Post-LA fires shortness of breath- help!

Hi there! First time poster, long-time mind-body symptom-haver. Here’s my story, I would love some input!

I am in my late 30s and have had different chronic symptoms emerge since my early 20s including shoulder pain, sciatica, knee pain, and migraines. I know how to manage pain when it comes up, and so it doesn’t stick around too long. Otherwise, I live with moderate-severe anxiety: rumination, intrusive thoughts, some dissociation, all symptoms that I’m familiar enough with to manage at this point.

I moved to Los Angeles from the east coast about 6 months ago. As you may know, there is a lot of trouble with the air quality here, especially since the devastating fires last month. My house was safe, but my partner and I did have to evacuate our new home for a little while, and were worried we were going to lose everything. It was truly terrifying.

Before the fires, I had a couple of experiences with shortness of breath and light-headedness that felt like they could be attached to the air quality, but also occurred around stressful situations. The first was in a social situation with someone who makes me very anxious. The second was when I was coming back to a stressful work situation after being out sick with a chest cold; I had to cancel all of my meetings that day because I felt so short of breath. Once they were canceled and I could relax, I felt better. After the second incident, my doctor prescribed me an inhaler, which sort of helped with my breathing but also just sped up my heart rate and made me feel more anxious.

Since the fires, I have been checking the air quality each morning. On days that it's bad I wear a mask outside, and I typically some notice shortness of breath on my morning walk. But I always get through it and am fine afterward. Sometimes I even enjoy it! Today I felt shortness of breath out to breakfast with a friend, had something that felt like a mini panic attack, and dissociated a bit.

While I know that my concerns about air quality are not unfounded, this does seem like the perfect area for TMS to rear its head for the following reasons:

• Poor air quality is a new thing for me and its short-term impacts seem extremely nebulous- perfect conditions to create a mindbody symptom
• There is a LOT of conflicting information about the air quality and its impact on health since the fires, which is causing anxiety for me and many others
• I just went through a serious traumatic event to which this is linked
• It’s BREATHING, so it feels very intense and severe

I want to be safe regarding the air quality, but I also want to live my life. Right now I am mostly using a mask when I go outside and using an air purifier inside. It seems like masking helps, but that could also be a placebo (my brain sees it as safe). Most people around me are not masking.

Any input in figuring this out would be much appreciated! Thanks so much!

 

There's nothing to figure out.
Wear a mask if you feel like it. Nobody is judging you for it. There is not right or wrong.
If you want to run your air purifier, do it. If you don't then don't do it.
This is no big deal.
"I typically some notice shortness of breath on my morning walk. But I always get through it and am fine afterward." no big deal, right.
Your panic attack happened. It's over. You dealt with it and managed.
Now what are you going to do about your generalized anxiety?
First I suggest you ask @JanAtheCPA to change your user name to something more positive. You identify with being a "worrier" you will stay a worrier. You want to change this habit (for that is what worrying is, it's a habit) then begin now.
Anxiety is a very common TMS trait and symptom.
Claire Weekes books discuss in great detail the feelings and solutions to overcoming anxiety and dealing with it on the occasion it comes up.
Dr. Schubiner has a book entitled: Unlearn Your Anxiety and Depression, which is another great step in dealing with your anxiety.

ETF tapping (there are free videos to guide you on Youtube: Tapping with Brad is a good one!) is so helpful. I used to do it in the AM.

I'm sorry you dealt with the fires. A few of my friends lost their homes, others have been displaced and will be displaced for months to come because of infrastructure damage to their neighborhoods. It was truly awful. However now you are safe from the fires, and can do the work to tame the anxiety beast.