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Good answer, @A MyCOPDTeam Member! I could not take a full breath one morning and waited an hour before driving myself to the ER and just barely made it @ 9 years ago when diagnosed. Won't wait next time! Take care and hope you enjoy your day!! 😀 John Tues AM
AI answered that one precisely. If it is sudden and you're having troubles getting a breath go to ER.
Me, I have those days. I call them my "bad air days." The odds are I got some irritant into my lungs, and started to breathe short breaths or not fully exhaling. So I do my breathing exercises, I rest yet keep active and moving every hour. I pay more attention to fully exhaling. I have a tendency to hold my breath or take short breaths. So during the day I will do some more breathing exercises, PLB and belly breathing. Then tomorrow will be a better day.
But be warned anxiety or panic will only worsen your breathing. Causing you to take even shorter breaths, exhale twice as long as you in hale.
Hope that helps. Do you have an oximeter? That is a good way to know if you need to be doing the PLB [Pursed Lipped Breathing]
Hi and welcome, @A MyCOPDTeam Member:
I find an over the counter menthol balm like Vicks, or a CBD+eucalyptus spritzer like AELIA analgesic muscle spray helps to relax my chest muscles when I’m dealing with tightness.
As the AI-generated response says, though, if it’s a new issue, talk to your doc to make sure it’s not a medical emergency.
If it’s anxiety-related, don’t forget to try calming exercises like pursed-lip breathing or meditation (or your favorite music) to help you deal with your challenges non-medically. Easier said than done, I know, but practice what appeals to you and try and get in some exercise to force your chest muscles to relax.
Even 5 minutes of simple arm and shoulder movements may help to loosen the tension in your chest area if it’s tension or anxiety related.
Good luck, and know that you can conquer these COPD-related challenges. You are not alone.
Early Tuesday morning, 16-JUN-26
Chest tightness and breathing difficulties are common with COPD, and there are several things that can help. However, if the tightness is new, suddenly worse, or comes with gasping, inability to speak, or bluish lips — that's a medical emergency. Call for help right away.
If your oxygen level drops below 90% on a pulse Show Full Answer
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