To calm shortness of breath, tightly wrap your palms around your chest (lower part), placing your hands in front, behind.
  • Press on the ribs in such a way as to bring them closer to the spine.
  • Hold your chest for 3 minutes.

Performing special exercises is an obligatory part of therapy for lack of air. It implies inclusion, a gradual transition to breathing through the diaphragm instead of the usual chest. These exercises normalize blood gases and reduce hyperoxia caused by a panic attack.

It is believed that the diaphragmatic breath is taken unconsciously, the air enters easily when a person experiences positive emotions. Thoracic - on the contrary, it is accompanied by a lack of air during stress.

It is important to adhere to the correct ratio between the duration of inhalation and exhalation (1: 2), while it is possible to relax the muscles of the body. negative emotions shorten the exhalation, the ratio of diaphragm movements becomes 1:1.

Infrequent deep breaths are preferable to frequent shallow ones. It helps to avoid hyperventilation. When exercising to relieve shortness of breath, observe the following conditions:

  • The room must first be ventilated, the air temperature must be degrees.
  • Turn on soft, soothing music or do the exercises in silence.
  • Clothing should be loose, comfortable for exercise.
  • Conduct classes, adhering to a clear schedule (morning, evening).
  • Exercise 2 hours after eating.
  • Visit the toilet in advance, freeing the intestines, bladder.
  • Before performing the health complex, it is allowed to drink a glass of water.

After prolonged exposure to the sun, as well as being in a state of extreme fatigue, it is worth refraining from gymnastics. You can start it no earlier than 8 hours later.

It is forbidden to perform exercises with serious health problems affecting:

  • heart, blood vessels (cerebral atherosclerosis, severe arterial hypertension);
  • lungs;
  • hematopoietic organs.

You can not use this method for women during menstruation, pregnancy, glaucoma.

How to learn to breathe correctly

Getting Started breathing exercises, eliminating the lack of air, focus on well-being. Control your frequency carefully heart rate. Sometimes nasal congestion occurs, yawning, dizziness begins. There is no need to be afraid, gradually the body adapts.

Difficulty breathing with VVD is corrected by a simple exercise:

  • Lie on your back, after darkening the room.
  • After closing your eyes, try to relax the muscles of your torso for 5 minutes.
  • Applying self-suggestion, cause a feeling of warmth spreading through the body.
  • Take a slow breath in with a full chest, sticking out the wall of the abdomen. At the same time, the air fills lower lobe lungs, and rib cage expanding late.
  • Inhalation is longer than exhalation, air is pushed out by the stomach (with the participation of the muscles of the peritoneum), and then - by the chest. The air comes out smoothly, without jerks.

An alternative option is to use the Frolov simulator, which is a plastic glass (filled with water) with a tube through which inhalation and exhalation are made. This normalizes the ratio of oxygen, carbon dioxide, stops an attack of VVD, manifested acute shortage air. The main purpose of the simulator is to saturate the inhaled air with carbon dioxide, and reduce the amount of oxygen in it. This gradually leads to an increase in the adaptive capabilities of a person.

Treatment of VVD, accompanied by attacks of lack of air, is ineffective if you do not know true reason Problems.

Only an experienced psychotherapist can help to find out which traumatic factor causes an attack. The doctor will explain how to get rid of such a legacy, not to panic, in which there is a problem with the flow of air. It is better to calm down right away, because with VSD, suffocation can be cured without medication, but only with the participation of the patient.

When we breathe easily, we do not even notice this process. It's okay because breathing is reflex act which is controlled by autonomic nervous system. Nature is not so conceived in vain. Thanks to this, we can breathe even in an unconscious state. This ability in some cases saves our lives. But if even the slightest difficulty appears with breathing, we feel it immediately. Why there is a constant yawning and lack of air, and what to do about it? Here's what the doctors told us.

Dangerous symptoms

Sometimes shortness of breath occurs for physiological reasons, which are quite easily eliminated. But if you constantly want to yawn and take a deep breath, then this may be a symptom of a serious illness. It is even worse when, against this background, shortness of breath (dyspnea) often occurs, which appears even with minimal physical exertion. This is already a cause for concern and a visit to the doctor.

You should immediately go to the hospital if difficulty breathing is accompanied by:

  • pain in the retrosternal region;
  • change in the color of the skin;
  • nausea and dizziness;
  • severe bouts of coughing;
  • an increase in body temperature;
  • swelling and cramps of the limbs;
  • feeling of fear and inner tension.

These symptoms usually clearly signal pathologies in the body, which must be identified and eliminated as soon as possible.

Causes of lack of air

All the reasons why a person can turn to a doctor with a complaint: “I can’t breathe completely and constantly yawn” can be divided into psychological, physiological and pathological. Conditionally - because everything in our body is closely interconnected, and the failure of one system entails a disruption in the normal functioning of other organs.

So, long-term stress, which is attributed to psychological causes, can provoke hormonal imbalance and cardiovascular problems.

Physiological

The most harmless are the physiological causes that can cause difficulty breathing:

It is difficult to breathe in the heat, especially when severely dehydrated. The blood becomes thicker, and it is harder for the heart to push it through the vessels. As a result, the body does not receive enough oxygen. The person begins to yawn and try to breathe deeper.

