asthma symptoms or heart? Weird breathing symptoms...help!!

[AYKM]

So I have been diagnosed with mild asthma the last three years and was encouraged to use an inhaler before exercise and during allergy season. Well, I am just not sure if what I am feeling is asthma (since this is sort of new to me) or some major breathing/heart problem. I will be walking, easily like around the mall, and all of a sudden, it feels like my breath just leaves me...almost like I had forgotten to breath. I usually panic, which causes me take a deep breath and I can't! It gets sort of stuck and then I start yawning like crazy. Eventually it will go back to normal, about 15-30 minutes and then after that I have chest tightness and sometimes palpitations. In the few times that I have complained about chest tightness or not being able to take a full breath, my husband will make me use the inhaler and after a little while it seems to elevate the pressure. the breathing takes some time to get back to normal. What is this? I know some may be anxiety related, but the breathing is just weird. When I run or exercise (aerobic) I usually have burning and tightness in my chest.

Here is another weird thing....now don't laugh. I have a little bit of a belly pooch, and when I pull the fat away from my body, I feel less pressure and can breathe better. I am not fat or overweight, but I do have a small collection of fat in the belly area (something keeping my out of a comfortable size 4). What would this mean? Other than I should lose the weight.

[marc]

Asthma can cause chest tightness as you know and so can anxiety. I think the
more you worry about it, the worse the symptoms may become. If it bothers you,
I would tell your physician what you are experiencing.

[el-k]

  I'm sure everything is fine especially since your asthma is monitored by a physician. I get the pressure in the chest and it is very unsettling, but I just try to occupy my mind with other activities. That is easier said than done, however, when you're in the mall or some other public place. That seems to be when we're most prone to these attacks. Hang in there!

[forestbythesealady]

Well, the asthma will certainly cause you to get tightness in your chest. And, when you panic because you feel like you forget to breathe...and then you take a deep breath, but it just doesn't seem to be that kind that goes all the way...that would be because you are trying too hard. You're over-breathing. Have you ever hyperventilated? Any type of over-breathing seems to cause tightness in the chest for me...and then I try to take one of those cleansing breaths, but it just won't work because I am in the midst of an anxiety attack. It sounds like your inhaler is doing what it's supposed to do for you. If you have trouble breathing you should use it. Also, the yawning. Yawning is actually your body trying to take in more air. So, if you are yawning a lot, maybe it's from the asthma.