A team of researchers has discovered a hidden respiratory problem that may be worsening symptoms in people with chronic fatigue syndrome.
A chronic fatigue syndrome It often leaves people deeply tired and mentally confused, and it is common for symptoms to worsen after physical or mental exertion – a response known as post-exertional malaise.
Now, researchers looking at shortness of breath in people with chronic fatigue have found that many are prone to shortness of breath. dysfunctional breathing. This anomalous pattern may be associated with the dysautonomiaa condition in which the nerve signals that regulate blood vessels and muscles are disturbed.
According to the authors of , recently published in the magazine Frontiers in Medicine, focus treatment on these disorders Respiratory therapy can help alleviate some of the most difficult symptoms of the disease.
“Almost half of our participants with chronic fatigue had some respiratory disordera completely undervalued problem that probably contributes to the worsening of these symptoms,” he says Benjamin Natelsoninvestigator at the Icahn School of Medicine and lead author of the study.
“Identifying these anomalies will allow researchers to develop new treatment strategieswith the ultimate goal of reducing symptoms”, adds Natelson, cited by .
Take a deep breath
To explore this link, researchers studied 57 people diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome and 25 healthy volunteers of similar age and activity level.
Participants performed cardiorespiratory stress tests for two consecutive days. In these tests, the team monitored the heart rateblood pressure, oxygen uptake efficiencyblood oxygen levels and the effort required to breathe. Respiratory rate and pattern were also recorded to identify signs of hyperventilation and dysfunctional breathing.
Although dysfunctional breathing is often associated with asthmacan develop through many other reasons.
It may involve frequent deep sighs during normal breathing, breathing too quicklyforced exhalation using the abdomen, chest-centered breathing that does not fully involve the diaphragm, or poor coordination between the thorax and the abdomen. When this coordination fails, the muscles involved in breathing fail to work efficiently.
“Although we know the symptoms caused by hyperventilation, we do not know for sure which symptoms are aggravated by dysfunctional breathing,” says the first author of the study, Donna Mancinialso a researcher at the Icahn School of Medicine.
“But we know that patients can experience dysfunctional breathing without being aware of it. It can occur even at rest”, he adds.
Be out of breath
Researchers found that people with chronic fatigue absorbed approximately the same amount of oxygen that the control group, that is, the maximum VO₂ values were similar.
Although, 71% of patients with chronic fatigue showed signs of respiratory abnormalities, including hyperventilation, dysfunctional breathingor both. Almost half of participants with chronic fatigue had irregular breathing during testing, compared to just four people in the control group.
About 1/3 of patients with chronic fatigue hyperventilatedwhile only one participant in the control group did the same. Nine patients with chronic fatigue presented simultaneously hyperventilation and dysfunctional breathingsomething that did not occur in any of the controls.
Both dysfunctional breathing and hyperventilation can trigger symptoms similar to chronic fatigue, such as dizziness, difficulty concentratingshortness of breath and exhaustion. When these conditions occur together, they can also cause palpitations, chest pain, fatigue and, as you would expect, anxiety.
These respiratory disorders can worsen the symptoms of chronic fatigue or evenplay a direct role in post-exertional malaisesay the study authors
“It is possible that dysautonomia lead to faster, more irregular breathing,” commented Mancini. “It is known that patients with chronic fatigue syndrome often present dysautonomia in the form of orthostatic intolerance, which means that if they feel worse when they are standing still. This accelerates the heart rate and leads to hyperventilation.”
These findings suggest that the improvement of breathing patterns may help reduce symptoms in some people with chronic fatigue syndrome.
The team of researchers plans to continue studying the interaction between dysfunctional breathing and hyperventilation. Although more studies are needed before treatments become widely available, scientists have already identified several potential approaches to improve breathing.
“Breathing exercises through yoga Gentle physical activities in which breathing control is important, such as swimming, may be beneficial,” suggests Natelson.
“Or biofeedback, with assessment of breathing while smooth and continuous use of air is encouraged. If a patient is hyperventilating, this can be detected by a device that measures exhaled CO₂. If this value is low, the patient may try to reduce the depth of breathing to increase it to more normal values”, he concludes.
