How do you manage shortness of breath and mouth breathing?

Question

Hello doctor,

From childhood, I have only breathed through my mouth instead of my nose during sleep. Even if I try to breathe, I cannot. For the past five days, I have had shortness of breath. I can only take a full breath by yawning. Twice, I got pain in my chest, so I stopped breathing for one minute and felt comfortable. Now, I am having shortness of breath.

Please help.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I can understand your concern.

Thank you for reaching out and sharing your symptoms. Your situation deserves attention and careful evaluation.

Mouth breathing during sleep since childhood, combined with difficulty breathing through your nose, may suggest a chronic nasal obstruction, possibly due to conditions like enlarged adenoids, deviated nasal septum, chronic rhinitis, or even allergies. These issues can affect your airflow and breathing pattern over time.

Now, with your recent onset of shortness of breath and needing to yawn to feel like you are getting a full breath, several possibilities come to mind:

Anxiety or hyperventilation syndrome can sometimes cause a feeling of not being able to "get enough air," especially if yawning provides temporary relief.
Chest pain with breath-holding that brings comfort is unusual and requires evaluation.
While it could be muscular or stress-related, we must also exclude any cardiac or respiratory causes, such as asthma, upper airway obstruction, or, in rare cases, heart rhythm issues.

The fact that you are now experiencing shortness of breath more persistently means this should not be ignored.

Here is what I recommend:

1. Visit a primary care physician or ENT (ear, nose, and throat) specialist to evaluate your nasal airway, including possibly getting a nasal endoscopy or sinus imaging.

2. Undergo a basic respiratory and cardiac check-up, including physical examination, oxygen saturation, a chest X-ray, and possibly spirometry (a lung function test).

3. Monitor and note any patterns. When is the shortness of breath worse? Any triggers like lying down, activity, or stress?

In the meantime:

Try to sleep with your head slightly elevated.
Avoid strong perfumes, allergens, or dusty environments.
Practice gentle breathing exercises, but avoid forcing yawns excessively.

I would be happy to assist you further through a personalized consultation where we can explore your symptoms in depth and create a clear management plan.

I hope this helps.

Kindly follow up if you have more concerns.

Thank you.