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Avatar universal

Yawning and Shortness of Breath

I occassionally get bouts of excessive yawning and shortness of breath.  I have found that adding salt to my diet cures this condition.  This started three months ago.  I was wondering what condition would cause the yawning with shortness of breath and then for it to be cured with increased salt in my diet.  Fortunately my blood pressure is low to normal so even with the added salt my blood pressure is still ok.  I have been to several doctors and none of them have an answer except to say that salt deprivation during exercise can cause symptoms, but that is not the case with me.  I have been told it could be a cardiac, endocrine or neurological problem.  I have been to all those doctors with no help.  Some others here with good blood pressure and the same problem may want to try the salt.  Start with a 1/4 table spoonful.  1/2 usually does it for me.  Ask your doctor first.
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Avatar universal
I'm glad i found this site and many of the comments here I can totally relate with.  I have had, off and on for a few years now, the feeling that I need to yawn to get a full breath.  And most of the time I can't get the full yawn in and so I will try to just breath deep and stretch my body out as if that will help.  It ends up hurting my lungs after i've tried to ywan a couple times, it feels as though I'm inhailing enough oxygen, but my lungs don't expand enough for all the air.  I don't know, I'm sure thats not whats happening, but that's the best way to describe it. I told my OB about it and was sent to a specialist, who like many of you have been told was probably stress.  I COMPLETELY DISAGREE.  It is so frustrating, especially some nights when I get it in bed and can't breath, I almost start freaking out and want to call the hospital!  Its that bad sometimes!  Well, the only place I have ever seen a symptom like this for a condition is when I was looking up information on thyroid problems.  One of the syptoms was "have to yawn to get a complete breath"-or something along those lines.  I am planning on talking to my doctor next month about getting my thyroid tested-I don't remember if it was a symptom for an underactive or overactive thyroid.  ( I also have other syptoms of thyroid problems).  Anyways, hope this helps in some way.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I've had the same yawning and sob. The Asthma tests indicate not a true asthma but sensitive airways.  I've noticed a pattern, although I'm not allergic to dust when tested, whenever I've had to clean up in my basement or at work in a slightly dusty environment, the sob comes out of nowhere and lasts for weeks.  I do know that it clears up after a few weeks but it's almost debilitating.  I believe that there is a connective tissue disorder out there (not lupis) that has not been described and that these lung problems are related.  I get frequent bouts of tendonitis too, so I believe it's a connective tissue/autoimmune problem.  It sure isn't in my head, or brought on by stress.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
I, too, experience occasional bouts of yawning associated with shortness of breath.  It's something that no doctor I've spoken to (general practitioner or allergist) seems to understand at all.  And you feel sometimes that you're dizzy and going to have a heart attack, and some of you, as I, may even have gone to the emergency room.  These emergency trips never yield a thing.  My stats are always perfect.  I have low blood pressure, by the way, and wonder whether it has something to do with that.

I have also hyperventilated in the past, and very much associate hyperventilating with this problem.  Whenever I have excessive yawning, etc., I do breathe into a paper bag for a while (sometimes, three times or more with a small break in between).  But I'm having this breathing problem today, and I don't know that the paper bag thing is working for me.

I've never heard of the salt thing.  Sounds very strange, but I'll try it anyway.  I will say that this problem can very easily feed on itself and make you panic, and then you can exacerbate the problem entirely.  When I've had these problems, I've never felt as if something overly worrying caused me to panic, but I can say that I do get panicked sometimes when I can't stop this yawning/shortness of breath thing.  It really scares me.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
Finally there are people who feel my pain!

I have had this shortness of breath problem since the summer of 2004.  I have no idea why it started.  I am a 24 year old female, with not really any significant health problems.  I don't smoke.  The SOB thing just started happening one day and I don't know why, and it hasn't gone away.  

I've gone to doctors, they have ALL told me it's anxiety, and I think that's just their way of saying they don't know what else it is.  It might be anxiety, but I don't really think I have too much anxiety.  And usually I have the breathing problem when I'm relaxing or watching TV or something.  Plus, I have tried anxiety pills and they just make me relaxed, but don't help the breathing.

I have heard it could be acid reflux.  However, I never have any symptoms of acid reflux.  I don't ever get heartburn.  The problem worsens when I am lying down though, and it definitely worsens when I am eating.  I also don't ever eat spicy foods, and even foods like tomatoes (which cause acid reflux), I eat only every now and then.

The problem just feels like I'm not getting enough air, and I constantly have to yawn or breathe really deeply to feel normal.  Sometimes it is hard to get that deep breath, and it can be really annoying.  Plus, it is ongoing.  It will last for hours sometimes.  Nothing seems to help.

I really don't know what it is, and it's driving me insane.  No doctor seems to know.  I don't have any symptoms of anything else.  I don't have any pain whatsoever, just problems breathing.  Exercise doesn't seem to make it worse, usually just sitting/lying down or eating.  Sometimes nothing at all.  

I also never ever burp.  I don't know if that's related to it somehow, but I get like a weird gurgling in my chest all the time after I eat.  Maybe that's part of it, I have no idea.

If someone has these same symptoms, and has found out what it is or what can help it, PLEASE let me know.  It is ruining my life.
Helpful - 1
Avatar universal
I am blown away by all the comments posted.  I had SOB problem and excessive yawning for over a year now, and no one can tell me what is wrong.  I was tested and do have sleep apnea but the CPAP doesn't stop this problem,  I do experience this more right after I eat.  But this is an almost daily problem.  There have been a few days that I went through the whole day and never once yawned but they have been few and far between.  I had a CT scan of my lungs, ECHO, EKG, PFT, nuclear stress test, my thyroid was tested, all the blood work and can't find one solid thing, I am about 25 lbs. overweight, but I wouldn't by no means consider myself Obese.  Blood pressure is alittle bit high and am on BP med, but it is not too terribly bad.  I was a smoker of around 20 years but quit when this started.  I am only 37 and at this point I am scared to death, I do have problems sleeping at night because alot of nights I have more trouble breathing when I lay down and I get really scared that something will happen in my sleep.  I have two children that soley depend on me so I always worry about them.  

I am reading what many of you have said about salt, the only problem I have with that is because I have high blood pressure, this is not something I think I should try.  I will be seeing my doctor this week and I am going to tell her about this site and all the people that I have found with the same problem.  Like alot of you the first thing I was told was it was anxiety, but I am very familiar with anxiety and this is not what it is.  pills for anxiety will relax you but doesn't make the symptoms go away, I still have trouble breathing.  Keep us posted
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Hi, its me again!  Just wondering how many of you are ex smokers.  The last poster just made me a little curious because I am also in my late thirties (38) and had smoked for about 15 years and quite when this yawning/sob started about 3 years ago.  The yawning/sob continued on and off over the last 3 years and I have been put on Advair, had EKG, stress test, etc. etc. and everything came out ok (thank god).  But still no explanation for this yawning/sob.  I just recently came across this website Breathing.com and on the website it said you can get the frequent yawning and sob from not breathing correctly.  I am just wondering if because of being a smoker  all those years and then not smoking if maybe we just have to learn how to breath again. They said that we take breathing for granted that our bodies will just do it naturally and that is not the case and you can relearn how to breath correctly from the abdomen and not the chest.  Did you ever watch a baby sleep and you see their bellies go up and down.  Anyhow I did buy their dvd/cd combo (#176 program kit) so I will let you know how it works out.  Wouldn't it be nice if it was that easy!  Check out the website and let me know what y'all think of it.  From what I remember you can type in frequent yawning or shortness of breath and it kind of talks about what we have been experiencing.  Good luck!
Helpful - 2

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