Hi,
To start off, I am 19, don’t smoke, don’t drink or anything really.
For the last week I've had a constant urge to take deep breaths, and fill my lungs so that they feel stretched. The breath gives minor satisfaction, but then the urge returns.
Sometimes, I feel like I need to yawn, but the yawns are not satisfying like they should be. I DON’T have any other worrying problems breathing, nor do I have any other symptoms, like raspiness or wheezing, though I am coughing a bit and feel like I have phlegm in my throat & it’s a little dry and my mom told my it’s because I’m getting a cold. Just this persistent urge to breathe deeply.
A lot of posts I've seen on related symptoms seem to think this is anxiety, and I have been anxious, especially when thinking about school, but also I am an extreme hypochondriac and for some reason, am sure I am dying of a heart related or lung problems.
It has happened before, for like, a few days, like 3 months ago but hasn’t happened drastically again until now.
Here’s what I’ve noticed:
1) Seems I can sleep through the night- I do sometimes wake up through the night but go right back to sleep, as far as I’ve noticed at least, I don’t recall needing specifically to breathe (though when I wake up in the middle of the night I do take a breath and go to sleep again) - so it can't be something physically wrong with my lungs or heart right? How would I be able to sleep for like 6 or 7 hours then?
2) It does tend to not be as evident when I am concentrating on something - for example, like reading, or really concertrating on my phone - I've gone like an hour realizing I never had to breathe deep, and a few nights ago it was all I could think about so it got worse, I think.
Bottom line is, I am WORRIED!
Again, I DO NOT HAVE ANY OTHER SYMPTOMS of any kind: not to a heart disease, not to a lung disease (knock on wood).
My mom says it’s because I am a generally anxious person (I also am going to meet with a therapist soon) and an extreme hypochondriac so thinking about not being able to breathe makes me not being able to breathe, if that makes sense.
Again, I don’t have any symptoms such as coughing blood and not being able to move etc.
Please, help me. :(