What causes nervousness, dry nose, and breathing difficulty?

Question

Hi doctor,

I am suffering from constant nervousness. It is neither due to stress nor from panic or anxiety. I do get it once in every four years. Along with the nervousness, I get a dry nose, frequent burning of stomach and gas after having food. I think it makes my breathing uneasy. I cannot keep still, and I have noticed that I become slightly forgetful and struggle to be fluent when speaking. I have tried nasal sprays and breathing techniques with herbal teas. But, nothing seems to work. I struggle with my feet as I have osteoarthritis. I would appreciate any of your help.

Answer 1

Hi,

Welcome to icliniq.com. I would like to know the feeling you are experiencing. What happens in that nervousness? What kind of thoughts intrude inside you that time? Do you feel nervous throughout of the days? What does exactly happen at every 4 year interval? The symptom of dry nose and breathing difficulty may point towards a panic attack. Many times panic attack do not need evident stressor. Even thought of panic attack can bring a new panic attack. But considering your age, I would like to rule out other heart and lung problems, which can cause acute breathlessness. Also, I recommend keeping a regular monitoring of your blood pressure, as acute high fluctuation in blood pressure (BP) can also cause such breathlessness. The investigations to be done are 1. X-ray chest. 2. Pulmonary function test. 3. ECG (echocardiogram). 4. 2D echocardiography. 5. Holter monitoring. 6. Triiodothyronine (T3), Thyroxine (T4) and TSH (thyroid-stimulating hormone). The probable diagnosis is anxiety with panic attack.