Can anxiety cause shortness of breath?

                Thank you for your question, reader. Some people with anxiety experience a variety of unpleasant physical symptoms. Sometimes, people feel things in their bodies so intensely that it can be scary or cause them to worry that they have an underlying medical health problem. We recommend that you speak to a medical doctor about them if you experience shortness of breath or other concerning physical health symptoms. It is always good to rule out any health problems before determining that physical symptoms are due to anxiety alone. Anxiety responses can absolutely cause short-term shortness of breath and other physical sensations such as increased heart rate and dizziness. These experiences are most commonly related to Panic Attacks.

                The bodily responses to anxiety are actually natural due to your body’s “fight or flight” response to threat or danger. The brain sends signals to other organs and produces chemicals meant to aid the body in temporarily fending off attacks. Shortness of breath occurs because the body needs more oxygen, and the heart beats faster to pump oxygenated blood to other parts of the body. It can be an uncomfortable, even distressful experience, but it is important to know that this physical response is not dangerous or harmful in the short term. The “fight or flight” response actually subsides quickly, and the body returns to normal. The body will return to calm more quickly with help to slow the response, which is why you will sometimes see people breathing into a paper bag during a panic attack. Breathing into the bag allows them to see that their body is, in fact, taking breaths and getting oxygen (sometimes there is a fear or feeling during the panic that they cannot breathe), as well as helps slow the rate of breathing.

                If someone’s anxiety response is being triggered often, this can become a physical health concern. The body is not meant to experience the fight-or-flight response regularly, so conditions like high blood pressure or other serious problems can occur over time. Your mind and body need to seek professional help if you have symptoms of anxiety.