Medical

Shortness of breath, yawning and regularly felt shortness of breath can provoke serious illnesses. And often these signs are one of the first symptoms that allow diagnosing the disease at an early stage.

Therefore, if you constantly find it difficult to breathe, be sure to go to the doctor. The most common possible diagnoses are:

As you can see, most diseases are not just serious - they pose a threat to the patient's life. Therefore, if you often feel short of breath, it is better not to delay a visit to the doctor.

Psychogenic

And again, one cannot help but recall stress, which is today one of the main causes of the development of many diseases.

Yawning under stress is an unconditioned reflex inherent in us by nature. If you watch animals, you will notice that when they are nervous, they constantly yawn. And in this sense, we are no different from them.

Under stress, a spasm of capillaries occurs, and the heart begins to beat faster through the release of adrenaline. Because of this, blood pressure rises. A deep breath and yawning perform a compensatory function in this case and protect the brain from destruction.

With a strong fright, there is often a muscle spasm, due to which it becomes impossible to take a full breath. No wonder there is an expression "breathless".

What to do

If you find yourself in a situation in which there is frequent yawning and lack of breath, do not try to panic - this will only exacerbate the problem. The first thing to do is to provide an additional supply of oxygen: open a window or window, if possible, go outside.

Try to loosen clothing as much as possible that interferes with a full breath: take off your tie, unfasten your collar, corset or bra. In order not to feel dizzy, it is better to take a sitting or lying position. Now you need to take a very deep breath through the nose and an elongated exhalation through the mouth.

After a few such breaths, the condition usually improves markedly. If this does not happen, and the dangerous symptoms listed above are added to the lack of air, call an ambulance immediately.

Before the arrival of health workers, do not take medications on your own unless they are prescribed by your doctor - they can distort the clinical picture and make it difficult to make a diagnosis.

Diagnostics

Emergency physicians usually quickly determine the cause of severe breathing difficulty and the need for hospitalization. If there are no serious concerns, and the attack is caused by physiological causes or severe stress and does not recur, then you can sleep peacefully.

But if you suspect heart or lung disease, it is better to undergo an examination, which may include:

  • general analysis of blood and urine;
  • radiograph of the lungs;
  • electrocardiogram;
  • Ultrasound of the heart;
  • bronchoscopy;
  • computer tomogram.

What types of research are needed in your case, the doctor will determine at the initial examination.

If lack of air and constant yawning are caused by stress, then you may need to consult a psychologist or neurologist who will tell you how to relieve nervous tension or prescribe medications: sedatives or antidepressants.

Treatment and prevention

When a patient comes to the doctor with a complaint: “I can’t breathe completely, I’m yawning, what should I do?”, First of all, he collects a detailed history. This eliminates the physiological causes of oxygen deficiency.

In the case of overweight, the treatment is obvious - the patient should be referred to a nutritionist. Without controlled weight loss, the problem cannot be solved.

If the results of the examination reveal acute or chronic diseases of the heart or respiratory tract, treatment is prescribed according to the protocol. It already requires taking medications and, possibly, physiotherapy procedures.

Good prevention and even a method of treatment is breathing exercises. But with broncho-pulmonary diseases, it can be done only with the permission of the attending physician. Incorrectly selected or performed exercises in this case can provoke an attack of severe coughing and worsening of the general condition.

It is very important to keep yourself in good physical shape. Even with heart disease, there are special sets of exercises that help you recover faster and return to a normal lifestyle. Aerobic exercises are especially useful - they train the heart and develop the lungs.

Active outdoor games (badminton, tennis, basketball, etc.), cycling, walking at a fast pace, swimming will not only help get rid of shortness of breath and provide additional oxygen, but also tighten your muscles, making you slimmer. And then even high in the mountains you will feel great and enjoy the journey, and not suffer from constant shortness of breath and yawning.

When a person breathes easily, he probably does not notice this process. And it counts normal, since breathing is a reflex act controlled by the autonomic NS. Nature came up with this on purpose, since a person in this state is able to breathe even while in an unconscious state.

Sometimes this opportunity saves people's lives when something threatens their state of health. However, if there is not enough air during breathing or even the slightest problem occurs with the respiratory function, a person will immediately notice this.

Sometimes constant yawning and lack of air appear in people due to physiological reasons, which are quite simple for him to eliminate. However, if the patient often wants to yawn and take a deep breath, this indicates the course of a serious illness.

It is worth noting that the feeling of lack of oxygen in the lungs can manifest itself in different ways - some have heavy breathing, while others begin to constantly yawn, thereby inhaling full lungs.

If the patient does not quick treatment, he may develop shortness of breath, which will be observed even with minimal stress on the body. In this case, it will be difficult for a person to breathe and take a full deep breath. This requires an immediate visit to the doctor, as otherwise there is a risk of getting oxygen starvation.

