Sigh syndrome: is it a sign of trouble?

The goal of this study was to identify the characteristics and clinical course of patients presenting with considerable stress regarding irrepressible persistent sighing, and to determine whether any association exists between this syndrome and respiratory or other organic disease, during the acute or follow-up period.

We conducted a case series review of patients diagnosed with a defined symptom complex and gathered relevant data.

Forty patients who presented to 3 family practice clinics in Israel met our 10 criteria for sigh syndrome: recurrent sighing; shallow respiration; conviction that deep breaths are obstructed; intensity of episodes provokes stress leading to consultation; no obvious trigger; episodes last a few days to several weeks; no interference with speech; sighing absent during sleep; no correlation with physical activity or rest; self-limited.

We assessed demographic and health status information, as well as recent circumstances that could have served as triggers for the symptoms. We also performed systematic diagnoses of acute or chronic organic disease.

Physicians diagnosed "sigh syndrome" in 40 subjects (19 men [47.5%], 21 women [52.5%]), mean age 31.8 years, during the 3-year study period. All patients conformed to 10 sigh syndrome criteria. In 13 patients (32.5%), a significant traumatic event preceded onset of symptoms. Ten (25%) had previous anxiety or somatoform-related disorders. For 23 patients (57.5%), the episode repeated itself after the initial event. We found no association in any of the cases with any form of organic disease. Likewise, during the follow-up period (on average, 18 months), we did not observe the development of a specific organic disorder in any case.

The "sigh syndrome" runs a benign course; it mainly demands the support and understanding of the treating physician to allay any patient concerns.