What causes heaviness/tightness in lungs and breathing difficulty?
Patient: Hi there, for the past couple weeks i ve been having some breathing difficulties. 1) its hard to breathe through my nose, feels like its blocked but theres mucus 2) lungs sometimes feel heavy or tight . I did have a cold about a month ago and cough up a bunch of phlegm. When i breathe i can feel a rumble in the middle of my chest, sometimes it goes away. I am a smoker and i also have anxiety disorder. Ive been to the ER 3 times last year because i felt like i couldnt breathe. They gave me an ekg and xray, said everything is fine. Saw my primary doctor in May and told her about the rumbling in my chest and heavy breathing, she said my lungs sounded fine... It feels like my breathing has been getting more difficult and just wanted to ask on her for advice before going back to see a doctor. My lungs dont hurt, its easier to breathe laying down. Could this just be my anxiety? Doctor: Thanks for your question on HCM. I can understand your situation and problem. In my opinion, we should first rule out bronchitis in your case. Bronchitis is common after cold (viral infection) and show similar symptoms like breathing difficulty, wheezing etc. So better to consult pulmonologist and get done 1. Clinical examination of respiratory system  2. PFT (Pulmonary Function Test). If PFT is normal then anxiety is the most probable cause for your symptoms. So better to consult psychiatrist and get done counseling sessions, try to identify stressor in your life and start working on its solution. Avoid stress and tension. Be relax and calm. You may need anxiolytic drugs too. Don't worry, you will be alright.