The patient will need urgent medical attention if he notices the following symptoms that accompany breathing difficulties:

  • constant yawning;
  • inability to fully inhale air into the lungs;
  • pain in and behind the sternum;
  • swelling in the limbs and convulsions that attack the patient at night;
  • change in skin color to cyanotic, which indicates a lack of oxygen;
  • it is difficult and difficult for the patient to breathe after carrying out minimal loads on the body;
  • nausea, which may be accompanied by dizziness;
  • long and frequent cough;
  • increase in temperature;
  • a feeling of fear in the patient, because of which he often has to take sedatives (some prefer to drink alcohol to calm down).

As a rule, such symptoms indicate the course of severe pathologies, which need to be identified and cured in a short time.

The reasons

All the causes that cause respiratory failure in a person are divided by doctors into 3 large groups. However, each of them can be closely intertwined with the other, since all the processes occurring in the body are interconnected.

Physiological

This type of causes that cause deterioration in breathing are considered the most harmless. They can cause deterioration in breathing due to the following factors:

  1. Insufficient amount of oxygen. If a person is in a place where there is little air, such as in the mountains, it can cause breathing difficulties due to the fact that the person will not have enough oxygen. Therefore, if you are in an area that is much higher than sea level, this phenomenon will surely overtake you.
  2. Stuff in the room. Due to this reason, there may be either a lack fresh air due to crowding, or excessive levels of carbon dioxide. Therefore, a small room needs to be ventilated frequently.
  3. Tight or uncomfortable clothing. Many people do not even think about the fact that tight clothing can harm their health, so they sacrifice it for the sake of fashion and beauty. As a result, a woman or a man experiences a significant lack of oxygen, which disrupts the normal functioning of the body. There is no need to go to the doctor, because after changing clothes, the patient will again feel the normal flow of oxygen and will be able to breathe in plenty.
  4. Bad physical shape in a person. If people are sedentary and like to drink alcohol, this negatively affects the respiratory function. Any tension of the body causes serious breathing difficulties, as a result of which the patient is often tormented by yawning. Often this cause of insufficient air is observed in people who have lain in bed for a long time while undergoing treatment.
  5. Overweight. If a child or adult is overweight, they also have difficulty breathing. However, this is not the worst - overweight often develop heart disease and VSD, the severity of which depends on the number of extra pounds in comparison with normal weight.

Sometimes people find it difficult to breathe in the heat, especially if the body is severely dehydrated. In this case, the blood becomes thicker, as a result of which it is more difficult for the heart to push it through the vessels. This causes a serious deterioration in breathing, which can be cured on its own.

Medical

Yawning, shortness of breath and lack of air appear due to the course of serious illnesses. Moreover, these symptoms allow a person to identify the disease on initial stage development.

Often the symptoms of lack of air attack a person during the development of the following diseases:

  1. VSD. This disease develops as a result of nervous exhaustion. A person often feels fear, a panic attack, and other unpleasant symptoms. In order to notice the development of a dangerous disease in time, you need to pay attention to its first signs, including constant yawning and heaviness when inhaling.
  2. Anemia. This disease is characterized by a lack of iron in the body, with the help of which oxygen is transported through organs and systems. It is possible to identify the disease with the help of a deterioration in the quality of breathing.
  3. Diseases of the lungs or bronchi. Pneumonia, bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, pleurisy, asthma, and so on can cause a feeling of lack of air. In some cases, the patient may also be disturbed by belching, for example, during sputum separation.
  4. Respiratory diseases occurring in acute or chronic form. As a result of the drying of the mucous membrane of the nose and larynx, many people cannot breathe normally. In addition, some people notice an increase in breathing, due to which a small portion of oxygen enters the lungs.
  5. Heart diseases. These include ischemia, asthma of the heart, its insufficiency, and so on. Improper functioning of the heart causes breathing difficulties. If this is accompanied by discomfort and pain in the chest, it is imperative to consult a doctor.

These diseases pose a significant threat to the health of the patient, so you should not run them.

Psychogenic

Do not forget about stress, which often causes the development of diseases dangerous to health.

Yawning during stress (for example, neuralgia) in a patient is considered an unconditioned reflex, which is inherent in man by nature. Therefore, if people are often nervous, it will cause yawning, and, as a rule, a lack of oxygen.

During stress, capillaries spasm, which causes the heart to overwork. This causes an increase in pressure. In order not to harm the brain, a person begins to yawn often, while inhaling deeply.

Also, a lack of air appears with muscle spasms, which makes it difficult for the patient to make a deep entry.

What to do in case of lack of oxygen

What to do if a person's breathing suddenly stops or worsens? Judging by the reviews of doctors, the first thing you need to do is calm down and stop panicking. First, the patient needs to go outside or open a window to provide fresh air.

You should also relax clothing as much as possible, which interferes with the normal penetration of air into the lungs. To avoid dizziness from lack of oxygen, it is recommended to sit or lie down.

You also need to breathe correctly - a quick breath through the nose, and a slow breath through the mouth. After 3-5 such inputs, the patient's condition usually improves. If this does not happen, an urgent need to call a doctor.

Attention! It is forbidden to take pills on your own without a doctor's testimony, since they are allowed to be taken only after assessing the state of health and identifying the type of disease.