Shortness of Breath or Feeling Smothered

Difficulty getting a satisfying breath, or a sense of being smothered or unable to get enough air, is a frequent feature of panic attacks.

Breathing usually becomes faster and shallower during intense fear. This lowers carbon dioxide in the blood, which can produce light-headedness, tingling in the hands, lips or face, and a feeling of unreality. Those sensations are often more alarming than the breathlessness itself, and can be misread as fainting or collapse approaching.

People frequently respond by trying to breathe more deeply or more often, which tends to prolong the effect. Slower breathing, particularly a slower out-breath, is more helpful, and is something treatment often addresses directly.

Breathlessness has many physical causes, including asthma, respiratory infection, anaemia and cardiac conditions. Breathlessness that is new, severe, occurs at rest without fear, or comes with chest pain should be assessed medically rather than attributed to anxiety.