Patient's Query
Hi doctor,
I constantly need to deeply inhale and yawn, feel like my body does not breathe on its own, or that I am very aware of my heavy breathing. I have a constant need to take deep breaths.
Please help.
Hi,
Welcome to icliniq.com.
I can understand your concern.
According to your statement, you are suffering from a breathing problem and occasionally your oxygen saturation rate goes below 90 %.
Oxygen saturation below 90 % needs treatment because it indicates your body cannot meet up enough oxygen due to any cause for working properly. You should monitor your oxygen saturation level routinely by using a pulse oximeter. You should check up on your body thoroughly by doing some routine tests like pulmonary function test, CXR P/A (chest X-ray posteroanterior) view or CT (computed tomography) chest, ECG (electrocardiogram), ECHO (echocardiogram), arterial blood gas analysis and take necessary steps accordingly.
Hope I have answered your question.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards.
Patient's Query
Hello doctor,
Thank you for the reply.
I was recently diagnosed with mild sleep apnea and laying down and falling asleep is pretty much the only time my oxygen drops. Throughout the day I sit at 96 % and up. I have had blood work done during these episodes and it showed my carbon dioxide levels very low which they said was maybe hyperventilation. No wheezing crackling or any odd lung sounds. I do have an at-home SpO2 that I wear to check my oxygen levels and even when I am feeling out of breath I am sitting at 97 % and 98 %. Last year to the month I had a pulse ECHO of my heart along with a calcium score of 0 with CT, stress test, and X-rays. I have had chest X-rays within the past three weeks all showed a structurally normal heart with no fluid in the lungs. I am also not swelling in my lower body or extremities.
Please help.
Hi,
Welcome back to icliniq.com.
I understand your concern.
Mild sleep apnea is treatable and there is nothing to be worried about if you have no risk factors for heart disease. Only lifestyle modification can improve your present symptoms. Getting back to a healthy weight can resolve this disease sometimes if you are an obese person. Similarly, trying to do some moderate exercise or activity daily for 30 minutes like slowly walking, maintaining a healthy regular sleep pattern, avoiding alcohol or caffeine intake or stopping smoking, trying to avoid any type of stress, anxiety or overthinking, etc may help to fix your mild sleep apnea or improve your present symptoms.
Again your hyperventilation due to any causes like anxiety, stress, depression, etc may aggravate or initiate mild sleep apnea. So, at first, it is necessary to find out the exact underlying causes for your hyperventilation and then treat them accordingly. So, please avoid any type of anxiety, stress, or overthinking first and only this can change your hyperventilation as well as symptoms of mild sleep apnea.
Hope I have answered your question.
Let me know if I can assist you further.
Regards.
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