The article discusses 'air hunger,' a term coined in 1892 that describes the sensation of not getting enough air, often linked to anxiety. Many experience this feeling in stressful situations, leading to episodes of dyspnea, or shortness of breath. It typically arises from the body's response to perceived threats, activating the sympathetic nervous system. While trying to adjust breathing can worsen the sensations, it reveals the cyclical nature of anxiety: feeling anxious leads to air hunger, which in turn heightens anxiety.
Anxiety and air hunger can become cyclical: You feel anxious, so you experience air hunger, and then struggling to breathe triggers more anxiety.
Simply put, air hunger is the feeling that you can't get enough air. From a medical standpoint, it's referred to as dyspnea.
When we perceive a threat, whether real or imagined, the brain signals the body to enter fight-or-flight mode.
Paradoxically, the more we focus on our breathing and try to 'fix' it, the more we reinforce the cycle of anxiety and air hunger.
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