7. Shortness of Breath: More Than Just a Heavy Sigh
Think about the last time you felt really tired, when each breath seemed like a laborious chore. Now imagine feeling that regularly, like clockwork. With a hiatal hernia, it’s as if an invisible wall is set up within your lungs, restricting the airflow and making you gasp for what feels like that ever-elusive satisfying breath.
Yet, shortness of breath in this context isn’t about gasping as if you’ve run a sprint. It’s subtler, almost sly. You might first notice it while climbing a flight of stairs or engaging in an otherwise mundane task. You pause, perhaps attributing it to age, or fitness, or just a random fluke. But the sensation lingers, unwelcome and unsettling.
What’s intriguing is the paradox of the situation. When you’re stationary, like sitting or lying down, that’s often when the symptom kicks in with a vengeance. Just when you expect to be resting, your body signals the opposite. It’s a psychological seesaw, where a physical symptom triggers mental stress, which then worsens the symptom.
The domino effect is the cherry on top. Once you start experiencing shortness of breath, it trickles down to other facets of your life. Physical activities that once brought joy now carry an undertone of trepidation. Even the very act of going to bed, usually a relief after a long day, becomes a source of dread. The ripple effect of this symptom is far-reaching, both physically and emotionally. (7)
