Can shortness of breath be related to stress?

Question

I've been very stresed out lately due to school and for the past month I've been having shortness of breath. I'm not wheezing or anything, I just can't seem to inhale completely and I get a little dizzy when I stand up. I am a 21 female, healthy and active, with no known heart/valve/lung issues. Could this be related to stress? If so, when will it go away?

Answer 1

You can listen to all that defeatist sh*t above or you can get out and start running daily in the morning preferably. Combine this with expansion exercises of the lungs by taking slow deep breaths as often as you can think of it and I'm sure in a short time you'll see a tremendous improvement in your breathing abilities. Good Luck and think positive, all that other hype just gives you reason to feel sorry for yourself instead of motivating you to taking charge of your own destiny and make change in your lifestyle. Oh and on the outside chance a young 21 year old like yourself is so full of stress/anxiety as previously described guess what the best way to relieve that is...EXERCISE! so were right back to running etc.

Answer 2

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RE:
Can shortness of breath be related to stress?
I've been very stresed out lately due to school and for the past month I've been having shortness of breath. I'm not wheezing or anything, I just can't seem to inhale completely and I get a little dizzy when I stand up. I am a 21 female, healthy and active, with no known...

Answer 3

Yeah, I've had that before. It's pretty normal; a side effect of shallow breathing, which can happen if you're under stress or concentrating intently. There isn't much you can do except try to take a slow deep breath, and maybe take a drink of water.

It's definitely NOT a panic attack; I've had those too, and they are violent and scary as hell. So don't worry, it's nothing as serious as that, or you would know for sure. It may be a much milder version in the form of anxiety, but that's about all I can think of.

Talk to your doctor about it.

Answer 4

It can be.
It also can be due to a Vitamin B deficiency, asthma aggravated by stress, anemia, low blood pressure, low blood sugar or cardiovascular issues. Go get a Complete Metabolic Panel and CBC for your bloodwork, check your BP, and get a check up.

Any weird symptoms lasting over a month should be checked by a doctor.

In the meantime, take up walking or something strenuous to unload the stress, consider learning some yoga and progressive relaxation and paying attention to your stress level and dealing with it. Consider also whether you are eating regularly, getting enough fluids and electrolytes, and if you have any other symptoms.

You are a smart person. Take good care of yourself. Good luck with school. Hope this helps.

The "symptom checker" on WebMD is a good resource.

Answer 5

In short, yes! Shortness of breath can be caused by anxiety! Anxiety can bring on a multitude of symptoms, shortness of breath being one of them. Try some relation exercises!!! Check with a message therapist for some good pointers. Good luck in school!

Answer 6

Sounds a little like you may be having panic attacks. This can deffinitely happen when you are stressed out. Be on the safe side and go to a doctor just so they can check you out and make sure it's not something physical that is causing it. If they are panic attacks you can get a temporary prescription to help you deal with them until the most stressful time is over. But get checked out thoroughly before you do that. The next time you feel one coming on try to think about what triggered it and maybe you can control it--put it in it's place and not let it have control over you.

Answer 7

Yes, it could be stress-related. The shortness of breath will go away when you learn to relax- and that might mean that you need to make some changes to how you handle school.

In the meanwhile, you might want to try to learn Yoga or some other form of meditation.

Good luck!

Answer 8

Check out this website. It will give you all the info that you wanna know about stress and stress related disorders.

Answer 9

6 years ago i had shortness of breath and it was all stress relative

Answer 10

i get the same way when I'm stressed.. It's called an anxiety attack/panic attack.. My doctor put me on nerve pills to take the edge off and it helps a ton.. I also get a numb/tingling feeling in my hands and lips.. Call your doctor and let them know so they can give you something to help! Good Luck!