Disproportionate Breathlessness Associated With Deep Sighing Breathing in a Patient Presenting With Difficult-To-Treat Asthma
Abstract
Disproportionate breathlessness is a term that is used synonymously with dysfunctional breathing and idiopathic hyperventilation in the absence of chest disease. In the presence of chest disease, it may not be possible to use these three terms interchangeably. We report a case of a patient with documented asthma but breathlessness that was out of proportion to the measured lung function or exercise tolerance. The breathing pattern was abnormal and was characterized by the need to take frequent deep sighs, which increased in frequency during incremental exercise, despite increasing respiratory rate and tidal volume. Treatment with physiotherapist-led breathing retraining resulted in an improvement in the sigh rate and breathlessness scores. Disproportionate breathlessness and deep sighing breathing are part of the spectrum of conditions that comprise dysfunctional breathing and can cause symptoms that may be wrongly attributed to asthma.
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Breathlessness may manifest as hyperventilation, or symptoms that occur independently of hypocapnia and respiratory alkalosis such as deep sighing or the sensation of air hunger.
“Breathlessness may manifest as hyperventilation, or symptoms that occur independently of hypocapnia and respiratory alkalosis such as deep sighing or the sensation of air hunger [2, 8, 9].”
From Dysfunctional breathing: a review of the literature and proposal for classification (2016) · cites this paper as [9]
Periodic deep sighing is linked to asthma and panic disorder.
“| Periodic deep sighing | 12 | [8, 9, 45–47] | Asthma Panic disorder |”
From Dysfunctional breathing: a review of the literature and proposal for classification (2016) · cites this paper as [9]
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- Authors
- Prys-Picard, C. O., Kellett, F., & Niven, R. M.
- Affiliations
- Wythenshawe Hospital (GB)
- Corresponding author
- Prys-Picard, Curig O.
- ORCID
- Niven, Robert M.
- Venue
- Chest
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2006-12
- Volume
- 130
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 1723-1725
- ISSN
- 0012-3692 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2143416516
- Cited by
- 38
- References
- 5
- Citations by year
- 2025: 4 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 5 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 2 · 2018: 1 · 2017: 1 · 2016: 2 · 2015: 1 · 2014: 3 · 2013: 2 · 2012: 1
- FWCI
- 0.66
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- CHEST Journal (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Research Explorer (The University of Manchester) (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Asthma and respiratory diseases
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine › Respiratory and Cough-Related Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Psychiatry and Mental health › Psychosomatic Disorders and Their Treatments
- Keywords
- dysfunctional breathing, difficult-to-treat asthma, breathing retraining, physiotherapy, tidal volume, respiratory rate
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Asthma, Breathing Exercises, Diagnosis, Differential, Dyspnea, Exercise Test, Female, Forced Expiratory Volume, Humans, Hyperventilation, Occupational Diseases, Plethysmography, Respiratory Sounds, Tidal Volume, Vital Capacity, Physical Therapy Modalities
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