Constant Shortness of Breath for 3 months, need help asap

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I've been experiencing the following symptoms with little to no relief since May of 2022.

  • Extreme anxiety / panic attacks daily
  • Hyper focusing / obsessed thinking
  • Depression
  • Blocked nose, tight airways, struggling to draw in breath through the nose. Feeling a cold, dry air sensation that occasionally goes to my lungs. Occasionally mucus in nose. Extremely difficult to breathe through my mouth usually leads me to hyperventilate
  • Feelings of suffocation, drowning
  • Chest tightness
  • Acid reflux and painful stomachache
  • Inability to focus throughout the day, brain fog, mental & physical exhaustion
  • Dizziness, feeling like I'm swaying on a boat

I have gone to the emergency room twice and was sent home both times. Did an asthma test, blood work, chest and throat x-ray at the hospital both times. Perfect normal results. EKG was normal, high heart rate only when I panic. Was given an asthma treatment and did not help or lessen symptoms. Was given oxygen through my nose and did not help. Given an inhaler to use while taking over the counter allergy medication (Zrytec) I do not use the inhaler any more since most of my problems lies with my nose. Stopped using Zrytec, however, never used more than a week.

Followed up with an ENT a month ago and had a camera down my nose & throat. The doctor mentioned I had a slight deviated septum in my left nostril but nothing that should have caused such intense shortness of breath. Was told to stick with the inhaler and allergy medication and return if symptoms have worsened.

I went to my primary care doctor a week later and he said my nostrils looked swollen. However, I saw him early in the morning when my nose is usually stuffed with mucus. Later that afternoon it returned to that tight dry cold feeling. He said to take allergy medication and gave me an antibiotic for a possible lung infection. I finished the medication and it did not help.

Also, from all the different doctors that I saw I was denied a CT scan because I had perfect normal test results.

I will share that I've been obsessively controlling my breath out of fear that my body won't do it for me. In combination with that nose tightness I am feeling this sensation of breathlessness all day. The only time I have relief is when I fall asleep. Could this really all be anxiety? I've noticed that occasionally when I'm fully distracted I don't notice my breath but it really has been constant attention on it. I also notice that I have a lot of nervous tics and when my breath is off I find myself holding my breath then gasping for air again. I have not exercised during these 3 months.

I also want to mention that while this has been severely difficult for me to live with I still work, go on vacation, hang out with friends etc. It's just difficult for me to enjoy any moment because I'm convinced that I'm going to stop breathing at any moment. And the tight nose feeling is extremely uncomfortable to deal with. It feels like it takes my entire body strength to draw a breath.

Also, I had covid in 2020 if that has any correlation. If anyone is familiar with it, does this sound like Empty Nose Syndrome? I've fully convinced myself that this is what I'm suffering from. I have not had any nose surgery though.

Please if someone could give me insight on what I should do. If it really is anxiety or OCD I'd prefer to stay away from medication and try to get rid of this for good.

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