Excessive Yawning and Constant Need to Breathe Deep

i signed up on the website just to say i have this issue too!! its become painful.

Summary:

I was cripplingly anemic and have been helped by long-term iron supplements. GET YOUR FERRITIN LEVELS TESTED.

I struggled with a similar problem for about 8 years. It affected every part of my life - I missed exams and events because I couldn't breathe to the point of distraction. I used to gasp for breath on the floor several times a week. The floor didn't actually help, but nothing helped and it was the best I could think of. Nothing seemed to cause it, nothing seemed to help it. I tried changing my diet, vocal coaching for breathing techniques, lung function tests, heart tests, anxiety medication and regular exercise to improve respiration. I cannot COUNT the number of times I was told by doctors that it was all in my head. It cost me a job application once, and it was bad enough that I asked for disability resources at my university.

My problem was severe anemia. After an intense year of bouncing from doctor to doctor and a significant red-herring of Vocal Cord Dysfunction, someone finally asked to get a blood test measuring not just iron content but ferritin levels. Ferritin stores iron in the blood so that when iron is low, the body can draw from a reserve. My ferritin levels were non-existent, and my MCV (size of red blood cells) was dangerously small.

My doctor told me that meant I was so anemic my red blood cells were also anemic. After six months of twice a day 324 mg iron supplements, my ferritin levels are STILL low. But I'm breathing easier than ever before. Not completely cured yet, but my whole quality of life is better.

I urge everyone to ask for a blood test measuring ferritin and iron. They are much cheaper than fancy lung doctors and just might solve your problem.

I feel a constant urge to yawn and take deep breath’s to satisfy breathing.

Only after lots of effort it’ll be successful or partially successful, it’ll will not last long and a new urge to yawn or deep breathing will be necessary.

These symptoms isn’t always persistent but it can go on for several weeks

Even when its not persistent I do tend to still need to take deep breath’s often. although it would come more naturally and not with such effort as like I have to do when my symptoms are really present

Some things that triggers it:

Cigarettes, instantly and very strong (I don’t smoke but used to 3 years ago but issues started way before I started )

Having a cold or fever

Being in a room with poor ventilation

Eating. grilled or burnt food like toast in particular

Chemicals like detergent or floor cleaning soap

Speaking longer sentences

Having restraints like a tight undershirt or seat belt on chest

What helps:

Cold water

Cold air

Direct air to face like a fan blowing on face

Eating salt (it helps quite instantly but it won’t last too long and I haven’t experimented enough with trying it out)

I’ve been through many tests at 2 pulmonologist and also cardiologist and all came back normal

Edit: I am not overweight but rather slightly under, i have also tried a few inhalers like Breo and so on I have also tried some anxiety meds but none helped (though I don't think i have more anxiety than average but i still tried those meds)

I would love to hear from others here if eating salt helps, try taking for example a cut up tomato dip its slices in salt and see if it helps)

hi i had the same issue a long time ago now cured.. whatsapp me on 8360103903

Been facing same since a month... don't what it is really.

I constantly have a urge to take a deep breath..otherwise yawning.If anyone knows how to get rid of this feeling,please help

hi I have suffered with this for years now on and off some days are better than others but on my bad days i cant even walk up the stairs without it setting an attack off. if i can not achieve the deep breath i start yawning till I do. this causes panic and sometimes the more i try get a breath the more i cant and it even causes me to cough and gag! I was diagnosed with GAD and it honestly scared me the thought that this was all in my head!

Practice your breathing until it gets better. Breathing is exercise for the heart internally.

I know this post is old but I don't know where else to turn.

Ive been suffering with this air hunger for over a week now and im terrified every day to the point i want to go to A+E to get all the tests done.

background is that i suffer with severe health anxiety, im 10 weeks pregnant and have on and off ectopic beats for the last 3 months.

i had an ecg at my surgery on tuesday which came back normal and my doctor said my air hunger sounds like anxiety, but i wasnt feeling particularly anxious about anything at the time it came up.

i don't feel out of breath and i can do quite strenuous walks, but it seems the air hunger is constant, at rest or doing things. the only relief i get is during sleep. ive veen prescribed a small dose of beta blocker to help with the anxiety and ectopic beats.

i also find that im getting severe gas in my stomach, constantly gurgling up air and it becomes really painful, i assume because im swallowing a lot of air. has anyone else had this?

im trying to breath through my nose but the urge to take that breath becomes unbearable uncomfortable. so scared ive got heart failure or having a pulmonary embolism

please help 😢

The condition most of the people on this forum suffer from is a hyperventilation syndrome . Most of the time its due to anxiety but may have other reasons like lung or heart issue. It upsets balance of carbon dioxide and symptoms can be confusing mixed up with symptoms of the condition that is causing it . I suffered for 7 years . Only recently properly diagnosed.

Have you found anything out? I have been having the same thing for over 3 months now. Its driving me insane.

Hi, i sympathize with you and all the other suffers on this site which i have only just discovered today, it's nice to know finally that i am not alone with affliction, have been living with this on and off for the last 6 years, it's slowly drained away any real quality of life, health care professionals all say it's anxiety because they don't have a real answer for what's truly going on with it which is frustrating because they are as good as saying that it is all in my mind but they are wrong, true there is some anxiety involved in it but only in the sense that I'm getting anxious because I can't breathe properly, It's got to the point recently where i have considered if it is worth even waking up the morning because I can't another day feeling like this but knowing that i am not alone in this is a relief to me. How are you feeling with this affliction today ? Breathing techniques may help it a little but have found it doesn't cure it.