Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a condition that leaves people feeling extremely tired all the time. It also makes it hard to think clearly or stay focused.
One of the worst parts of this illness is that doing even small amounts of physical or mental activity can make the symptoms much worse.
This reaction is called post-exertional malaise. Now, researchers have found that many people with chronic fatigue may also have a hidden breathing problem that could be making things even worse.
In a new study from the Icahn School of Medicine, researchers discovered that many patients with chronic fatigue breathe in an abnormal way, even if they don’t realize it. This type of irregular breathing is called dysfunctional breathing.
It may be connected to another condition called dysautonomia, which affects how nerves control muscles and blood vessels. Scientists believe that treating these breathing issues might help reduce some of the tiredness, dizziness, and brain fog that patients experience.
The study involved 57 people with chronic fatigue syndrome and 25 healthy people of similar age and fitness.
Everyone did two days of exercise testing while researchers measured things like heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen use, and breathing patterns. The goal was to see how well their bodies used oxygen and whether their breathing was normal.
The results were striking. While both groups used a similar amount of oxygen, 71% of people with chronic fatigue showed signs of either hyperventilation, dysfunctional breathing, or both.
Almost half of the chronic fatigue patients had irregular breathing, compared to only a few in the healthy group. About a third of the fatigue patients were also breathing too fast or too deeply, a problem known as hyperventilation. Nine of them had both breathing disorders, which none of the healthy people had.
Dysfunctional breathing can show up in many ways. Some people take deep, fast breaths from their chest instead of using their diaphragm properly. Others may sigh a lot, breathe with poor coordination between the chest and abdomen, or exhale too forcefully.
These habits may seem harmless but can cause symptoms like dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, and even anxiety. These symptoms are very similar to those seen in chronic fatigue syndrome.
One of the study’s authors, Dr. Donna Mancini, explained that many people may have these breathing issues without knowing it.
“It can happen even when someone is just sitting quietly,” she said. Another researcher, Dr. Benjamin Natelson, noted that this kind of problem is not well known but could be a major cause of symptoms in chronic fatigue patients.
There’s also a possible link to dysautonomia, which is common in people with chronic fatigue. This condition can cause heart rate to rise quickly when standing up and can lead to feelings of dizziness and fatigue. It might also cause the person to breathe too quickly or irregularly.
The good news is that there may be ways to help. The researchers suggest that breathing exercises might be useful. Yoga, swimming, or other activities that focus on slow, steady breathing could help retrain the body to breathe better.
Biofeedback, where patients watch their breathing patterns on a screen, may also help them learn how to control their breath. Tools that measure how much carbon dioxide is in a person’s breath might also be used to guide treatment.
This study offers hope that by treating hidden breathing problems, it may be possible to ease some of the hardest symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. More research is needed, but it opens the door to new and simple ways to help people feel better.
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The study is published in Frontiers in Medicine.
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