Shortness of breath / Air hunger – It cannot be psychological! Is anyone else struggling with this? (Medical history below)
A persistent issue is making my daily life really difficult, and I feel like I’ve hit a dead end. TLDR at the end.
My main symptom is that I constantly feel like I can’t take a proper, satisfying deep breath—only very rarely, as if something is blocking a "good" inhalation. I can breathe fine, I’m not suffocating, but it feels like the air just doesn't go deep enough into my lungs. Quite often, I can only get a satisfying deep breath if I manage to yawn at the same time.
I had the exact same symptom back in childhood, and even then, doctors couldn't pin down the exact cause. I was prescribed an asthma inhaler at the time. It eventually went away for a long time, but after more than 20 years, it returned last year.
Test Results & Timeline:
- 2025 Bloodwork: OK
- 2025 Chest X-ray: Negative
- 2025 Chest CT scan: Negative
- 2025 Pulmonologist: Suspected bronchial asthma based on a spirometry test showing mild airway obstruction (FVC: 110%, FEV1: 93%, FEV1/FVC: 71.4%).
- Prescribed Symbicort (2x2); symptoms eased and spirometry improved (FVC: 115%, FEV1: 108%, FEV1/FVC: 79.12%).
- Dec 2025 – Jan 2026: Symptoms completely vanished (even though I was still using heated tobacco / IQOS at the time).
- September 2026: I no longer smoke/vape, yet the symptoms flare up again.
- 2026 Allergy Prick Test (inhalant panel): Completely negative.
- 2026 Pulmonologist: Recommended restarting Symbicort (2x2).
- Present: Symptoms have barely improved after 3 weeks on the inhaler—definitely not a satisfactory improvement.
I also attended cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for several months. Last year, it was easy to blame anxiety since I was going through a stressful period (new job, buying an apartment, taking out a mortgage). However, stress isn't a factor this year—everything is fine in my life, and I have good coping mechanisms in place.
I find it hard to accept that this is purely psychological.
An interesting detail: The shortness of breath does NOT occur during sleep or physical exercise. My sleep is restful, I have no runny nose, no coughing, and no other systemic symptoms. I really want to find the root cause of this.
Questions:
- Has anyone experienced similar "air hunger" that occurs at rest/during the day rather than during physical exertion?
- What other specialists or tests should I look into? (GERD/Reflux? ENT? Cardiology? Food intolerances? Diaphragm/physical therapy?)
- For those who solved this, what brought you actual breakthrough or relief?
I’d be extremely grateful for any experiences, ideas, or advice!
TL;DR:
- Symptoms: Air hunger at rest; difficulty getting a satisfying deep breath (yawning helps). No symptoms during sleep or exercise.
- History: Present in childhood, returned last autumn, flared up again this September.
- Test Results: CT, Chest X-ray, Bloodwork, and Allergy Prick Test are all NEGATIVE. Diagnosed with mild airway obstruction. Symbicort only provides minimal relief. Completed CBT therapy.
- Question: Has anyone dealt with something similar? Which specialty (ENT, GERD/GI, Cardiology, PT) or treatment worked for you?