Living with anxiety can be tough, there are many symptoms associated with it which lead to more anxiety and can aggravate the problem. The worst are related to respiration. You can feel short of breath due to anxiety and feeling breathless can lead to a feeling of more apprehension and can worsen anxiety. There is a long list of respiratory symptoms associated with anxiety disorders and if you are having trouble breathing anxiety might be the culprit.

How Does Anxiety Cause Trouble Breathing?

One of the most common symptoms associated with anxiety is troubled breathing. If you have anxiety your brain can trick you to think that you are an exception and the troubled breathing is not due to anxiety. You might believe that there is something seriously wrong with your lungs and this worry can make you more anxious. In reality the trouble in breathing and anxiety go hand in hand. Most of the problems arise due to hyperventilation, which is very common when you can't take a deep breath.

If you have trouble breathing anxiety can be blamed and the hyperventilation to compensate for difficulty in breathing leads to more symptoms.

Whenever there is a feeling that the breathing is not adequate, people tend to hyperventilate. This rapid breathing leads to carbon dioxide washout from the body and the oxygen levels in blood are elevated. The body has a very delicate balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide and it is extremely important to maintain that balance. When that balance is disturbed and there is excessive oxygen many symptoms can be experienced which include:

• A feeling of dizziness or lightheadedness
• Increased heart rate
• Chest pain
• Weakness of legs

These symptoms aggravate anxiety and a vicious cycle begins. This feels like some serious medical problem and can lead to a full blown panic attack.

How to Deal with Trouble Breathing from Anxiety

If the doctor says that your lungs are in perfect condition, but you're still having trouble breathing anxiety may be the issue here. In this case, the solution is to control anxiety. You can learn to control your breathing and it is important to understand that hyperventilation can worsen your situation. Here are a few ways to counter the breathing difficulties induced by anxiety and hyperventilation.

1. Train Your Breaths

When you feel very anxious that your breathing is not adequate you start taking rapid shallow breaths and hyperventilate. When this hyperventilation starts it depletes the carbon dioxide and can lead to dizziness and other symptoms. The best thing to do at that time is to stop the rapid shallow breathing. Try to be calm and take a deep breath, hold it for two to three seconds and then slowly exhale. With this slow and deep breathing the carbon dioxide levels will get back to normal and you will feel much better. 

Learn how to take deep breaths with this video:

2. Get Active

Whenever anxiety strikes hard it becomes more and more difficult to stay composed. You can feel helpless and things seem to get out of control. A very good strategy to deal with these symptoms is to have a walk or do some exercise. With any kind of physical activity the blood flow gets better and the urge to take rapid shallow breaths subsides. Exercise also helps to regain the oxygen and carbon dioxide balance and is good to control anxiety.

In addition, exercise is a great stress buster and mood elevator. When you are physically active you tend to sleep better and feel more refreshed. A little walk in the park or a work out session in gym can take your mind off from the troubling symptoms of anxiety and can greatly contribute to your physical and emotional health.

These techniques can be sufficient to deal with troubled breathing and hyperventilation. Though they do not offer a cure for anxiety but can effectively control the symptoms related to it.

Tips to Manage Your Anxiety

Now you know that when you experience trouble breathing anxiety is probably the culprit. Therefore it's essential that you do something in your daily life to manage your anxiety to prevent it in the first place.

1. Try Meditation

There are many ways to meditate and you can choose one to suit your needs. Meditation reduces stress and anxiety and can improve your sleep and mood. According to latest research it can reduce the severity of anxiety related symptoms.

2. Spend Less Time on Social Media

We live in the age of social media and are constantly exposed to images of a perfect lifestyle. The real life is very different from Facebook profiles and Instagram accounts. According to some recent studies, people who spend more time on social media sites are more prone to anxiety and depression. If you have anxiety disorder, you need to spend less time on social media sites for better mental health.

3. Limit Caffeine Consumption

Excessive caffeine intake can make you more anxious. Caffeine is a stimulant and when you take a lot of coffee or tea you can feel more jittery and anxious. Try to cut down on caffeine and limit your coffee consumption.

4. Identify the Root Cause of Your Feelings

The ideal way to deal with anxiety is to identify and deal with the cause of it. The deep rooted fears and troubling thoughts need to be discovered and dealt with for a permanent solution. Behavioral changes and altering the thought process can also help to eradicate anxiety. The best way is to learn how to cope with stress and pressures of life. Over thinking can aggravate the problem and has to be avoided. You have to realize that there are some things which you cannot control.