How to tell if shortness of breath is from anxiety?

Shortness of breath occur when you cannot have needful air-supply into your lungs. In medical terms, this condition is called dyspnea. This is often indicative of a condition needing an urgent treatment. A healthy adult will breathe up-to 20-times per minute. This translates into ~30,000 breaths / day. If you worked hard or suffering from cold, number of breaths you take can change. But all these may not lead to shortness of breath. So, how to tell if shortness of breath is from anxiety?

Most common signs of dyspnea are: tightness in chest, suffocation, inability to take deep-breaths, coughing and wheezing. Dyspnea is of 2 types – chronic and acute. Chronic form lasts longer, and can make simple exercises like walking a difficult thing. Acute form of dyspnea can occur all of a sudden. It may show up with a few other signs like coughing, fever or skin conditions like rashes.

At times, breathing difficulties can turn worse or better depending on your posture. For instance, sleeping posture can cause shortness of breath in those living with lung conditions or heart problems. You are advised to track signs of respiratory difficulties; such tracking helps physicians in administering a treatment plan.

There are many causes for shortness of breath. Common among them include Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) like bronchitis, bronchial asthma, etc., fracture of ribs, formation of clots inside lungs i.e., pulmonary embolism, build-up of fluids around heart, anxiety-related disorders, etc.

How to tell if shortness of breath is from anxiety?

Anxiety is linked to fears. Fears trigger a host of psychological and behavioral changes; such changes protect you from risks and threats. Your brain is wired to respond to fearsome events. The typical response it is fight-or-flight. Here, your heartbeat-rate increases to pump more blood and tighten your muscles to get ready for action. In this process, you tend to breathe at a faster rate.

When you are witnessing anxieties, shortness of breath is indeed one of the symptoms most people experience. However, not all people facing anxieties will experience shortness of breath. You can tell anxieties apart through few other symptoms; you tend to have a dried mouth, sweat a lot, witness muscular tensions, being in confused state and also, unable to concentrate.

A few people living with anxieties have reported difficulties to speak, memory lapses and being in an agitated frame of mind. If spells of anxieties are occurring often, consult with a clinical practitioner. Your treating physician / mental health specialist will aim to diagnose the type of anxiety-disorders that have affected you. Commonly-encountered anxiety-based disorders are Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD), General Anxiety Disorder (GAD), phobias like agoraphobia, etc.

How to tell if shortness of breath is from anxiety or heart problems?

Shortness of breath due to heart problems can occur when one (or more) of your four (4) heart valves is not working well. A valvular dysfunction can lead to blood circulation-related problems. This causes respiratory conditions like shortness of breath, or gasping. It lays enormous stress on your heart and eventually results in cardiac failure. A failed heart is unable to pump ample blood to other parts of the body.

Shortness of breath can also occur if there are blocks in blood vessels – especially, arteries. This cardiac condition is also labelled as Coronary Artery Disease (CAD). Block in arteries cause inadequate supply of oxygen and blood to your cardiac system. If you notice a sudden swelling of legs along with pains in chest, these are indicative of heart problems.

Also check if your hands and legs have turned numb and if there is a pain on the left-hand side of your body – again, these are distinctive signs of a heart problem. In order to know more about how to tell if shortness of breath is from anxiety, speak with your physician without any further delay.

Disclaimer

Information provided here are only of supplementary nature. Information shared here does not substitute a qualified doctor’s advice. This website is not suggesting intake of this drug as safe or appropriate. Hence it is advised to talk to your doctor before consuming this med or any other drug