can’t breathe since moving to Japan?

I forgot to write about my knuckles. So since this tsubo is on my back, it would be convenient to place my fist between the bed and my body and let my knuckles, or should I say ''knuckle'', naturally press my back, if you know what I mean.

Hello,

I'm not sure if this will help or not, but I had episodes like this before. I would go on for days feeling like my lungs weren't expanding enough, and it would trouble me when I slept, and did my daily routine. It might seem out of the blue, but it might be your nerves. For about a year I had this problem going away and then re-occurring, then after going to a bunch of doctors, having x-rays done, oxygen levels checked, cardio grams and the such (which all came out normal), one doctor finally told me it was my nerves. I had a very common ailment which causes inflammation in the breast bone and ribs area. This can make it harder to breath, cause sensitivity in the area and even chest pains...maybe you should see if that is what is causing the problem. I didn't even think I was stressed out or nervous about something, so it's always worth a try to ask.

Uco, I see what you mean. It's interesting that you found those tsubo naturally. I occasionally use one on the back of my hand between the bottom of my thumb and the bottom of my index finger- if you press there it can relieve headaches temporarily. That is a very well known one though, I didn't find it myself!

To Veronica: I have exactly the same problem. I have a breathing problem that wakes me up in the middle of the night. It comes and goes every now and then. I'm pretty sure it's a nervous problem since although I don't really feel that distressed, I've noticed that this problem arises on the night before an important day (interviews, important meetings, etc.)

May I ask how you solved your problem? Thanks!

Vince

Yes, I went to the hospital (since it was after clinic hours and I was sick of having this) and after a bunch of test, the doctor diagnosed me with Costochondritis. This basically (as I said before) is the swelling of the cartilage on and around the breast bone and ribs. Costochondritis is usually caused by stressed and go hand in hand with anxiety. My problems breathing were due to anxiety, and what I feared might have been heart pain (thank God it wasn't...) was the inflammation on my chest. If you don't have the Costochondritis then you should just ask your doctor about getting on anxiety pills. This is what I did, and I felt much better by the next day, and my chest inflammation went away in a few days and has never returned. Just make sure if your doctor diagnoses you with having anxiety/panic attacks to give you a medication that has no risk of dependency (as many usually do). Good luck! Sorry I don't remember the name of the medicine :( I left it back in the states...

This reminds me of a problem I had 25 years or so ago. I was supposed to fly back to my parents' country for a holiday. 3 weeks before the flight the airline staff went on strike. At the time we had no internet so I had spent months writing to various hotels, sending deposits etc. As the time of the trip was getting nearer I started feeling terrible, couldn't breathe,had chest pains etc. So much so that one week before the trip my boss took me to the company doctor, who gave me some pills. The strike was settled 2 days before my departure but I was still feeling rotten. I flew anyway and the morning after, in Paris, my travelling buddy reminded me to take my pills. That's when I realized I had no pains at all. Back at work I bumped into the doctor and he admitted that he had given me placebo pills as he knew, but couldn't tell me then, that all I had was temporary stress. Since then I had a couple of similar incidents -chest pain, shortness of breath-- and always right after a period of mental stress. But I was able to stop the pain within a couple of Hours by going for a long relaxing walk, trying to meditate and, more importantly, not thinking and not doing whatever was stressing me.

Thanks everyone for the replies!

I think humidity might be a big factor. On a hunch I got a little humidity monitor and left it in the Japanese room. When I came home from work the reading was up to 90% humidity!!

So we're going to go get a dehumidifier and see how that works.

We are still considering getting a bed. It may or may not help, but at least we won't have to hang futons outside in the sun.

I think stress might be a problem too, but that will be a problem at least until I can find a job I don't hate. ;)