[Anxiety dyspnea]

Patients complaining about chronic dyspnea, in whom the dyspnea remains unexplained following a thorough diagnostic evaluation, will be defined as having unexplained psychogenic or anxiety dyspnea.

To evaluate the clinical picture of patients with anxiety dyspnea, to evaluate their state of anxiety and whether their dyspnea is related to higher than normal perception of dyspnea.

Forty-six patients with continuous complaints of dyspnea, with no obvious cause of dyspnea, were recruited for the study. The perception of dyspnea (POD) and their anxiety state (using the HADS questionnaire) were evaluated.

Dyspnea that is not related to effort (100% of the patients), difficulties in filling the lung (93%), the need for occasional sigh breathing (93%), and the need for occasional yawns in order to fill the lung (83%) were the most characteristic symptoms. Thirty-two patients (70%) were positive for anxiety states and surprisingly had lower than normal POD.

Our study suggests that patients with anxiety dyspnea have characteristic clinical presentation: dyspnea that is not related to effort, difficulties in filling the lung, and need for occasional sighs and/or yawns in order to be able to fill the lung. If baseline evaluation is negative for an organic cause of dyspnea, the diagnosis of anxiety dyspnea can be established with no further costly diagnostic procedures.