Could Fibromyalgia be Causing Your Shortness of Breath? Take a Deeper Look
Fibromyalgia affects thousands of people every day. They might have problems with doing any daily activity due to the pain of fibromyalgia.
Going for a walk on a nice day might be out of the question on those days when the pain is worse. If gardening is their forte, it might have to take a backseat.
There might be a lot of pain related to fibromyalgia, but it might be terrifying when something like having trouble breathing comes into the mix. Anytime someone has difficulty breathing, it makes anyone worry about what it could be.
A host of issues can lead to shortness of breath or trouble breathing. Some of these are more serious than others. Those serious ones come to the forefront of our minds when breathing becomes an issue.
What exactly does it mean when someone who has fibromyalgia starts having some problems breathing? How can they be treated? Is it something to worry about and maybe even call an ambulance about?
Is It Serious?
This is one of the first things people wonder about. Is this something to worry about and call a doctor about? Or is it something temporary that can be resolved?
Thankfully, this is a symptom of fibromyalgia that isn’t serious. Having trouble breathing doesn’t mean that you’ll have any serious issues.
This usually goes away after a while and is generally seen as more of a nuisance than anything else.
You should only be worried if you have a panic attack. Unfortunately, these are common occurrences in those who have fibromyalgia.
Anxiety is one of the symptoms of fibromyalgia so you might experience a few panic attacks.
If you have a panic attack, you need to find a way to slow down your breathing. It could be focusing on an object or a few objects around you. This will help ground you at the moment and can help slow down your breathing.
Panic attacks can be terrifying but aren’t life-threatening as long as you can slow your breathing down.
If someone else is around you, go to them and have them help you calm down as well. Ensure they know how to help ground you and keep you.
What Causes Breathing Problems?
There are a few theories as to what could cause breathing problems. In one study, around 50 percent of women with fibromyalgia reported shortness of breath.
However, many women had no shortness of breath, even with this disease.
It seems to come and go, meaning you won’t have this all the time. Many things are attributed to this issue, all of which make sense.
Chest Pain
This is a frequent symptom of fibromyalgia. Of course, when you mix this with shortness of breath, many people might initially think they have a heart attack.
However, it is simply pain that might make your lungs feel constricted. This chest pain has nothing to do with heart ailments, though if you have a heart condition, you should be extra cautious.
The chest pain will come and go and is often associated with shortness of breath. Once you have it once, you’ll know what it feels like, so the next time you have it, it isn’t scary.
Anxiety
This is something else that is associated with fibromyalgia. This is also often attributed to shortness of breath.
Panic attacks, as said above, tend to be associated with anxiety. Therefore, these might come from fibromyalgia in the form of shortness of breath.
Lack of Blood Flow to the Brain
This one has been recorded as inconclusive but was a theory that went around. This would be where the blood flow that usually goes to the brain, which will tell your body to breathe and bring oxygen to complete all the tasks your body does, is somehow restricted.
It wouldn’t completely stop it, but it would be restricted enough to speed up your breathing to get more oxygen.
There isn’t any evidence that connects fibromyalgia to this, however. So, this one will remain a theory until more evidence can be found.
How to Treat It
There are quite a few things that you can do to help return your breathing to normal. These are generally various exercises and techniques that you can do.
These will help you bring your breathing back to an average rate and might also prevent these from occurring.
Breathing Exercises
This one is pretty obvious. If you are having some breathing problems regularly, you should probably look at doing some breathing exercises.
Generally, you want to breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth. This way, your entire breathing system is worked.
To do this, you will want to lie on your back. This can be on a couch, bed, or the floor. Ensure you are comfortable and put your hand on your stomach to track your breaths.
Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth until you feel your breath returning.
Laying down will help stretch out your chest, making it feel less constricted and giving your lungs the room they need.
Relaxation Techniques
Some of the movements you might do in yoga can help reduce all sorts of pain you might have. This includes something like yoga, as that is a great relaxation technique. This can also aid in reducing your pain, as you are doing it while also being relaxed.
These relaxation techniques are also suitable for reducing the tension in your body. Stress stays in the body very quickly, so using something like yoga can help this tension be released, making your body feel more relaxed.
Conclusion
Fibromyalgia is already something that is painful and can make daily life difficult. Therefore, when a symptom like having trouble breathing comes up, it might be hard to accept that as something that happens.
If you can find ways to help bring your breath back to where it should be, it might help alleviate some of your worries.
Breathing problems can sometimes be because of a severe condition, but with fibromyalgia, they might very well be a part of your life. However, there are ways to help treat this and make your life more manageable.